# Make Sliding Door Weather Tight?



## dd57chevy (Jun 21, 2015)

Are you _removing_ this door from a barn/shed to replace an _existing _door in your garage ?


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Any door from the house to a garage must be a fire rated door to meet code.


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

+1 to Joe's observation. You don't want a non-fire rated door, full of glass at that, between those two spaces.


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## mga123 (Feb 29, 2016)

No I was going to use existing door
It opens out into the garage and I would like it to open in to the house
It's a pre hung door made of steel with a wood core (it looks like)
I mean I could cut it loose frame and all and mount it to swing in to the house
I imagine it's fire rating--typical of house in Florida
I was just wondering if I could make into a sliding door using the Johnson Hardware because it would take up less space opening into the house
Any suggestions?


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## mga123 (Feb 29, 2016)

Any further suggestions??
I want use original door


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

I'm having a hard time visualizing what you're trying to do. You say that it now opens out but you'd like it to open in. I get that. What I don't get is turning it into a slider which neither opens in or out. 

Posting some pictures would help.


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## mga123 (Feb 29, 2016)

I have included some photos to look at


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## mga123 (Feb 29, 2016)

More photos


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## mga123 (Feb 29, 2016)

Last photo
I want to change the way door opens so it doesn't hit my truck...I wanted to use the existing door as a sliding door to gain more space inside as well...I wanted to put sliding door on the garage side not on the house side
If I want to use the existing door and door frame (it's a pre hung door)I could cut it loose and take it out and turn it around so it swings inside to left...another words it would swing in...Swing in where the rocking chair is.


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## mga123 (Feb 29, 2016)

Oops forgot to post last photo
Right now the door hits my truck so I need to change that!!!


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## Windows on Wash (Aug 30, 2011)

Move the rocking chair slightly and put a stop on the door so that it swings inside but only to 90 degrees.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

If you rotate the door it's not going to swing toward that chair, it's going to swing toward whatever's on the right hand side that's not shown in the picture.
That sliding door idea just makes no since to me.


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## mga123 (Feb 29, 2016)

I beg to to differ the door turned around wood swing in towards the rocker...I was to take it out as a Prehung and turn it around
I could make it stop before hitting the or move the rocker!
As far as a sliding door it would slide to the left hand side in the garage out of the way...I thought it would cool to have a sliding door to the garage
I want to do it before it gets hot and the ac is running


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

mga123 said:


> As far as a sliding door it would slide to the left hand side in the garage out of the way...I thought it would cool to have a sliding door to the garage
> I want to do it before it gets hot and the ac is running


Fire rated is not only important it's mandatory. I can't see any way to DIY a fire rated sliding door. 

Fire rated pocket door??? Never heard of such a thing but if one does exist I'd guess that the price would be off the charts.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

If there is a step down it would never have been an out swinging door at my house to begin with.


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## mga123 (Feb 29, 2016)

I guess the sliding door is out of the question but I would still like to know if anyone or a company that makes a weathertight sliding door
I guess I'll just have turn the door around and use it that way
As far as as a step down I thought I could put a stair or landing down in front of the door it wouldnt have to be too wide or I could make it wide enough to act as a truck/car stop


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## GrayHair (Apr 9, 2015)

You indicated you were in Florida. If your area has a "hurricane code", exterior doors may not be allowed to swing inward.


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## mga123 (Feb 29, 2016)

That's true if I can't remember though if the door swung in or out it was built in 2000 hmm!
I have to ask my wife!!
Any more I ideas on making a sliding door weathertight ?


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

Those doors like the garage, cannot open in, they have to open out and also have a closer.

If the truck gets hit, then turn it around and park nose put, so that you are just past the door. If you pull in and have a lot of space between the rear of the truck and the garage door, you need to hang a tennis ball, so that thr truck cannot be pulled in that far. Otherwise, park it outside.

I cannot see how that garage is too short for the truck, if it is a newer home.


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

gregzoll said:


> Those doors like the garage, cannot open in, they have to open out


That is not correct.


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## mga123 (Feb 29, 2016)

Yes I can't believe it but the house was built in 1994 and the garage is kinda short for my truck and I don't have a big truck only a Chevy S10 reg cab...may put a roll pan on the truck since it takes up less space I been wanting a roll pan vs the bumper...the fireplace takes up an lot of room the other side where my wife's Miata is parked...good thing she has a small car also!
Oh and on my other house door opened the same as this house into the garage!
Any one have any info on making a sliding weather tight?


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

kwikfishron said:


> That is not correct.


Some areas require that they open out not in for garages.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

There is no way to make a Pocket Door Fire proof. If there was, they would be common.


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## Oso954 (Jun 23, 2012)

> ...the fireplace takes up an lot of room the other side where my wife's Miata is parked...good thing she has a small car also!


Why don't you and the wife trade spaces? Her Miata s/b shorter than the truck.

The other thing that can help position a vehicle in a minimal parking length is to position the car carefully where you want it. In this case, close to the garage vehicle door while still allowing the door to operate. Then hang a tennis ball on a string from the ceiling until it just touches the windshield. After that, you just pull in until the ball touches. That will preserve as much room as possible in front of the vehicle.


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## mga123 (Feb 29, 2016)

On the side my wife's car is it is even shorter...we tried switching places her car better being on that side
I think I got figured out after a comment by my wife "why don't turn the door over" 
So it got me thinking...Ah ha
I can not the turn the door over because it's a panel door and the little panels are on top and the door lock would not be in the right place but I can put the hinges the other side and the lock on the other side and have it still open out 
It would be a left handed door not a right handed door
That way it would open into the garage and miss the bumper of truck and door would be out the way when coming in the house
Every one in a while the wife comes up with something good...


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## mga123 (Feb 29, 2016)

After the door I will set up a tennis ball or something so I can park in same place 
Right now I drive in and put the clutch in and pull it up or pull it back depending how I pulled in


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## mga123 (Feb 29, 2016)

I ended up turning the door around I post a photo of what I did


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