# Save me from a bad idea--installing walk through door in roll up garage door



## CharlesA (Jun 24, 2013)

So . . . my shop is a one car garage with the only entrance being a roll up door. Saw on youtube this mod of such a door where the guy cuts a door size opening out of the garage door, and with a combination of garage door hinges and overlapping metal frame, makes a walk through door in the garage door while keeping the roll-up working.

Seems like a project fraught with difficulties, but with possibilities. What do you think?


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

Sounds like a pain but anything is possible.


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## firefighterontheside (Apr 26, 2013)

Ok I watched the video. I guess it can be done. Now, go and make a door in the wall.


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## stan3443 (Mar 3, 2012)

worked at a shop in Maryland that had a walk in door in the overhead worked great


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## Picklehead (Feb 12, 2013)

Sounds like a screen door on a submarine.


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## redryder (Nov 28, 2009)

After seeing that great Cherry and Walnut table you did, I'd say you can handle it…...................


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## BJODay (Jan 29, 2013)

At work, (firefighting), we occasionally cut doorways into roll-up doors. We do this when the building is on fire and we need access or egress. Those roll-up doors get thrown away when we're done.

I would make a door through another wall. Much less can go wrong. You would have more options for width, windows, no step, dutch door, screen door for ventilation etc.

BJ


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## firefighterontheside (Apr 26, 2013)

Yeah, and ours are usually in the shape of a triangle.


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## freddy1962 (Feb 27, 2014)

If you have no experience installing doors and jambs, I wouldn't make this your first attempt. Put the door in a wall. The youtube poster probably won't post the video of the pile of door panels laying on the floor.


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## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

I have thought about doing that same thing but I am reluctant to start cutting on my garage door!
I looks it is possible and in my case the only alternative as there is no wall space for a regular door.
It does look like a lot of work!


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## CharlesA (Jun 24, 2013)

Putting in a regular door is not in the cards at the moment, although I should check to see if it would work where the side window is.


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## neverenougftackle (May 6, 2013)

I am going against the flow here, and think that that guy deserves an award. There possablity a patent there, if'n it could pass some local codes. A shop made up and down ramp would be easly made to get over that treshold hump. I could also see a recessed lockable handle like in RV's. He cought some of the hold backs I had in question in viewing his video, but he also has had 4 years to see if it is still there. Post a question on this web site asking ?


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## kaerlighedsbamsen (Sep 16, 2013)

Great project. Do it!


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## OggieOglethorpe (Aug 15, 2012)

I see these on a regular basis around New England.

They seemed to have been popular in the 1950's and 60's in houses built on lots where the garage door has slopes or wall on both sides, and there was nowhere to put a human door.


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## OggieOglethorpe (Aug 15, 2012)

On the local examples I'm familiar with, the human door doesn't fold.

It's not the full height of the usually 4 panel roll-up door, maybe 5' of the 7' door, leaving a step at the bottom, and a section at the top. As I remember, the door jamb is attached only to the second from the bottom or top roll-up section, and the door separates from the others as the roll up transits up and down. As the roll-up flattens in the down position, the jamb is pulled tight against the face of the door and sealed by weatherstripping.

Remember, this is New England, home of simple solutions… ;^) I'm sure many of the doors I'm referring to were built in place, not purchased. They're in inexpensive homes where the garage is also the basement. Opening the overhead to walk in and out in cold weather meant losing all the heat in the basement.

Other was to skin the cat is to simply replace the overhead door with a pair of swinging doors, or one that bi-folds outward, raised by a cable and pulley inside. On the bi-fold, you could attach the door jamb to the bottom section and let the top separate as the door folds. We have a 20' x 40' steel bifold on our airplane hangar. Even though the panels are high enough to fit a full-sized human door, there is still a 9-12" stepover at the bottom to accommodate the panel frame.


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## freddy1962 (Feb 27, 2014)

I've seen quite a few man doors installed within a overhead door, mostly in commercial applications/businesses. These doors were designed and installed with the optional man door to be in it. To cut a hole in a residential overhead door, that wasn't designed for this application would be asking for trouble.


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

It doesn't look too difficult to build. It looks lousy though.


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## splatman (Jul 27, 2014)

I would go with one of CessnaPilotBarry's ideas: Replace the overhead with swinging or bi-fold doors.
If you have a garage door opener, you will need a bit of ingenuity to get it to open swing or bi-fold doors. Someone may have even done it already.


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## kaerlighedsbamsen (Sep 16, 2013)

Btw in my part of the world most car repairshops and workshops have roll up doors like yours with go-through doors in them. For instance this company makes them: http://www.nassaudoor.com/Product%20range/Sectional%20doors/9000F/Pass%20door%20in%20door%20leaf.aspx
Perhaps they have some inspiration for you?


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

I think if the engineering interests you it may be
worth a go. However, as you know there will
be no turning back once you cut a hole.

You might consider building some shop machine
or elaborate jig to scratch the engineering itch… 
but I too can relate to these kinds
of quixotic fixations to make our lives a little
easier through elaborate, laborious modifications
to our environments.

I recently screwed up the cables on a roll-up 
door and spend many hours trying to figure
out how to fix it. Now I know. You may become
unpleasantly familiar with the tension spring
mechanism in the process of modification.


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