Side Hung Garage Doors? With Domino?

[bobfog]

I'm going to be building a set of doors for an old detached garage that is no longer big enough for modern cars that the owner is going to use as a place to keep garden tool, etc. They will be built out of Larch and the homeowner then wants them painted a pastel shade of green.

So, the doors will be manufactured to "paint grade" standards, they're not some finest example of joinery in Oak that's going to be oiled where every minor blemish would be on show.

With that in mind I know traditional M&T techniques would ultimately be the strongest over a long period of time, however based on the overall spec of the job I'm thinking of using a series of 14mm Sipo tenons for the rails and stiles would be sufficient with a modern glue such as Titebond III or maybe a marine epoxy.

The doors will not be opened on a daily basis and they are only 1.98m tall X 1.06m wide. Do you think 14mm dominos will be sufficient and has anyone done similar that's been hung for a number of years and holding up well?

Thanks

 

[Holmz]

A lot will depend on the design. In shear one would have a hard time braking them. In compression there is no worry either.
So that leaves tension forces...

One could so this in a Gaudi fashion... Use some wood and either springs, or scales, or bungie cord and load the door and measure the forces. It would not exactly be upside down, but it could work.

 

[Sparktrician]

You might want to consider using diagonal braces notched into top and bottom horizontal pieces such that they gain strength in compression.  I built a gate at a friend's place several years ago, before I bought the Domino, and I used this technique.  That gate hasn't sagged a millimeter since it was installed. 

Edit: Found the photo and added it.

 

[Master Carpenter]

I'd build it with dominos. And titebond glue is stronger than wood in most cases. That being said, I used dominos and structural epoxy when I built the carriage doors for my shop, but my doors are about 400 pounds each. 

I think as long as the design has enough strength to resist racking, the doors will have an acceptable lifespan. Will the doors be subjected to high wind load or rain? A layer of fibreglass, like wooden kayak builders use, on the outside will waterproof and add strength

 

[jamanjeval]

Could you post a quick sketch of how they would be built?

In addition to the diagonal brace, few big flat corner braces around the doors will help insure it stays square and protects against tension on the dominos.

In my experience, I've seen more problems where the hinges are attached to the structure. Make sure these are strong.

 

[Wagon Willie]

I don't know if you have already built these doors, but you might want to look at my woodshed doors.  They are 16 years old now and are used almost daily.  No sag, easy build and pretty cheap.  Yes, I used Dominos, but the wood frame is only 19 mm thick Douglas fir, so the tenons are pretty small, 8 mm as I recall.  But the steel 1x3" (25x75 mm) box tubing mitered at the corners and welded is what really provides the strength.  Of course these are "one sided" doors, meaning that I did not care what they looked like on the inside.  I suppose you could add a panel to the inside if necessary....

After the frame was built I just glued and nailed 19 mm cedar plywood to the back, and added some glass up top with extremely simple moldings to hold it in place.  The ball bearing hinges are welded to the doors, but screwed to the "jambs".  (Actually there are no jambs per se, just the building framing.)  Cetol finish, which has held up incredibly well in my opinion.  Showing some wear, but after 15 years of sun and rain they look remarkably good still.  Paint, like on your doors, would be even more durable of course.