Garage Door Rumination

[rockmeupto125]

Wow, there are so many good looking topics here I would like to catch up on, but oh so busy. 

 

Anyway, here's my head scratcher. I have a van body with a rollup door.  It's like a "normal" garage door with horizontal panels held to each other by hinges.  The lift assist spring is a rotary twist spring mechanism, not a stretch spring system.  

 

The door panels are trashed, and heavy.  The rotary spring mechanism is also trashed.  I would like to simply remove the spring mechanism, as I have no desire to incur serious injury trying to get it to work, and replace the door panels.  The qualifying characteristics of the new door panels would be as follows:

1. Relatively lightweight. Without spring assist, they have to be light enough for me to lift a 6ft wide by 7 foot high aggregate mass. 

2. Moderately strong.  Some of the closed cell foam boards actually seem like they might be strong enough, but the panel has to be at least strong enough to fasten hinges and roller mounts to. Even a framework with a lightweight inner portion would be workable.

3. Somewhat resistant.  I'd like a cat/racoon/skunk/squirrel not to be able to claw through it, and not break in half to a stiff wind, but doesn't need to thwart a burglary attempt. 

 

This would be for incidental use.  No "off the shelf" item springs to mind.  

 

Any ideas? Thanks!

[XXitanium]

This is in the yard, not mobile, right?

[rockmeupto125]

Yes, used as storage in the yard. It was under water in the floor of 2011 and the wood door, fasteners, and the spring coil mechanism are rotted out corroded beyond repair. I could put a regular hinged door on it, but a rollup door saves a lot of space, and the roller tracks are solid yet.

[XXitanium]

FWIW, I replaced the bracket on my 42 year old roll-up door and avoided buying a whole new door as my girlfriend suggested.

 

Wondering if you could find a used door on Craigslist and shorten the panels?

[rockmeupto125]

You can buy garage doors, but they are heavy.  I'm looking for something somewhat sturdy, but focused more on light than strong. 

 

The van body will be backed up in close proximity to my existing garage door, so I really only need the new door to keep out wildlife and weather. I'm tired of cats pissing on everything I own. 

[DaveK]

1 hour ago, rockmeupto125 said:

ou can buy garage doors, but they are heavy.  I'm looking for something somewhat sturdy, but focused more on light than strong. 

 

Not the case at all.  The ones that are not double sided and insulated are lite as can be.  The ones on my condo.... thin and lite aluminum.  They put some foam board type insulation on the inside panels...but the door panels themselves are as thick as a typical house gutter. 

[SwampNut]

The weight of an aluminum roll-up garage door measuring 6 feet by 7 feet is typically in the range of 55 to 70 pounds for a standard, non-insulated model like the Janus 650 Mini Storage Door. These doors are designed for easy manual operation and are specifically built to be lighter than larger or insulated garage doors. Manufacturer and model, as well as added accessories, can cause slight variations, but 55–70 lbs is a reliable estimate for a basic aluminum 6x7 roll-up garage door based on industry norms and storage-specific models.

If you need the exact weight for a particular manufacturer or model, please specify, and I can narrow it down further.

 

 

 

 

The weight of an aluminum roll-up garage door measuring 6 feet by 7 feet is typically in the range of 55 to 70 pounds for a standard, non-insulated model like the Janus 650 Mini Storage Door. These doors are designed for easy manual operation and are specifically built to be lighter than larger or insulated garage doors. Manufacturer and model, as well as added accessories, can cause slight variations, but 55–70 lbs is a reliable estimate for a basic aluminum 6x7 roll-up garage door based on industry norms and storage-specific models.rollupdoorsdirect+1youtube

If you need the exact weight for a particular manufacturer or model, please specify, and I can narrow it down further.

