Adding doors to pole barn

[Simkie]

This is becoming a common refrain–we can’t people to call us back about work in our barn.

So…just how hard is it to cut out and frame a door in a pole barn? Can reasonable handy people who can follow directions not screw this up?

The plan is to put dutch doors in all of the stalls, but what’s pressing right now is on the east side of the barn. We’re getting ready to insulate there, put up kick boards and then install the Priefert stalls.

We were just going to do all that and leave the doors to later, but now I’m a bit concerned that whoever comes in to do the doors will have to pull it all out. Not worried about pulling the boards off the wall–we can plan for that–but NOT excited about the potential of pulling the stalls completely out. The kick board along that wall will extend past the divider between the two stalls.

I was looking at how the people doors are framed today and it doesn’t look too difficult. Am I totally off my rocker thinking that we can do this ourselves?

[gumtree]

For those who have a bit of experience it is quite easy depending on the size of the doors and the existing framing. Also a few tools to work with.
A few years ago when 8 out 10 carpenters and or handy people were either unemployed and or lacking work your phone would have been ringing off the hook.

If you can post some pictures of the framing/barn, inside and outside of where you want the doors I could write up pretty much exactly how to go about it and what tools you will need. Give the size of the doors you want to install also. Hinged or slider.

I am sure others will chime in also.

[Jim_in_PA]

I agree with gumtree…it’s not “rocket science”, but does require at least some rudimentary understanding of framing.

Were it me, for doing this on a pole barn, I’d be stripping off the outside metal in the area where you intend to put in the door so the post to post framing that exists can be examined without requiring dis-use of the stall for planning. That will allow you to determine what you need to cut out to put in a proper header and to plan for framing the opening accordingly. This is exactly what we did a few years ago when we did had to replace the outside wall down the row of stalls at the barn I board at…several of us helped do the work. While there were no doors, there were windows for that particular setup. The most important thing was carefully measuring because barns are never going to be “square”, just like many other structures including older homes.

You don’t need much in the way of special tools…this is basic carpentry. In addition to the obvious, you’ll need tin snips when you put the sheathing back on the outside of the building, assuming it’s steel or aluminum sheeting. The most important tool is…safety glasses, BTW.

[Bluey]

Grinder with cutting wheel beats tin snips.

[workin_onit]

We used a circular saw with the blade on backwards.

[BaroquePony]

I’ve used a circular saw with the blade on normally … is there a reason to put the blade on backwards? Like safety or something else?

[clanter]

For a metal building use a plasma torch… it will cut through metal siding like a knife in warm butter

If you pre-frame the door openings it is piece of cake to install a door in a new door

but if you are talking to carpenters about installing a doorway in a metal walled building that is the problem as they usually do not understand to have the tools to work with metal

[gumtree]

[QUOTE=BaroquePony;7779002]
I’ve used a circular saw with the blade on normally … is there a reason to put the blade on backwards? Like safety or something else?[/QUOTE]

It is my understanding you do this to save the teeth on the blade. I just use an old blade or buy a cheap one. One time I didn’t feel like taking the time to reverse the blade, it cut better and still cut wood well enough until changed. So I don’t bother anymore. Kind of like a lot of horse “practices” that I was taught in the day and found not to be worth the time and effort when I got my own operation.

[gumtree]

[QUOTE=clanter;7779042]
For a metal building use a plasma torch… it will cut through metal siding like a knife in warm butter

If you pre-frame the door openings it is piece of cake to install a door in a new door

but if you are talking to carpenters about installing a doorway in a metal walled building that is the problem as they usually do not understand to have the tools to work with metal[/QUOTE]

Bit of over kill IMO. But I would love to have a Plasma torch and would use it if I did. Too many $$$ for what I could use it for.

[Calvincrowe]

We used a Saws-all with a metal blade to put two Dutch doors into an existing pole barn. Quite easy, for DH and I to do. We studied how it was done by visiting a barn that had recently done the same thing, which gave us a visual to follow. Use BIG hinges if your door is made of 2x6s like ours are…damn those are heavy!

[gumtree]

[QUOTE=Calvincrowe;7779116]
We used a Saws-all with a metal blade to put two Dutch doors into an existing pole barn. Quite easy, for DH and I to do. We studied how it was done by visiting a barn that had recently done the same thing, which gave us a visual to follow. Use BIG hinges if your door is made of 2x6s like ours are…damn those are heavy![/QUOTE]

A saws-all works well if you are cutting near where the siding is attached to the framing. Very problematic if cutting in the middle of the sheet depending on the gauge/thickness of the siding. The sheeting will “flex” while sawing which makes it very difficult for the saw blade to “grab” cut and it can shake the crap out of the operator. Requires keeping constant pressure, contact with the saw and sheeting. Can be very tricky and a bit dangerous for the in-experienced.

IMO and experience circular saw is the way to go. For most conditions but depends on set up. Always wear eye protection when cutting metal. A tiny little bit in the eye is very painful and becomes more so.

There are many uses for a FEL and hanging big doors is one.

[workin_onit]

That’s what was recommended and we used for all the steel on a 24’x40’ with 10’ eaves. Doors are framed as a square with horizontal supports for the steel. Yep, hanging a 10’x12" was PITA without any mechanical help but we did it!