# How to stop pole barn doors from freezing shut?



## Doc

I keep my tractor in my pole barn.  I have sliding doors on the pole barn.  Normally they do not touch the bottom, but the area below the doors filled with some dirt and water and froze.  Both doors were frozen in place.  So when I went to get out my tractor to clear off the mess of snow we still have on the drive it was harder to get the door open than to clear the snow.  

So, I'm thinking I'll dig out the area under the doors and fill it with gravel.  This should allow the water and sediment that flows under the doors to go down through the rocks so that the doors should not freeze shut next winter.  But then I got to wondering if there is a better way to fix this issue, other than concreting the whole area (the pole barn floor is covered with crush and run ...hard like concrete but you can see the dirt mixed in with it).

Any ideas?


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## muleman RIP

I have about 3 inches of clean gravel under my doors. I also make it a habit to clean up and dirt from the skid steer going in and out. My building is concrete but not the outside approaches to the doors. If you concrete it will jack and then you are screwed. Just keep the pick handy if you don't clean the door ways. I hate taking too much out under the door cause the wind blows real fine powdery snow under it.


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## DaveNay

Move the barn to Panama.


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## Doc

While I like your suggestion best Dave, that is not the route I'll be going at this juncture.  Darn it.

I was thinking of digging 10 or 12 inches down and filling it with 2 inch stones.  I can't help but carry mud across it when I'm returning to the barn after a day on the back 40.    No idea how often I'll have to clean it out (when it overfills with dirt) but with the FEL and teeth that chore won't be to bad.  

As it is now, it's clay and after a rain in the summer it will hold water and make a muddy mess, so the stones should help me be able to open the doors in the winter and keep from having standing water in the summer.  Now I just need things to dry out and warm up so I can get er done.


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## muleman RIP

Jack hammer!lol


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## XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq

Did you kick them and swear at them?  Usually, works for me.


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## Doc

PBinWA said:


> Did you kick them and swear at them?  Usually, works for me.


Oh yeah, I did that.  All I got from that is a sore toe.
I had to get out the big guns ...a spud bar to break them loose.

and ...before someone suggests it, I know I could leave them open and they would not then freeze shut.     Not an option I want to take advantage of.


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## Bamby

If you can extend the ditch to surface down over a hill or whatever I'd go down about 16 inches or so and lay some drainage pipe in the bottom. Then put a piece of filter fabric or weed barrier cloth over the pipe and then back fill with stone hopefully having some larger stone in the bottom. A ditch to nowhere would probable just fill with water and freeze and not really accomplish anything IMO.


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## Doc

Good point Bamby.  No easy way to drain from this location.  The pole barn is 70 ft long and there is a hill behind it.  it does accumulate some water but not that much (famous last words)  ...So I'm going to make it deep enough that if water accumulates it will have time to evaporate before it would have enough to fill up the ditch.  
If that does not work I'll have to rent a ditch witch to dig a long drain ditch for the drain pipe.  I do already have some 4 inch drain pipe which hooks to the gutters, but it is way up on top of the ground and goes from 4 inches deep to about 12 inches deep at the rear of the building.  I do not see a way to take advantage of that existing drain pipe though.


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## Trakternut

Get you some sidewalk salt or, better, rock salt and DUMP it in the channel where the doors run. Should keep it sufficiently thawed so the door's easier to break loose.


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## Doc

Trakternut said:


> Get you some sidewalk salt or, better, rock salt and DUMP it in the channel where the doors run. Should keep it sufficiently thawed so the door's easier to break loose.


Thanks Tnuts!!!!!   Good idea.  I don't keep the rock salt around as I prefer not to use it ...but this is one application I'd use it for for sure.


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## muleman RIP

Don't go overboard or you will have mush under your doors. Salt makes mud in a hurry.


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## Doc

muleman said:


> Don't go overboard or you will have mush under your doors. Salt makes mud in a hurry.


Sounds like the voice of experience.    I've never used salt where dirt is underneath so I appreciate the pointer.  Otherwise I probably would have over done it.


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## BigAl RIP

Doc ,
Salt only works down to about 10 degrees .
Heres a article I pulled off a road salt website .

*How freezing point depression works*​​When you add salt to water, you introduce dissolved foreign
particles (called ‘ions’ by scientists) into the water. The freezing
point of water becomes lower as more particles (ions) are added.
The ions interfere with the ability of the water molecules to
‘associate’ (hydrogen bond) and consequently, freeze. At some
point, because of saturation or temperature (salt does not dissolve
well in cold water), the salt stops dissolving and no longer has an
effect on the freezing point.
*Without salt, the freezing point is 32°F.With salt, ice on a sidewalk*
*or road will melt as long as the temperature is about 10°F or higher;*
it stops working when the temperature becomes very low. On
snow and ice covered roads, the amount of traffic also affects how
fast the ice will melt and the temperature at which it will melt.



 Remember that salt also draws moisture too . That can sometimes make things worst ​


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## grizzer

I've used my trusty BFH to break em loose. Without drainage away from the door channel the problem will not go away. Salt on metal doors might help shorten the doors! I usually clean out the area in the Fall & chip out the frozen high points when the gound heaves. I have learned to live with the fine blown in snow around the doors and the roof vents. Mouse tracks in the snow remind me to put out more poison.


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## Doc

Good info Allen and Griz!!!   

I did use the other end of my spud bar as a BFH since I did not want to walk to the garage to get the sledge.  It worked.

These doors are wood frame with metal on the front.  Salt would not do the metal any favors for sure, but when frozen and I need my tractor out I'm not to worried about the metal.


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## bczoom

Doc,

I'd put the trench/stone in as already noted.  Go ahead and leave a slight gap. between the door and ground.

I'd then take a couple pieces of scrap plywood or OSB and cut them into 1'x4' or so sections.  If the door gets any sun, paint one side black (or another dark color).

Take those pieces and lean them the long way (so 2 pieces will cover an 8' opening at ground level) against the bottom of the door with the dark side out.

The dark should absorb heat and help melt ice build-up.

Laying against the opening should help keep the snow out.

Lay them down as ramps over the stone (where your tires will go) so you don't dump tire dirt/mud in your stone.


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## Bamby

I'll try one more suggestion I've seen used. This will take just a bit of potential effort. First acquire some mine belting somewhere though I admit it's sometimes had to find. Then adjust elevation under doors to add a bit of clearance. Adjust gravel to drain a bit 1/4 in. per foot per the width of the belting would be good. Lay the belting under the door tracks and close the doors over it. If applied right the water will then drain away from the door and be absorbed into the driveway.


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## Cowboy

Not sure what kind of a setup you have Doc as far as the sliding doors . I only have the overheads now since I tore the one shed down with the sliders . But when I did use it . I Sprayed diesel on the ground as well as both sides of the doors every month or so , Mainly for critters & or weeds & I never had any problem as the ice wont stick to it . 

   But with the rubber seal on the bottom of My overheads & they are on concrete & I just put new seals on them this last year . They were freezing shut because of the weird winter we are having & I just keep a sprayer with diesel fuel in it to spray the concrete & the rubber seals on the bottom of the doors as well as a coating on the concrete when its dry & aint had a problem since . 

  Dont know if it will help your situation or not , But far cheaper then anything thats been mentioned so far . Plus it controls the weeds & Critters . Just a thought .


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## Doc

Thanks BC, Bamby and Cowboy.  Good thoughts from all of you.  I'm glad I posted the question.  All you guys gave me some darn good ideas.    I'll be sure to post what all I end up doing once I get er done.


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## muleman RIP

Well? What did you end up doing? Or are you still thinking it through?


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