OT: Barn door design needed for O/H-style door that looks like a proper barn door

I have arthritis, so opening the current door is impossible. We also live near Buffalo, NY, so we need a door that works when there's snow piled in front of the door.

What we need is an overhead style of door, with automatic (electric door opener) operation, but which looks proper for a red barn that's 100 years old.

You guys always seem to be able to help out on ANY topic. Prove me right on that point and give me some ideas.

Are there any ready-made overhead-style garage doors out there that can have materials (e.g., hemlock) added to the front? I've looked at a web site called CYBIAG.com that makes "invisible" garage doors. They appear too expensive.

Or, do you have other recommendations?

We have a barn-restoration expert of sorts helping out on this project. He's pretty handy, but we need some ideas or plans.

Thank you in advance for any help offered.

The Bri Guy

I also see something similar at the entrance to some of the "Gentleman's Farm" entrances out in "horse country" west of Washington D.C.

Do a Google search - I just did and got 85,000 hits on gate opener. The one place I looked had several models of sliding gate openers priced in the $1,000-1500 range. One eve could be run on solar power.

Regards,
Larry

The existing sliding door has worn out beyond salvage. A new door would have to be built, including new hardware. That's one possibility.

This door is on the front section of the barn. There is a door between the center section and front section. So, there's no worry about being locked out. Right now, the existing door is nailed in place to keep it from banging in the wind. We just load the front section from the center section (nice big in-between door that allows an N to drive right in).

We will strive for authenticity.

Just as a point of history, the barn was built in 1905, same as the old farmhouse next to it that we bought before we built our new house behind the barn (sort of). The barn has "A" roofs, not gambrel roofs (rooves?).

All the beams in the main section (the original part of the barn) are hand hewn. There's the front section which was moved on site later. It's lower, narrower and longer than the main section. That section has saw-cut beams and such, but it’s still fairly old. That's the part with the door that's of concern.

Starting in about 1926, the owner of the barn leased out the barn to the Town of Elma to be used as the Highway Department Barn. That continued until the 1950's. Locals remember the old town snowplows used to be stored in the barn, behind the tall center sliding doors. When the town got “big time” and bought a second snowplow truck, the second truck had to be stored on the lawn in front of the barn. There just wasn’t enough room for both trucks, apparently. The also stored a lot of other equipment and supplies in the barn. I’m guessing that the town moved the front barn section to the site and added it on at some time.

New York State has had barn restoration programs in the past 3 years. Grants are up to $20,000. There are only a handful of grants awarded each year. There are various criteria used in scoring barns. History, visibility from a scenic road, current agricultural use, etc. are all scoring criteria. We tried to get a grant, but have not been successful. We’ve heard it’s very “political.” Oh, there’s a surprise.

Again, thanks to all. Have a good one, and keep safe on your N’s.

Then, your door could be truly authentic and arthritus-friendly.

Many years ago, I traveled thru Germany, my ancestrial homeland. One of the purposes for the trip was to photograph the old German Barns. Being a student of architectural refinements, I was particularily interested in BARN DOORS, and the old say'ns that were painted over the door-ways.

Well, about 10 yrs. ago, we converted an 18th century, into a CA cold storage (CA meaning "controlled atmosphere" for humidity and temperature.)

I recommend, in your particular case that you consider just putting an automatic garage door opener on the existing barn door. Thus, you will have a sliding door, as opposed to a vertically lifting door.

Up there in Elmira, Ny. (CORNING COUNTRY), they still have problems with the over-head type doors causing problems, especially during winter months.

The type of "sliding door opening system is easily fashioned with a simple household (sears) opener.

Try to keep your character in your barn.

By the way, During WWII, those 12th. centruy barns over there were not targeted, according to older brother, because contained in those barns was someth'n special.

Today, when those 12th century doors are opened up, well, guess what, COLD STORAGES, with sliding doors built by a company in HAGERSTOWN, MD.

We are always look'n for existing buildings to make into COLD STORAGES for perishable products.

FRUITS, VEGETABLES, MEATS, even storage of Christmas decorations for the Huge Deptartment Stores.

Good luck with your project.

John C. Doersom, Gettysburg, PA
Refrigeration Consultant.

However, it has been my esperience that most people don't think about converting a small wagon shed into a garage for their motorcar.

Well, to git to the car, how do you raise the door from the outside, in case of emergency, with NO electricity? The emergency rope release is generally located inside the garage. Therefore it you keep some kinds of sliding door arrangement, you can always use the car to "PUSH the door open, after you return home. Trouble is, everyone is affraid that the neighbor will bust into the "garage" to steal the gasoline for the car. :")(
John.

OH YEA>, If the door mechanism locks the door shut while you are in the shed (shed),,,plan on an escape hatch.

They have about 15 or more styles.

But, they are expensive too.

I'm not sure how you can get around the cost though.

If you hire a carpenter or local custom shop to build custom doors, they could add-up. Hahn has a cross section view of their door construction so you can see how they are made and with what materials and joinery. They are well made. Check them out.

Consider the price of a good quality standard overhead door. Then figure out just how much more expensive the Hahn doors or a custom door would be beyond the cost of the standard door.

It might be that the extra cost is within reason after-all. 9N'er