To date, many different designs have been developed and successfully implemented in practice. garage doors. We offer you a description of the most popular types of gate systems, as well as a guide to self-assembly and installation of swing gates - the easiest design to manufacture, which almost every novice craftsman can handle. As you gain experience, you will be able to assemble more complex systems.
In such gates, the leaf moves to the side using a system of guides and rollers. Gates can be installed outside and inside the garage.
Advantages and disadvantages
Among the main advantages of sliding gates, the following points should be noted:
The main disadvantage is the fact that such gates can only be installed on a garage with a wide facade. Its width should be at least, such that the sliding sash can completely fit on it.
Such gates can be made and installed independently. The doors themselves are made using almost the same principle as the doors of ordinary swing gates. The differences are present only at the installation stage - instead of hinges, guides and rollers are used.
A very convenient option. Most often, there are systems in which the sash rises up and is fixed above the opening. Galvanized steel is usually used to make gates. Aluminum structures are also often found - such doors weigh noticeably less than their steel counterparts.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages are as follows:
However, such gates can only be used to equip a private garage located on a protected individual plot. Lifting structures, especially those made of aluminum, have a relatively low rigidity, which does not allow them to provide the required protection for the garage.
Such gates have quite complex design. For their self-made you need to have good engineering experience and possess the special knowledge necessary to select a suitable counterweight and install the associated mechanisms.
A novice master can only try to install ready-made factory-assembled overhead gates on his own. This is done quite simply in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
The structure is assembled from several horizontal sections connected to each other using hinges. The outer sections are equipped with rollers moving along guide bars. The guides themselves bend so that when the gate is opened, they fit smoothly under the garage ceiling.
The design is characterized by fairly high reliability and rigidity. Inside each section, as a rule, there is already insulation, which further increases the heat and sound insulation properties of the gate.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages:
The disadvantages are relatively low burglary resistance and high price.
You will not be able to make such a gate yourself. Of course, you can try, but it’s not a fact that a homemade design will work correctly. In addition, the production of sections will take an irrational amount of money and time.
Most often they consist of two wings. The gate is based on a metal frame. Sandwich panels, steel sheets and other suitable materials can be used for cladding.
For greater convenience, you can cut a gate into the sash.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages:
The main disadvantage is the need for sufficient free space in front of the garage to open the gate. This causes particular inconvenience in winter - in order to open the gate, you will have to first clear the path in front of it of snow.
Swing gates are the easiest to manufacture. It is in their favor that it is recommended to give preference to novice masters.
Guide to making swing gates
Pre-plan the dimensions of the future gate in accordance with the dimensions of the opening to enter the garage and buy the required amount of materials. For greater convenience, make a drawing or at least a basic sketch.
First stage - mounting frame
Start by making a supporting frame. The starting material is a metal corner. The frame will consist of an external and internal support frame.
First step. Measure the opening.
Second step. Cut the corner into pieces of the required size for making the outer frame. Lay out the resulting elements on a plane, align them horizontally and align the corners.
To adjust the horizontal, use shims, check the corners with a square. If it is absent, you can simply measure the diagonals. Correct any deviations immediately.
Thus, you need to lay out the blanks in the form of a future outer frame.
Third step. Weld the supporting frame. Its outer side should be as smooth and absolutely even as possible, otherwise the gate will not fit tightly enough to it. To ensure the required smoothness, grind the weld seams using an ordinary grinder.
Fourth step. Weld vertical corner pieces into the corners of the structure. They will provide the necessary rigidity of the frame, i.e., allow it to remain geometrically unchanged.
Second stage - frame
Start making the frame. Later you will attach the finishing metal sheet to this frame. The frame itself can be made from a metal profile with a cross-section of 6x2 cm.
First step. Place the frame face up on a suitable flat surface.
Second step. Insert the guides into the supporting frame. Carefully level each side of the structure.
Third step. Provide a 15-20mm gap between the supporting frame and the inner gate frame. To do this, use earbuds. Thanks to this gap, the doors will be able to move without difficulty in the future.
Fourth step. Make sure that the corners of the frame are straight and finally weld the profiles.
The third stage - sheathing
Be as careful and careful as possible at this stage. The aesthetic qualities and a number of the most important functional properties of the finished structure fully depend on the correct execution of the cladding.
