Storage building door recommendations

[adlertom]

I'm considering construction of a storage building - something in the 40 x 50 foot size range. One unusual thing that I want this building to have is a 40ish foot wide clear opening (like an aircraft hangar) on the 50 foot wide side of the structure. I also need the building to be reasonably tight i.e. mouse and critter resistant.

I'm assuming that a 40 foot wide overhead/garage-type door wouldn't be possible, as it wouldn't be able to support it's own weight, and sag/bend when opened in the horizontal position?

Sliding doors might work, but don't look like they would seal very effectively, plus the 50 foot long side of the building wouldn't be long enough for the doors to slide open along (unless maybe the track extended beyond the sidewalls?).

A bi-fold hangar (continuous horizontal hinge 1/2 way up the door)door looks like the best option, but I'm guessing that one of those would cost a lot more.

Two 20 foot wide solid swinging doors would be a bear to deal with, especially if there were snow on the ground. Maybe there's a fan-fold option of some kind?

I'm wondering if there are other door options to consider?

Has anyone priced a bi-fold door compared to another style? Wondering how much more expensive those really are?

 

[MossRoad]

I used to work at an airport, for about 6 years. Horizontal bi-fold doors are very doable in the size you're looking for. You lose a bit of the opening at the top, as the space is taken up by the door, so look into that before building.

Another hangar that we had, had three 15' overhead doors right next to each other, with the two vertical center tracks being removable. Those center tracks were aluminum, and had tracks on both the left and right side. There was a spring-loaded latch at the top that was operated by a chain pull on the center of the track, and a base on the bottom. You'd set the bottom of the post in the base and tip it forward until it latched. Very nice. That way you could open one, two or three doors to get trucks in and out, or, remove the posts and pull airplanes in or out.

Just be sure that there's interlocks on the latches that WORK. Ours did not, and once in a while, someone would push the close button with the track posts out. Yikes!

 

[MossRoad]

One question, though. Why would you want such a wide door if not a hangar? Large farm equipment?

 

[MossRoad]

I guess they're called swing-up post doors now. They are hinged at the top and latched at the bottoms.

 

[Diggin It]

Maybe there's a fan-fold option of some kind?

Is this what you mean by fan fold? Each panel would be about 10' wide. You might still have a snow issue though.

 

[ponytug]

Personally, I wouldn't do 20' swing doors in your neck of the woods; way too much wind. There would be days you couldn't safely open or shut the doors. I have never found horizontally sliding doors to be critter proof, and on windy days, they, too, can be a bear to work with.

Tilt up forty foot plus doors are common on farm shops that I know of. Makes it easy to drive a pair of combines in, or a cultivator that you don't want to unfold in the shop.

There is a price fo everything though.

Like @MossRoad I am a bit curious on the use case. Most folks here aren't up to the multi-combine/ 800HP cultivators size operation, though there are a handful...

All the best,

Peter

 

[adlertom]

One question, though. Why would you want such a wide door if not a hangar? Large farm equipment?

I'd like it to be potentially usable as a hangar in the future.

The post swing up door that @MossRoad shows is interesting. I wonder how weather/vermin tight the seal around that post is?

With an internet search, I did find a company that makes up to 40 foot wide overhead doors. I was surprised:

News: Latest Garage Door News

Enjoy staying up-to-date with the latest Amarr news and press releases.

www.amarr.com

 

[adlertom]

Is this what you mean by fan fold? Each panel would be about 10' wide. You might still have a snow issue though.

View attachment 714184

Yes, that was the general idea. There's a fire station near here that has doors something like this, mostly for the antique look.

And agree, there would still be a snow issue unless they folded into the building, which would of course lessen the interior space.

 

[oosik]

I don't think a building with such an opening can be totally "critter" proof. Mice, chipmunks & squirrels can go thru incredibly small openings. And the doors will not be the only point of access.

Do your best. Then began an active program of trapping or poisoning.

 

[EddieWalker]

I'm at a loss on how to do this and not spend a fortune. I can't even figure out how you will frame it so it will be able to support a door that big!!!! Is this going on the gable end with a truss above it? Will the truss be engineered to support the weight of a door that big? or will you rely on the walls to support the weight of a door? Something like this is a lot of fun to think about, but in the end, it's just too big of an opening to attempt to put a door on and expect it to last without spending a fortune.

I think you should consider doing it in three doors. Then it becomes simple, affordable, secure and strong.