Not everyone uses their garage to park their car. Most people just use it as an extra storage space, or even as a bedroom for guests, sub-letters, pets, and teenagers. But whether you’re using it for accommodation or random stuff, it helps if you can keep it secure. And since those hi-tech commercial ones are so expensive, let’s find some ideas on making a DIY garage door.
How to Build a garage door
1. How to Build Garage Shop Doors – I Like to Make Stuff
As you can see from the plan in this video, building a DIY garage door is fairly simple. The design isn’t that complex – you just have to be sure to use diagonal crossbars to maintain the integrity of the door. And if you don’t have power tools at home, carry the design to the store.
Why? Because if you have the exact measurements that you need, many hardware stores will cut them down to size for you. Then you’ll just have to assemble the pieces. And if you do opt for 2 x 4s from Lowes or Home Depot, check the moisture levels and dry them for a few days if needed.
2. Garage Door Makeover – Family Handyman
When someone claims you can build a garage door in one weekend, what they mean is they can build a garage door in one weekend. Because … as they say on the internet … mileage may vary! For you to match their timelines, you’ll need their exact skillset, so take this with a lot of salt!
That said, the tutorial is nicely laid out and relatively easy to follow. He suggests using cedar board for the structure and working with a nail gun for deadline purposes. Use subfloor glue since it’s strong enough, and if color matters to you, get matching caulk or paintable silicone.
3. DIY Industrial Garage Door – BMCO
You’re probably building a garage door for home use, but if you drive a heavy truck or keep valuable items in that garage, it might be worth erecting something that meets industrial standards. This means your door may have reinforced paneling, secure locks, and insulation.
It may also be weatherproof, shatterproof, and ram-proof for that one day when someone tries to drive through the garage door, deliberately or otherwise! This version is a double door built with steel and wood. It’s close to 6 meters long – that’s nearly 20 feet! Wear welding goggles!
4. How to Build a Garage Door – How Stuff Works
This tutorial helps you build a three-panel garage door. These sections are laid out sideways so they can easily roll up and down on a track and be tucked out of the way when the door is open. You can add aesthetic touches like retro door handles, and you can play around with the colors.
You could craft the door out of plywood for an affordable option, or use reclaimed planks if you want something sturdier. But if you go for thicker planks, ensure they’re wide enough to make three panels. You may also need stronger hinges to handle the extra weight of hardwood planks.
5. Homemade Garage Doors – Didier Mukendi
When you’re building a DIY garage door from scratch, you can source your timber from various places. Hardware stores are your best bet if you want fresh wood, so check Lowes, Home Depot, or your local equivalent. These stores are often willing to precut the wood if you have no tools.
The basic idea is to put up structural sections out of 2 x 4s, studs, or metal bars, then assemble plywood panels over the framework. If you need to, you can apply insulation between the front and back panels, and you can find that at hardware stores too. Paint or stain is optional décor.
6. Homemade “Carriage House” Garage Doors – Instructables
It’s nice to have a precise descriptive name for the thing you’re building. But if you’re doing the project as a DIY, it can be unnerving when you can’t find anything labeled ‘carriage house’ at the store. Basically, it’s a garage door that swings open and shut horizontally rather than vertically.
The name comes from the cart sheds or carriage doors that used to house horses, so the garage doors will have side hinges, windows, and barn-style board-and-batten siding. Once you know this, you can buy the relevant parts – 2 x 4 for the boards, narrow batten strips, and glass panes.
7. Can I Build A Garage Door for $45? – Perpetual Projects
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEr04KuUhg4
You’re probably thinking naaaaah, there has to be a catch! Well, sort of. You have to buy small garage doors at a discount and re-jig them to make a bigger one in the right size. And it takes extreme luck to find designs that are similar enough to be convincingly paired into one.
That $45 figure only covers the reclaimed doors, but you still have to buy hinges, rollers, and other accessories – that’s another $100 or so. Also, you need some high-end power tools and top-shelf woodworking skills – this isn’t a job for an urbanite unless you grew up in a workshop.
8. Easy DIY Steps to Build a Sliding Door for Your Garage
French Doors or French Windows are a stylish choice for your backyard. Especially if you have a pool, good landscaping, or a pretty view. You can’t build glass garage doors though, so how about a solid sliding door instead? The only downside is you need a lot of space for the slider.
With vertical or horizontal doors, the entryway rolls up and lies parallel to the ceiling. Or the doors may fold and/or swing out and lean against external walls, so spacing isn’t an issue. But with sliding doors, you’ll have to craft a track that slots into the side of the wall. It looks great!
9. How to Make Garage Doors – DSC Documentaries
The garage doors in this video aren’t handcrafted – they’re machined. But by watching how it’s done in the factory, you can lift a few ideas and reverse-engineer a design that you can produce at home. Here are a few suggestions. The garage doors in this video have hinged rolling panels.
You need the door to be lightweight, so while steel, wood, aluminum, or vinyl are all options, use the heavier materials for structure and then pad them with sheet components to keep the door hollow. Insulating the middle section is optional. Don’t skimp on the roller mechanism though.