First step. Cut the steel sheet to the size of the garage doors. In this case, the left gate leaf should overlap the right one with a 1-2 cm overlap - take this point into account.
Second step. Temporarily secure the sheets to the frame. To do this, grab them at several points below.
Third step. Trim the trim of the right gate leaf by 10-20 mm (needed for overlap, mentioned earlier).
Fourth stage. Finally weld the sheets to the frame. First, weld the material at the corners and in the center of each box, and then fix it around the perimeter. Thanks to this, the sheets will not move during operation. After welding is completed, the corner and center fastening points must be cut off.
Stage four - loops
Hanging hinges are best to buy.
Weld the lower hinge element to the supporting frame. Weld the top element to the outer sash. You can use a curved metal strip to strengthen the connection. It must be attached to the top of the hinge and to the gate leaf.
Additionally, the fixation rigidity of the hinges can be increased by welding to inside reinforcement liner products.
Fifth stage - locks and constipations
The gates in question are most often equipped with padlocks or mortise locks. Additionally, it is recommended to install stoppers and a high-quality deadbolt. These products will allow you to close your garage door from the inside.
Pin stoppers can be easily made on your own. To make such a structure, drive a piece of pipe into the ground or garage floor, and immerse a metal rod inside it - the movable element of the stopper. The rod must be threaded through a loop previously made in the sash. Make sure that the pipe is not clogged with snow and various dirt.
Locks also require timely and competent care. Protect your gate locks from moisture, especially in winter. Lubricate the locks periodically with oil.
Stage six - painting
The paint layer will provide additional protection metal sheet from corrosion and other damage.
Prime the metal, let it dry, and then apply a double coat of your metal finishing paint of choice.
Perform any painting work either on outdoors, or in a room with good ventilation!
Seventh stage - installation
First step. Install the outer and inner door frame elements. Fix to the slopes of the gate opening using metal pins about 18 cm long.
Second step. Trim the protruding edges of the metal pins, scald them and carefully sand them with a grinder so that in the future they do not interfere with the gate closing. If desired, you can paint the pins.
Third step. Fasten the inner and outer parts of the frame using 40 mm jumpers (metal plates). Weld the jumpers in increments of about 50-60 cm.
Fourth stage. Hang the sashes. If you wish, you can equip your garage door with automation. This is very convenient - you don’t have to constantly open and close the doors yourself.
Video - Manufacturing and installation of garage doors
Eighth stage - insulation
In the absence of high-quality thermal insulation, up to 50-60% of the heat will escape through the gate. If you plan to use the garage in the cold season and are going to equip it with some type of heating, be sure to resolve the issue of installing insulation.
To do this, install a lathing made of wooden blocks on the inner surface of the gate leaves. Select the fastening pitch of the elements individually in accordance with the width of the insulation boards. For thermal insulation, it is recommended to use mineral wool and other materials based on it.
Before laying the insulation, secure the plastic film over the sheathing. Place the insulation in the cells of the sheathing. Lay the insulation as tightly as possible, without cracks or gaps. For most regions, a 5-centimeter thickness of insulation layer is more than enough. Cover the thermal insulation with a vapor barrier film. Place clapboard or other facing material on top of the insulated sheathing.
There is nothing overly complicated about designing and installing garage doors yourself. All you need to do is follow the instructions and remain attentive at every stage of the work. Once you understand the procedure for arranging simple swing gates, you will be able to build more complex structures yourself.
Happy work!
Video - DIY garage door
Video - Automatic swing gates for a boat garage
At current prices for materials and finished products, there is only one way to save money - to do the manufacturing work yourself. This also applies to metal swing-type garage doors, which you can weld yourself if desired. You will need to study the assembly algorithm, prepare tools and materials, and involve one assistant in the process.
Welded swing gates for garage
Gate manufacturing methods
There are 3 ways to weld garage doors:
- When construction is not yet completed, the swing gates are welded separately as a single product. They are then delivered and installed at the site of the future opening, after which the front wall of the garage is built around the steel frame.
- When the garage has already been built, the doors can be made according to the size of the opening, brought to the site and installed.
- Along the finished opening, gradually welding the elements right in place.
