Pole Barn Doors: Overhead or Sliding

UP Oliver · Aug 16, 2015

Hello:

I am working on a pole barn, hope to finish in the next month or so. I plan to have about half the inside be concrete and the other half packed gravel. I can't decide if I want overhead doors or sliding doors. This building will be unheated, the concrete side used for a work space and the rest for machine/hay storage. Each end will have a door, 14' wide. Except for cost, I am looking for the good and bad for each door type.

Thanks.

moresmoke · Aug 16, 2015

I will never put sliding doors on any building I want to get into in the winter.

Spook · Aug 16, 2015

I like the look of the sliders, but they never seal up very good, and I had to chip ice away from the bottom track quite a few times. I replaced the big door sliders with a overhead, and will do the same on the small door someday.

markct · Aug 16, 2015

They work much better hung on the inside, more weatherproof and secure, and no snow troubles

Brendon-KS · Aug 16, 2015

I agree. Having ice along the bottom edge of a corrugated steel sliding door effectively locks it shut. It's especially bad if it is on the north side of a building like one of my sliders is.

centash · Aug 16, 2015

I agree with markt---just make sure the concrete floor underneath won't heave from frost in the winter--that tends to make the door hard to open.

Ben

Ray · Aug 16, 2015

If your in and out a lot an overhead is the way to go. I put up a 60x80 a few years ago with a slider and an overhead door.I've never opened the slider yet.

IaGary · Aug 16, 2015

If I could afford it every building here would have overhead.

Only thing bad about overheads is they can require a little more maintenance.

Cables, springs and more rollers to deal with.

Gary

Blackhole49 · Aug 16, 2015

Comments: No matter what, I would cement the whole thing if I could afford it. I have both sliders and roll up, sliders allow you to use the full inside height to the rafters if you build it right. You loose a foot or more on roll ups, especially if you use an opener. I have had brick pavers set 1" below my sliders for 13 years and have never had a problem opening them (SE MI) in the winter, you have to keep the snow shoveled. Before I installed the pavers, frost would heave the ground tight to the door a couple times each winter.

Dean · Aug 16, 2015

I strongly recommend overhead doors.

When building a 36X72 post building 6 years ago, I specified a 12' slider on the far end. The builder tried (not hard enough) to talk me into an overhead. He told me that he could install the overhead for the same price as a slider. He did not tell me that my 12' slider would be only 11' 6" wide due to the overall width of the building. (Wish that he had). Inside this door, I store a tractor with mounted 10.5' rotary cutter. The cutter clears by about 1.5" on either side. Moreover, the clearance cannot be seen from inside the cab, making ingress/egress a PITA.

The same builder is currently finishing a second 32X64 building of similar design. This one will have a 12' overhead door on the far end. Once finished, I'll move the 10.5' cutter to the new building.

Dean

Goose · Aug 16, 2015

My shop originally had a slider. It was such a pain in the butt in the winter trying to keep snow and ice from locking it shut I finally replaced it with a 10X10 overhead door.

When I put up a 30X48 pole building a couple of years ago, I went with overhead doors. No way in hell will I ever put up another slider.

Chris in SK · Aug 16, 2015

I'm in the same possition as you. Just planning a pole barn that I can eventually upgrade to a shop....doors in each end. I just priced up 14 x 14 OH doors yesterday. at $2700 each for chain lift, supply only. OH doors need about 2ft of head space so need to build 16ft building. Then I measured my combine and it's nearly 15ft wide with the ladder on, so got to re think door size, although I think it will just fit under 14ft high.
Sliders don't need so much head room, but they can be a pain in snow and to seal up.
Have you looked at bi-fold doors? Just a thought. Not sure how good or bad they are.

Bob Harvey · Aug 16, 2015

Here's one I designed and built a couple of years ago. It's actually a Boathouse with a suite on top. The slider was needed for clearance.

David G · Aug 16, 2015

I hate sliders, but you pay for the convenience of an overhead.

NoNewParts · Aug 16, 2015

I've had both..like everyone else, I'd go with the overhead if the $ is available.
Sliders work, but winter or high wind is a pain.
old ones...miss a chunk of ice and run over it with the bottom...jammed, jumped track...not fun.
good example of sliders.....all the ones you see just left open all the time...not worth the hassle opening and closing.
and oh ya...big, old one? you will be called all the time to open it. The wife and kids just don't have the beef to manage it.
and in winter you have to clear the door [i:14aeebb3b3]and[/i:14aeebb3b3] where it is going to go.

Overheads are much better in winter..but don't be fooled..
if you live where it is harsh...snow piling up..door metal collects heat..water runs to the base of the snow...makes ice..yep that door is froze down til May...

SweetFeet · Aug 16, 2015

If you are in a cold climate... sliders are a pain in the neck in winter.

We have outer sliders on three doors and an inside slider on one door. The inside slider is a hair better for its path not icing up as badly in winter - but not by much.

Like the look of sliders on our old, old buildings - but still wish we had overhead doors instead.

RayP(MI) · Aug 16, 2015

I built a 48 x 96 last fall. 16 foot overheads on each end. Inside bottom of trusses are 12 feet 9 inches which gives me an easy 11 feet of clearance under doors. So far very happy with that setup. Door installer balanced spring tension so up and down is very easy.

farmer boy · Aug 16, 2015

Strap bi fold is something else to look at. Can't see many downsides to one. Less to go wrong then a roll up door.
Schweiss Doors

Tom OConnor · Aug 16, 2015

The door here is a 36 foot Wilson bi-fold aircraft hangar electric door. A little pricey but it will last the rest of your life and works wonderful in all kinds of weather, just push a button. Works great for running the combine in with the 30 foot header on. Ignore the tractors, its the only picture I had of the door.

Ted in NE-OH · Aug 16, 2015

overhead doors are tighter to weather and to rodents.

UP Oliver · Aug 17, 2015

Thanks for all the great replies. I am convinced I will go with an overhead on the concrete side, but still may go with a slider on the other. I would not use the slider except in the summer, so all the winter headaches won't be a problem.

I appreciate the pictures, and the information on the doors that fold upwards. I will have to do some reading on those soon.

Thanks again.

caterpillar guy · Aug 18, 2015

I have both to deal with. Doors are like sheds I never heard anyone tell me the door was to big. If you think you need a 16 x20 make it an 18x30 it will be small fast. the overhead doors seem to work fine in the winter and most of our sliding doors work in the winter. They are about 3-6 inches from the ground so the snow can be cleared. I would put in sliders if they are not needed much in the winter if I was going to put them down close to the ground. To hold them in the middle I would just set an old tire at the middle where they meet this would hold them and let you drive over them without damage to equipment. One on each side will keep them from blowing in or out in the wind. One at the edge of the door by the wall will work also. No track needed. Those tracks are what causes the most problem for winter working them.
If cost was not an issue I would go with bifold doors. They provide shade for working outside in the breeze for summer and some rain protection in the light showers.

Pole Barn Doors: Overhead or Sliding

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