10. Three Easy DIY Projects to Fix Your Garage Door
With humans, changing your hairstyle or hair color can make you look like a completely different person. And you can apply this principle to garage doors too. By tossing on a fresh coat of paint or updating the door trim, your house will look like you’ve installed a brand-new door!
First, fix any practical problems by replacing the weather seal with V-strips. Otherwise, moisture can damage the door itself plus any items inside the garage. You should also check for rotting trim and repair it. These two solutions should stop the door from sticking. Finish with new aesthetics.
11. An Unusual way to Build an Insulated Folding Garage Door
The average crafter makes DIY garage doors using random bits of wood. But if you’re trained in welding or you’re a highly handy hobbyist, you can work some metal in to strengthen the door. The one pictured here combines various design elements for a safe, gorgeous, functional result.
The garage door has three panels. One swings open, just like a regular door. The other two fold horizontally before swinging out to open the garage. The mid panels are slotted 2 x 4s couched in metal frames, with sheets of recyclable insulation foam in between. Add stain for a rustic feel.
12. Five DIY Garage Door Makeover Ideas – Home Serve
Earlier, we suggested doing a few repairs and then revamping the visual style of your garage door. It’s a pocket-friendly DIY garage door option because it updates the look-and-feel without doing everything from scratch. Here are a few more ideas for giving your old garage door a fresh touch.
If it’s a rolling door or a sliding one, check the tracks and clean them. Get rid of any rust using steel wool, sandpaper, or sponge, then follow up with vinegar. To spruce up the appearance of the garage door, you could use stain, paint, a garage door skin, a mural, or exterior accents.
13. A Wood One Piece Garage Door – All Pro
The DIY garage doors we’ve looked at have largely been composites that roll or fold. But if you don’t want all those hinges, you could make a single-sectioned door. You’d just have to be extra careful so it doesn’t get too heavy. Using plywood for the outer panels will keep the weight down.
This door has to match the neighbor’s or the HOA might throw a hissy fit, so this one is a useful tutorial if design, color scheme, and style are priorities for you. Caulk the door carefully to ensure no cold air or moisture can get in. And triple-check the balance since it’s just one piece!
14. Cheap DIY Garage Door – eHow
The main thing that’s stopping you from building your own garage door is the roller track. It has multiple moving parts including heavy-duty springs, and you require top-tier technical skills to rig it up. If your ceiling track is intact, then all you’re replacing are the door panels and hinges.
But if you don’t have a roller track or if it’s damaged beyond your capacity, skip the fuss and just install regular doors that swing out or slide sideways. They’ll need to be large enough to cover the opening, and your options include vertical screens, repurposed cabinet doors, or barn doors.
15. [DIY] Making Bi folding Garage Door II Membuat Pintu Lipat Garaj
Let’s look into something that’s both fashionable and expressive. It’s a garage door that folds out horizontally rather than vertically, and it’s light enough to be lifted manually. The video isn’t in English, but the feed is pretty straightforward so it’s easy to follow along with the instructions.
In a pinch, you can turn on YouTube’s auto-captions, especially when he names components that you don’t recognize. This design works well if you prefer metal over wood. But you’ll notice the folded section stays exposed as a sort of canopy, so check if that’s up to your local codes …
16. DIY Garage Door Repair and Upgrade – AHS
There are several reasons why you might need a new garage door. Maybe the current one is old and saggy, so it’s letting air and dampness into your storage space. It could also be that the previous owner had peculiar tastes that don’t match yours. Or your new partner hates that design.
You could just shop around and buy a new door, but that could run you thousands of dollars! As we hinted earlier, you can save a lot just by fixing the damage and refreshing the façade of the garage door. Wipe the sensors to remove gunk. Tighten the nuts and bolts. Oil the moving parts.
17. My Homemade Garage Door – Jules 2C
This post describes the demo as the ‘second most boring video on YouTube’. And whether that’s managing expectations or reverse psychology, you can’t help clicking through! The video doesn’t show you how to make the DIY garage door, but it’s a straightforward concept to reproduce.
This door swings up, but instead of rolling along a curved track, it uses diagonal pivot posts to angle its way up. When the support poles are fully extended, the door slides inward without any overhangs. The door is made of flipped roofing sheets with two heavy-duty springs to hold them.
18. Self-Fit Roller Garage Doors – Easy Fit
Having electronics professionally installed can get expensive, and DIY options save money. So if you’re in the UK, you’ll love the ability to design your garage door online then just wait for the components to arrive. This website lets you customize the color and texture of the garage door.
You could skin it in classic mahogany or a more contemporary grey aka anthracite. And despite the self-assembly, your door still has all the modern trappings of a roller mechanism. It’s sturdy enough to stay up but simple enough that you can do it yourself. And you’ll save money as well!
19. Build your Own Garage Door and Save Money
We’ve looked at several plywood garage doors, and it’s a workable way to cut costs. Many of those DIY garage doors were hollow, so the foam filling helped the door retain its shape while also providing insulation. Other doors had multiple studs, metal bars, and ribs to hold them up.
These reinforcing planks are crucial because plywood can easily warp, sag, and break when it’s exposed to heat, moisture, or even the repetitive action of yanking the door open and closed. So you can use diagonal cross-bars, both for extra rigidity and as an anchor when you tug the door.
These ideas are perfect.