The last assembly method is well suited for motorists who are taking on the task of constructing a garage entrance with their own hands for the first time. There is no need for high precision measurements, straightening the diagonals of the sashes and moving heavy iron parts. If all operations are performed correctly, the homemade structure will function successfully and last for many years.
Procurement of materials
To the right amount To purchase metal to fill the entrance opening, you need to measure the dimensions of the latter and the thickness of the front wall. You will need the following rolled metal:
- an equal angle corner of at least 75 mm wide - for framing the walls around the entrance and for making sashes;
Equal corner different sizes - the same, 60 mm wide for braces;
- steel sheet with a thickness of 2 mm or more for door leaves and connections between frames;
Stainless steel sheet 2mm - simple cylindrical canopies (hinges) for outdoor installation;
Main types of cylindrical hinges - valves - 4 pcs., can be welded from round timber or bought ready-made;
- locks.
Ties in the form of metal strips 10-15 cm wide, equal in length to the thickness of the wall, can be cut in advance. Since in the process of welding garage doors with your own hands you will need different supports and linings, you should keep on hand pieces of corners, profile pipes and other rolled products available on the farm.
The list of tools is also small:
- welding inverter;
- Angle grinder - angle grinder (grinder);
- electric drill;
- clamps;
- measuring instruments - tape measure, ruler, square and liquid level;
- ordinary plumbing tools - hammer, pliers, etc.;
- consumables: welding electrodes with a diameter of 3 mm, metal circles, drills.
To install locks you will need fastening hardware - bolts, nuts, washers. At the end of the work, the canvas must be primed and painted with your own hands, for which the composition GF-021 and pentaphthalic enamel (PF) are usually used, respectively.
The initial stage is framing the opening
At this stage, it is important to correctly cut and weld the corners into a single structure - a frame, which will support the outward opening doors. Framing work begins at the threshold of the garage and is carried out in the following order:
- Cut 2 corners the width of the opening and lay them along the threshold on both sides. Weld them with steel strips (ties).
- Cut off 4 more side corners with your own hands, whose length is equal to the height of the opening plus 2 widths of their shelves. The resulting racks must be cut at both ends so that they clearly fit into the corners of the threshold.
- Attach the racks to the side ends of the walls and connect them together using ties. The latter must be placed opposite the joint welding points.
- Weld the frame of the threshold and walls together.
- Repeat the action described in step 1, only install the corners on the upper end of the wall. Weld them to the side posts.
During the work, it is necessary to ensure that the framing elements fit as tightly as possible to the walls. Steel tie strips must be laid between the corner flanges and the wall, and then welded.
The first stage is making the frame Manufacturing of sashes
The essence of the method is that first, one solid sash is made directly in the opening and attached on both sides with hinges. The result is a frame inserted into a frame, which is finally cut in half. In order for future gates to open well, it is important to properly maintain the gaps between these frames:
- from the ceiling beam to the sash frame - 1 cm;
- the gap between the side post and the same frame is 5 mm;
- the lower gap above the threshold is 2 cm.
The process begins with the installation of the side frame posts and is carried out in this order:
- The corner, cut taking into account the upper and lower gap, must be placed on the side frame with a gap of 5 mm and secured to it using a piece of metal. Repeat the operation on the other side end.
- Weld the horizontal corners from the bottom and top to the vertical posts, cutting them properly. Before this, you need to make a slot for one shelf with your own hands exactly in the middle of each jumper.
- Install the canopies and weld their lower part to the frame, and the upper part to the sash frame. The hinge should be opposite the connection connecting the inner and outer parts of the gate frame.
- Place 2 vertical posts in the middle of the opening, securing them to the frame by welding.
- Make 2 horizontal lintels exactly in the middle of each sash.
The resulting frame, built into the frame of the opening, remains to be cut into 2 parts, which open independently thanks to hinges. Considering that the shelves of the upper and lower corners are already trimmed, you just need to cut them from the front side.
To prevent gates without leaves from immediately sagging under their own weight, temporary braces should be installed from the inside and secured by welding. Then, using a grinder, you need to remove the potholders holding the side corners, after which the doors can be opened.
On last stage You need to cut and weld the leaves to the garage door with your own hands. When closed, they should overlap the frame by about half, which is how you need to cut the sheet of metal. Then weld it to the frame and remove the braces. All that remains is to install the lock and latches, and then clean and paint the gate.
