Garage Side Door Choices

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SteveHGraham
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Garage Side Door Choices

Post by SteveHGraham »

My garage has an exterior door (steel) which has rusted up. It's a left hand door, 80 by 36. I am going nuts trying to pick out a replacement.

It looks like the size is 36 x 80. I want something that will resist burglars, unlike the tin foil doors at Home Depot, and I want hardware that won't rust. I am going to have to put an awning over the doorway to get rid of the rain problem.

Can anyone recommend a product?
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.
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warmstrong1955
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Re: Garage Side Door Choices

Post by warmstrong1955 »

Check your local lumber yards....where guys go that build houses get their stuff.

That's where mine came from. Galvanized steel panels laminated on a wood frame, pre-hung with threshold and all. Solid brass hinges....I bought separately. Insulated too.

I made my own steel receiver to fit the door frame, which is screwed thru to the 2" x 4" studs, so if someone was to go to kickin', they'd have to work at it. Still....if they want in....doors only keep the 'honest' folks out, but in a fight, I think the door would survive, and the frame or the bolt would finally lose the war.

Bill
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Russ Hanscom
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Re: Garage Side Door Choices

Post by Russ Hanscom »

Nothing is burglar proof, if it is too good they will just find a different way.

Look into fiberglass doors. We put one in where there are sun and water issues; so far it is performing well after eight year. Never needs painting, but is has a foam core and probably would fail to a few strong blow.
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SteveHGraham
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Re: Garage Side Door Choices

Post by SteveHGraham »

The ones Home Depot has are so soft you can dent them with your hand. It's like steel foil.
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Harold_V
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Re: Garage Side Door Choices

Post by Harold_V »

While not cheap, I've used Curries (commercial) doors exclusively in the shop, and for exterior doors in our house and garage. There's no way in hell anyone is going to kick one in, but as Russ alluded, there's no such thing as a secure structure. When the burglar couldn't get past our doors in the shop, he simply tossed a large rock through one of our windows and gained access that way.

Harold
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hammermill
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Re: Garage Side Door Choices

Post by hammermill »

talk to a local glass install company, they do doors as part of the package, can recommend the top in your area.
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ctwo
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Re: Garage Side Door Choices

Post by ctwo »

I like solid wood. none of that composite crimp together junk. you'll have to buy the brass hardware. I'm not sure if HD carries any solid brass hardware anymore or if it's just plated.
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ronm
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Re: Garage Side Door Choices

Post by ronm »

Do you have a Habitat for Humanity or similar recycled building supply store around? The Habitat store here has some really heavy-duty industrial-type steel doors from time to time.
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steamin10
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Re: Garage Side Door Choices

Post by steamin10 »

ya, Habitat here has many used selections.

I used a steel frame , around a commercial door, that is all welded construction. It is of the type that is commonly used for masonry work. These doors are 48 inch in my case, and end the 'tunnel' under the front porch. At any rate, they have been cut for fit on the height being shortened some 6" for my particular job. They have been in for 15 yrs now and show no deterioration.

The tunnel is a dead space created below the front porch, when I raised the house out of the swamp. It is a 6 foot wide by 6'4" space that runs the entire front of the house. Lined with barn siding it has 2 inches of foam insulation, and a 2.5 inch cast slab on top, poured in 4 -10 foot sections. If any slab fails it can be taken out, supported from below, and re-poured. It is cast in 7 bag mix, made by hand in a drum mixer. The area was created to store trains and mowing equipment, for the planned loop of track around the garage, and back through the tunnel.

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SteveHGraham
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Re: Garage Side Door Choices

Post by SteveHGraham »

It turns out we have a Habitat for Humanity store here, so I plan to check it out. Thanks.
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.
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