And add doors that are easier to use? I was even thinking about boarding up one side. Why in the heck would someone make a pole barn 19ft tall! I just have no idea if there’s anyone that could even help with this project.
TIA!
I’m in a part of PA with several Amish barn builders. If I’m understanding correctly this would be a pretty simple project for them (adding a header, closing the gap and hanging reasonable doors). Alternatively I have a semi retired custom home builder that now does smaller jobs as a general contractor who would also do this well.
3 Likes
Commercial barn builders can do that for you.
Also garage door companies do more than overhead doors, try some of them.
Bigger sliding doors are a literal pain in the back, we had some, two 14’ high and 9’ wide each.
The West side doors finally were just closed up permanently, the wind kept knocking them down.
We changed them all to manual overhead doors, finally.
Should have done that decades before.
No more back pain from working those doors back and forth.
3 Likes
@fourfillies: I’m in Indiana…that would be amazing if it could be fixed. I did have the Amish build me a pole garage but didn’t think they could fix something they didn’t make. It doesn’t look simple so good to know you think it’s simple. 
1 Like
Ok! Thanks for the tips. Yes those doors are HUGE…what were they putting through there cranes? LOL
I can’t even budge these, the barn just has to stay open. I had no idea who to call.
Get hold of your Amish builders.
I’m pretty sure they can redo your doors, even if they didn’t build them.
FWIW, several young Amishmen I know work building RVs - not anything they might be using 
19’ would be the clearance needed for a full retriever truck load of hay from my hay guy. Not sure what else would need that clearance.
3 Likes
Some bigger farm tractors and combines may need doors taller than the standard 14’ maximum that fits in most highway underpasses, unless marked less…
4 Likes
Doors can almost NEVER be too tall. If you can swing it, leave the height and just get overheads/roll ups. No one has ever said “boy, I wish I had less clearance to pull this trailer in”.
6 Likes
I too was thinking, darn I wish my door was that tall. We always have to remove the top layer of hay to get the hay wagons into the barn to stack the hay.
As far as making the doors shorter, I think any barn builder can figure that out for you.
It might be worth it to see if you can just make the doors work easier the size they are.
2 Likes
If those doors are just stuck, a little oil on the rollers may be all you need.
They can be adjusted so they slide smoother by screwing the rollers shorter, but they will always be hard and revert to very hard again.
Our mechanical overhead barn doors were a game changer and relatively cheap.
They are very easy to manage, especially in the winter with ice and snow.
Installers added brush guards on the sides so snow would not blow in and wind struts on the doors as our winds are epic.
@Bluey Relatively cheap? How much do you remember?
Also I wanted to concrete one side of the barn…I’m afraid to even get a quote. The barn is 54x40.
LOL true
If I could get the Amish builders that built my pole barn/garage a few years ago, but I doubt they would come that far for just that. But will ask call them today.
I’ve never seen one…that must’ve been long ago? I rarely see a lot of hay fields where I am.
Doors on Quonset were replaced about 18 years ago, front one is 19’ wide, 14’ tall, back one is 16’ wide, 14’ tall and with side people doors were front $1200 and back $850 best I remember.
Right after that we built ourselves the learn to addition, same company came to put the front and back overhead doors, 13 1/2’ wide, 12’ tall and by then those cost as much as big one did a few years ago!
They are manual ones, with a chain and have worked perfectly, are easy to lift, even for a kid, no need of electric ones that work by pushing a button and cost way more.
Front and back pictures, no telling what they would cost now. 
1 Like
Thanks! I got a cost just for the 2 doors of $12,000 not including labor. He said they would have a chain. But he said it would be cheaper to build me a new 30x36, because I wanted to concrete one side. 
Ouch!
We are not quite used yet to how much everything cost today, are we.
Looked at pickup prices lately? 
1 Like
If you can build a 30x36 barn there for less than $12,000 I say go for it. Wow. Construction must be very cheap there.
No I guess I wasn’t clear. He was up to $24,000 without the labor …a new garage costs $30,000. But I wanted to concrete 1/3 of the floor (one side) which was another $12,000 without labor as well.
1 Like