Buying a good-quality garage structure in our time is not a cheap pleasure. Do-it-yourself garage doors are cheaper to make, but necessary certain knowledge and skills. It is also advisable to have the skill welding work. Therefore, how to make a garage door with your own hands is a question that needs to be thoroughly understood. But then it will be possible to begin to complete the task.
Near a private house
Most users choose them for their compact size.
Advantages: convenience, burglary protection, universal use. Disadvantages: high cost, folding structures are subject to damage.
Swing gates
The photo shows a swing version of the design.
On a suburban area
Sliding gates
Rollback option
Up and over gates
These are the most practical and convenient vertical structures. When opened, the sheet of metal rises up and lies horizontally in the form of a visor. The design of such a mechanism is simple. The canvas is attached to the frame and moves around an axis, changing its horizontal position to a vertical one. Folding gates are easy to use.
Lifting structure drawing
Advantages: resistance to corrosion and burglary, do not require additional space.
Comparison of characteristics
Based on the indicators in the table, we can say that the choice is only up to the buyer. It all depends on cost and reliability. For example, swing and sectional models are good for installation in a home garage, but they are not suitable for garage cooperatives, as they have a low degree of reliability.
Up-and-over garage doors are suitable for any building, but they main drawback- high price. Due to their low price, swing gates are suitable for a private garage. If necessary, they can be insulated, automated and reinforced with an additional sheet of metal. In addition, it is easy to weld garage doors at home.
Frame structure diagram
The frame is made of a metal corner, which is welded around the entire perimeter of the doorway. This is how the slope is finished inside and outside. The inner and outer corners are welded together with metal strips in several places. You should get a frame frame.
After the frame is ready, collapsible hinges are welded on the sides. Bottom part must be connected with the outer corner, and the top one with the frame frame. This design is also suitable for a garage made of
Today there is great amount garage door designs. They differ in design elements, as well as in the quality of filling. Some people prefer primitive models, while others equip their car storage with more powerful systems.
Making a garage door with your own hands is great option for those who want to equip such a structure with durable gates that are most suitable in size and content.
What types of garage doors are there and is it possible to design them yourself without the help of professionals and without experience in this matter?
There are several types of garage doors, most of of which appeared not so long ago.
And before you figure out how to make garage doors with your own hands, let’s look at the types of similar products:
Swing gates
Swing gates for garage.
The most ancient and at the same time reliable version of the gate. Such structures are installed everywhere: they can be used not only to equip garages, they have earned the trust of many years of trouble-free practice, even under harsh operating conditions.
The design of these samples consists of 2 sashes fixed on hinges in the frame. The doors, if everything is assembled correctly, close tightly without forming gaps between the frame. The operating mechanism of swing gates is simple, but, as practice shows, it is very reliable.
Retractable type
Gates first came into use at the beginning of the twentieth century. By design, it is one leaf that slides to the side parallel to the front wall. There are designs consisting of two doors. IN in this case the doors will move apart in different directions.
There may also be sliding gates that fold into several sections. A feature of the design of such models is the mandatory presence of free space for moving the valves. Therefore, such structures are most often used to equip hangars and industrial premises.
In the case of using sliding gates on private plots, they are used not to construct the garage itself, but to equip the entrance to the plot.
Lift-and-swing mechanisms
Lift gate design.
Their development and production in our country began not so long ago. By design, it is one sheet that rises upward. This option is suitable for equipping a garage and creating an entrance to a private plot.
Up-and-over sectional doors
Like the previous version, the models appeared on our market relatively recently. They are a panel assembled from sections that are refracted and moved upward along the guides when the command to open the gate is given by a remote control or a button.
The mechanism operates due to the spring and guides with a chain drive. One of the most important advantages is saving space.
Roller type gates
Garages are extremely rarely equipped with such structures, due to their low reliability. Externally – aluminum plates folding into a special box under the ceiling. Facilities with security and access control systems are most often equipped with similar structures.
For reference! Regardless of the type of gate chosen, any of them can be equipped with automation and started from a key fob.
When choosing garage doors, it is important to take into account not only their appearance, functionality and reviews from advertisers, but also other, more important indicators: strength, durability and the ability to work in specific climatic conditions.
