How to choose the right door for an agricultural building

When building a new shed, choosing the right door may not be at the top of the priority list.

However, making sure the door is fit for purpose will ensure any investment is well spent, and the building is easily used and accessed for years to come.

When it comes to choosing an agricultural door, size, ease of accessibility, installation, repair, weatherproofing and ventilation requirements are important considerations.

Whether it will uphold farm assurance standards and comes with a guarantee also needs to be checked.

Asking the following questions will help with deciding on an agricultural door:

How big does the door need to be?

The size of the agricultural barn door will determine its cost. So, during the process of designing a new building it’s worth giving a door manufacturer a call to discuss sizing.

If several doors are to be installed in series, it’s important to understand the minimum clearance between each door to ensure the steel framework can be made to suit.

If machinery will need to access the shed don’t forget to make sure the dimensions for the door frame and door will be suitable. For example, the Galebreaker door range covers up to 20m in opening width, and up to 10m in height which is often needed for tipping trailers.

How frequently will the door need to be used?

For a door that will be used frequently, ease of use is essential. Fabric doors manufactured using robust materials, such as those supplied by Galebreaker, are lightweight and easier to open than metal sheeted doors or steel roller shutter doors.

The opening mechanism of fabric doors can also be tailored to the intended use of the building. For instance, if the shed needs to be accessed several times an hour it might be worth considering a remote-controlled mechanism to improve ease of use, especially when bedding down or mucking out.

Fabric doors are also fully adjustable to fit any opening. Trackscreen, Galebreaker’s sliding curtain barn door system, runs on overhead tracking and allows for the full access height to be maintained, which would be useful when accessing the shed with large farm machinery. An additional sliding post option is also available to allow access from both ends.

What are the weatherproofing and ventilation requirements?

In the case of livestock housing waterproofing and ventilation is very important. In these situations, fabric screens, such as Rollersceens, can be used in conjunction with a solid half door.

The solid lower surface will stop rain and weather ingress, while the permeable mesh panels above provide weather protection and ventilation into the building.

What farm assurance standards does the door need to meet?

For grain and feed stores, the door must also prevent birds and rodents from accessing grain or feed to uphold on-farm assurance standards, such as Red Tractor Assurance. This will also reduce waste and therefore improve profitability.

How easily can the door be installed and repaired?

Selecting a door system that is easy to install and repair is paramount, especially when it comes to livestock housing. Fabric doors can be supplied in kit form for self-fit on farm to reduce installation costs. They are also easily repaired in case of accidental damage.

It’s crucial to check the guarantees of agricultural doors to make sure unexpected repair costs do not arise in the future. Galebreaker door products come with a 10-year guarantee.

To find out more about choosing or fitting an agricultural door, speak to our team today.