1. https://www.rollupdoorsdirect.com/6x7-roll-up-garage-door.php
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnjLM9KNomM
3. https://luxgaragedoors.com/products/model-650-light-duty-mini-rolling-self-storage-steel
4. https://www.cbr1100xx.org/forums/index.php?/topic/108049-garage-door-rumination/
5. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Clopay-Roll-Up-Collection-10-ft-x-8-ft-Non-Insulated-Glossy-White-Garage-Door-without-Windows-RU108GW/333647424?_pxhc=1746748800260
6. https://www.menards.com/main/doors-windows-millwork/garage-doors-openers/garage-doors/ideal-door-reg-ribbed-model-200m-roll-up-door/6x7rollupglosswhitedoor/p-1444433891802-c-12358.htm
7. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Clopay-Roll-Up-6-ft-x-7-ft-Non-Insulated-Light-Stone-Garage-Door-Without-Windows-RU67LS/333647429
8. https://www.rollupdoorsdirect.com/roll-up-garage-doors/rollupcart.php?dm=650&wf=6&hf=7
9. https://veterangaragedoor.com/faq/how-much-do-garage-doors-weigh/
10. https://garagedoorguide.com/door-weight/
11. https://www.rollupdoorsdirect.com
12. https://todayshomeowner.com/garage/guides/garage-doors-weight/
13. https://www.idealdoorgaragedoors.com/commercial-garage-doors/roll-up-doors/
14. https://www.steeldoordepot.com/product/650-roll-up-door/
15. https://www.janusintl.com/products/self-storage-doors
16. https://www.rollupdoorsdirect.com/rollupdoor650.php
17. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kC4fvEQhO6I
18. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNhxF03y15k
19. https://www.dbci.com/products/light-duty-roll-up-doors/650-series
20. http://www.buydoorsdirect.com/mo650tesp.html
21. https://www.steeldoordepot.com/products/
22. https://www.janusintl.com/hubfs/Janus_2020_DOOR%20COMPARISON_11x17.pdf
23. https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/4335336/Installation%20Guides/650-Installation-Guide.pdf

 

 

Joe, what about those "cartridge" type roll up vehicle doors?  Where the spring and mechanism and all of it just roll up together?

 

 

More AI:  I don't know what this is called, find it and tell me what it is: "cartridge" type roll up vehicle doors?  Where the spring and mechanism and all of it just roll up together?

 

The type of roll-up vehicle door you're describing—where the spring, mechanism, and door curtain are all contained in one self-contained unit that rolls up together—is most commonly referred to as a cartridge-style roll-up door or a cassette roll-up door system.

• Cartridge/cassette roll-up doors are designed so that the spring mechanism, axle, and sometimes even the tracks are pre-installed inside a compact housing or "cartridge." This makes installation fast and reduces the complexity, because you don't have to handle an exposed torsion spring, and the mechanism is all concealed and protected.

• They are often called cassette roll-up doors, cartridge roll-up doors, or self-contained roll-up door systems within the commercial vehicle and specialty vehicle markets.

• These solutions are common for emergency vehicles, utility vans, trailers, and sometimes specialty garage or security doors. Hansen International, Dynatect/Gortite, and ROM make popular examples for trucks and fire/rescue vehicles.

In summary: cartridge-style roll-up door or cassette roll-up door system is the term you're looking for.

 

[Zero Knievel]

Are you planning on NOT having the counterweight spring installed?  No matter the weight, it can be set so raising it takes little effort.

[XXitanium]

Roll-up?

[rockmeupto125]

What was on it was a sectioned door that rolled up on tracks but had a coiled spring  in the upper corner of the box.  

 

To me, a rollup door is the corrugated sheet metal that rulls up onto a tube like toilet paper.  The corrugations leave gaps for wind, debris, and furry unwanted things. 

 

I want a lightweight sectioned door that rollus up on the existing tracks but is light enough so that I don't have to engineer springs for it, as the hardware isn't designed for that. 

[Zero Knievel]

4 hours ago, rockmeupto125 said:

What was on it was a sectioned door that rolled up on tracks but had a coiled spring  in the upper corner of the box.  

 

To me, a rollup door is the corrugated sheet metal that rulls up onto a tube like toilet paper.  The corrugations leave gaps for wind, debris, and furry unwanted things. 

 

I want a lightweight sectioned door that rollus up on the existing tracks but is light enough so that I don't have to engineer springs for it, as the hardware isn't designed for that. 

Frankly, spend the $$$ to do it right.  Insulated doors aren’t that much heavier, and if you need new hardware…just do it.  A properly done sectional will keep stuff out unless the critters chew their way in through the trim pieces.

[superhawk996]

How bout a swing out door instead of roll up?  Plywood and a couple hinges, cover the lower part in sheet metal if you're worried about something chewing it.

Edited August 27, 2025 by superhawk996

[XXitanium]

...a little fab work with a cut-off saw/grinder?

 

https://elmira.craigslist.org/for/d/sayre-bilco-door/7858794873.html