Specialty Swinging and Sliding Door Track System Applications In a previous post, we discussed what specialty hardware was and the variety of types of products. In this segment, we will talk more about some of the various applications where specialty swinging door hardware and sliding door track systems can be used in homes, schools, manufacturing facilities, and businesses. Some of the more common applications include: Industrial – Industrial applications could use sliding and swinging doors to section off specific work areas or on exterior delivery/garage doors. Residential – Sliding door tracks are well suited in homes where there is limited space for traditional swinging doors. Outdoor applications also include creating custom sliding doors around patios so they can be opened and closed seasonally. Commercial/Retail Designs – In commercial and retail design applications, the hardware can be used to add unique architectural elements or to add partitions. Summer Camps – Summer camps have used heavy duty swinging doors or sliding track systems on storage buildings, camp theaters and meeting rooms.

Schools – Sliding door systems are common in school gymnasiums to divide the space, as well as in cafeterias. Theaters – Panels on sliding track systems are quite common in theaters, and make moving backdrops and stage props easier, as well as controlling the size of the stage during productions.garage door opener installers charlotte nc Pole Buildings/Barns – Huge sliding and swinging doors are quite common on pole building and barns. garage door repair bennett coThese large doors make it easy to get tractors, livestock, and other larger items in and out of the building faster and easier.average cost to repair door ding

Zoos – Sliding door track systems are found all around zoos, as they help to ensure the safety of animals and zoo keepers. Some are even connected to manual remote crank operators so staff can open a door at a distance from the animal. Veterinarian Clinics – To control the safe movement of larger animals, like horses, some vet’s offices will use sliding door systems for ‘crowding corridors’ to guide animals from one area to another.screen for sliding glass door lowes Essentially, there are no limitations for the range of applications and locations where sliding and swinging door hardware and track systems can be used. interior door hinge shimsFor instance, an outdoor patio area can use sliding door track hardware to provide easy access from interior areas for customers of a restaurant. sliding screen door u channel

Curved walls can also be turned into a sliding door system to partition interior spaces and modify their appearance by opening and closing the doors as needed. You could even divide a large open warehouse space into defined spaces by using a moveable wall/sliding track system.cavity slider doors price For more applications for sliding/swinging door hardware systems or for assistance in finding the right hardware, please feel free to contact RW Hardware at 800-253-5668, ext 4678 today. We also offer custom design services to create unique door hardware solutions!Some of my best memories are of being in barns: the smell of hay while playing in the loft as a youngster and stacking 70-pound wire-tied bales as high as possible when I got a little older. Barns kept hay and livestock dry but were little more than windbreaks in the winter. The idea of actually keeping a barn warm in sub-zero temperatures never crossed my mind.

However, sealing up those big sliding doors can go a long way toward making a barn more comfortable for you and your livestock. A good seal, along with lights and a heat source, make it possible to work on equipment all winter long—and maybe even have office space on the coldest of days. Sliding barn doors, by their very nature, are difficult to seal tightly. Originally, they were meant to keep most of the wind and rain out of barns that are otherwise so drafty that a little wind through or around the door was no problem. In fact, the movement of air through the barn provided ventilation for the animals and helped finish drying the hay. However, there are many reasons to seal up the barn, including the doors, the No. 1 advantage being to make it harder for rodents and birds to get in. If part of the barn is heated, a tight barn will also help keep down the fuel cost. Sealing up the barn door requires two kinds of seals: compression seals on the ends and sliding seals along the top and bottom.

Compression seals are the easiest to install and can be rubber or foam strips. The rubber strips, used for garage doors, are more durable but more expensive. Foam strips will need to be replaced every few years. The important thing is for the door to have a good, straight surface that mates tightly with the surface on the barn. Seals along the top and bottom must allow the door to slide easily. If the door is not protected by the roof overhang, install aluminum flashing or inverted gutter to keep off moisture that can freeze on the track. Few things are more aggravating than trying to open an iced-over barn door. When installing the top shield, use good quality silicone calk to seal the area between the flashing and the barn so moisture doesn’t get in and rot the wood. Close the barn door and notice how tightness and uniformity of the gap. If it’s more than 1/4 inch or greater at the top or bottom, cut and attach a wood shim to close up the gap. Use a rot-resistant wood—either treated lumber or cedar—so that you won’t have to replace it later, and then install a rubber gasket.

Garage-door gaskets are available at lumberyards and hardware stores, but some people use automotive heater hose for the gasket. Either way, you should be able to compress the gasket down its entire length when the barn door is closed. Seals along the top and bottom are a little more complicated because they have to allow the door to slide easily. A simple brush-type seal attached to the top and bottom of the barn door may be all the seal you need for many applications. If you need a better seal, install a backing strip with a compression seal along the floor. An option for the bottom is an inverted “U” channel that engages the bottom of the door, keeps the door from blowing in or out when partially open, and acts as an air trap. Combined with the brush, it provides a good airtight seal. Brush seals come in various sizes, so you’ll need to determine the appropriate length of bristles. With the door closed, measure the gap between the floor and the bottom of the door. Purchase twice the length of brush as the width of the door so that you can attach the brushes top and bottom.

Screw the metal flange of the brush to the bottom of the door so that the brush deflects about 1/8 inch at the point of the greatest gap. Then do the same for the top of the door. The door should still slide open and closed easily with the brushes installed. If you’re not worried about aesthetics and are on a tight budget, use strips of old carpeting instead of the brushes. Cut the strip about 2 inches wider than the widest gap between the door and the floor. Use a wood backing strip to attach the carpet to the door, and let the carpet bend where it meets the floor to form the seal. You will need a good set of latches to pull the barn door tight against the seals. A toggle latch on both sides of the door will do the trick. If you have easy walk-in access, install the latches inside the barn. This will keep them from icing up and make the barn less accessible to anyone who might stop by and “borrow” a piece of equipment. Close the door and place the latch so that it tightens just as the door seals come together.