As mentioned earlier, the most reliable and durable option would be swing gates: they work even in any frost and can protect the room not only from frost, but also from burglary if equipped with a good locking system.
Do-it-yourself gates: features of the work
Based on the fact that swing gates are most often used to equip garages, let’s look at an example of how to make a simple but very reliable design with your own hands.
Features of welding garage doors.
Having purchased all the necessary consumables and prepared some tools, you can make swinging garage doors on your own from start to finish.
For their installation you will need the following materials:
- steel corners;
- profiles;
- metal sheets.
The dimensions of the gate doors and their features can be designed in advance, which makes it possible to make a design that best suits the parameters of the building and the aesthetic preferences of its owner.
You can try to make up-and-over gates on your own, but the work requires considerable engineering experience and knowledge. In this case, it is important to understand how the counterweight system is organized and the mechanism itself is installed so that the system works without any complaints.
Most often, structures of this type are purchased in already finished form, and their installation is carried out in accordance with the instructions attached to the product.
It will be even more difficult with overhead sectional doors, because they are almost impossible to assemble with your own hands. In this case we're talking about about unreasonably high costs, time expenditure and a complete lack of guarantees for the quality work of the assembled structure.
Therefore, if you want to equip your garage with just such a system, then it is advisable to purchase a ready-made product.
Now let’s take a closer look at the specifics of manufacturing swing garage doors.
Garage door design
Drawing of a gate with a garage door.
As with any construction project that requires high precision, before you start making garage doors, you need to make a design for the future structure.
It’s not difficult to make a drawing of a garage door yourself; just sketch it on a regular sheet of paper, measure all the important elements and indicate the location of the loop connections, the entrance, if it is intended in the project, and the locking system.
First you need to choose the right height and width of the structure. The minimum width of the doors is considered to be one at which the distance from the car body on both sides to the frame remains at least 30 cm. Of course, the larger this gap, the easier and more convenient it is to drive the car into the garage.
In practice, the maximum frame width is 5 meters. Most often, gates are made 2.5-3 meters wide.
Advice! When choosing the width of the gate, it is very important to take into account that the distance from the structure frame to the wall located perpendicular to it must be at least 0.8 m.
The height of the products is selected depending on the dimensions vehicle. Most often it is 2-2.2 meters. If a minibus is stored in the garage, then it is better to expand this parameter to 2.5 meters.
In our case, the structure will consist of a frame and a pair of sashes fixed to it with hinges. Guided by the project and the dimensions indicated on it, we calculate and purchase the required number of consumables.
Gate frame manufacturing
It is best to start making the frame at the stage of erecting the walls of the garage structure. This will allow the gate to be secured in the body of the building, which will make the entire structure more reliable and durable.
During the process of laying the front wall, when up to 0.5 m of masonry is ready, construction works are suspended and retrained for the installation of a gate frame, after which you can continue to build walls.
To make the frame you will need 65 mm steel corners, strips 2-3 cm wide, 3-4 mm thick and a reinforcing rod with which the frame will be secured in the opening of the structure. As for tools, the work requires a grinder, a square, a building level, a tape measure and a welding machine.
The garage frame in our case consists of outer and inner parts.
Gates made of corrugated sheets.
The manufacturing algorithm for this structural element is as follows:
- Using a grinder, we cut the corner into 4 pieces of length equal to the width of the gate opening.
You will also need 4 more lengths, equal height gateway. - We place the cut parts of the corner on a flat surface, checking it in advance with a building level for distortion, which is unacceptable at this stage of the construction process.
We measure all the angles - they should be equal to 90° and use a welding machine to weld them together. As a result, you should get an even frame. The corners are welded either overlapping, or by cutting off their edges and welding butt to butt. The first option is more durable than the second. - From the outside of the frame, carefully remove all welding flaws using a grinder.
Otherwise, the protruding seams will prevent the sashes from fitting tightly to the frame.
Advice! If during welding work the corners have moved, this situation can be corrected by welding a lever to them from scraps of the corner, placing it between the uneven sections of the frame.
Manufacturing of sash frames
Next we move on to manufacturing the frame of the gate leaves. It should be slightly smaller in size than the garage door frame itself, which will ensure its easier entry into the opening. Compliance with this condition contributes to a tighter fit of the sashes to the outside of the frame.
