Is it possible to cut out a window on a regular garage door? I need to install a fresh-air intake grille for an exhaust fan, and the garage door appears to be the best location.
I am not sure what the construction material is, but the outer skins appear to be somewhat flexible, so I am thinking it is a thin steel skin with an open cavity inside (or foam).
Any suggestions?
Only thing is to make sure your health insurance, auto insurance and personal liability insurance policies are up to date and have high enough coverage limits before you start cutting into garage door panels that will rise above your head, your families heads and your car...
Yes, it is "possible" BUT depends on the details.......
Based on your brief description sounds like a steel sectional door with foam filler.
Also depends on the size of the intake grill relative to the section height.
All the material you remove is doing a job; strength & stiffness. You've got the replace the capacity you remove.
Like drilling holes in or notching beams ........ it is doable but you gotta be careful.
I might attempt it but I would discuss it (& get it eye balled) with at least one or two technically competent associates.
Why not just pop the door open an inch or two?
cheers Bob
The doors panels are 18" high and each panel spans the whole 16' width. My thought was to cut out a 10"x10" square, which should be small enough to not compromise the panel strength.
So far I have been popping opening the door by about an inch, but I need a proper vent with a mesh to filter out debris and insects.
"Andrew Sarangan" wrote
I've seen it done in hangar and garage doors with a fine toothed blade in a Sawzall. The best example involved plywood, bolted through the waste section, with the whole sandwich cut as a unit.
I would suggest a circular hole, or two smaller ones some distance apart. Circular openings retain much more strength and have no stress risers in the corners. If you keep them lower, towards the bottom of the door, the structural concerns lessen somewhat. Look for a round device to move your air.
We added several windows to a door that is similar in construction to yours. I used a cut off wheel on a 4" grinder to do most of the cutting, and finished off with a sawzall. Drilling 4 holes at the corners will really help to "keep you honest'.
JK
A real garage door dealer, one that handles commercial doors, will have purpose-built bubble windows and vent ports designed for a door like that. The ones I have seen were a 2-piece self-edging setup, round or rounded on the corners, and had gaskets to keep water from getting into the insulation layer. As to cutting the hole- careful mapping, and a couple through-holes for reference points. Jigsaw and a metal blade (unless you have electric nibblers) to make the holes in the skin, and fill any voids with stiff foam. You want the edges of the hole to be solid. Make the holes centered between the hinges, and centered on the height of the panel, unless you detect an internal rib there or something.
-- aem sends....
I would suggest a circular hole, or two smaller ones some distance apart. Circular openings retain much more strength and have no stress risers in the corners. If you keep them lower, towards the bottom of the door, the structural concerns lessen somewhat. Look for a round device to move your air.
**********************************************************************************I would suggest a little investigation into the amount of fresh air required. Too small a vent will offer no advantage over just using inside air.
If y'all have a garage door opener attached, remember to re balance the door when finished with the door mod. hth
How do you keep the glass from breaking?
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