The frame for the gates can be made from a steel angle identical in size as in the case of the manufacture of the frame part of the gate, or you can also use a profile rectangular section. Here big difference no, with the exception of ease of use and the load-carrying capacity of the structure.
The algorithm for manufacturing the frame part of the valves consists of performing the following actions:
- First of all, you need to cut 4 lengths from the corner or profile, 1-1.5 cm shorter than the height of the frame.
Thanks to this gap, the sashes will easily fit into the opening. Since this design assumes the presence of two sashes, 4 more horizontal sections will be required, with a length equal to the width of the main frame, divided in half and minus 3-3.5 cm. - We place the cut parts of the corner on a flat surface, check them for distortion, measure the corners and weld them.
It is better if this process is carried out together with an already welded frame - this way all the flaws and inaccuracies will be visible. - In order to strengthen the structure, we weld a horizontal bar, which acts as a spacer and reduces the risk of slippage and distortion of the future structure.
Manufacturing of gate leaves
The doors are usually made of sheet material. The most practical and reliable is a sheet with a thickness of at least 2 mm.
Garage door stiffeners.
The process of creating gate leaves is as follows:
- First of all, you need to cut out sheet metal 2 canvases: one is 30-40 mm higher in height than the height of the garage opening and less than 10-20 mm in width than the frame width, the other is the same in height, and 20 mm wider in width than the frame.
- The next stage is welding the panels to the frame so that the top and bottom of the panels protrude onto the frame by 10-20 mm.
One of the sashes, which will open secondarily, should not fit tightly into the edge of the frame in width, leaving a 10 mm edge free. This will ensure a tighter fit of the second flap. On the contrary, we weld the panel of the second sash so that it protrudes beyond the frame part by 20-40 mm. - Next we proceed to welding the reinforced hinges.
The lower half is welded to the main frame, and the upper half is welded to the sashes. To strengthen the fastening, the hinges can be supplemented with a welded metal insert. We take a strip 5-7 mm thick, bend it and weld it to the upper half of the hinges and to the sash. The reinforcement tab is welded from the inside.
Advice! During welding of sheet material, it may lead. To avoid distortion of the sashes, first of all, the corners and middle of the sheets are tacked by welding, after which the entire sheet is tacked with point movements in increments of 10-15 cm.
If all structural elements are on a flat surface, the sashes are located on top of the frame, it is possible to examine whether everything is welded correctly and where there are any flaws. This makes it possible to take timely measures to eliminate inaccuracies.
If the design is of high quality, then after this work we begin installing the gate in the garage opening.
Gate installation
First of all, you should install the gate frames: internal and external. Let us remind you that the frame part is installed at the stage of erecting the front wall of the garage structure itself. Do not forget to check the evenness of the frame using a square and a building level.
Both frames are connected to each other by metal plates 40 mm wide, which we weld in increments of 60 cm. We weld reinforcing bars 15-20 cm long to the top of the frame and on its sides. Due to these elements, the gate will be securely fixed in the opening.
After this, you can continue laying out the front wall of the structure, embedding the rods into the masonry.
Having reached the top of the structure, a floor beam should be installed on the frame. It can be metal or concrete - at the discretion of the developer. All that remains is to hang the doors on the hinges and check the functionality of the entire gate mechanism: how the doors open/close, whether anything interferes with their movement.
Insulation and installation of constipations and locks
Such structures can be insulated different materials, starting from polystyrene foam and ending with mineral wool.
But in Lately extruded polystyrene foam is increasingly used for such purposes. It is fixed by laying clapboard or other facing material on it: just spread the insulation inside the sashes and stuff, for example, sheets of plywood on top.
All that remains is to choose a locking system. Garages are most often equipped with a locking system: one door is locked from the inside, the other is locked from the outside with a padlock or internal lock. If it is a padlock, then it is necessary to equip the doors with rings on the outside.
Bottom line
If you follow the tips described above and carefully check the correct dimensions, then it is quite possible to get a strong, reliable garage door that will serve you faithfully for a long time. The design makes it possible to insulate the gate by laying polystyrene foam on the inside and making lining.
Making a garage door with your own hands takes about 2 days. This product will have unique sizes and designs if you want to make something special. Good luck!
