Diamond bifold doors give quonsets and other farm doors across North America new purpose and improved functionality. Here’s a closer look at a story close to home.
As a 5th generation farmer, Brodie Durston understands the value of hard work. When his grandfather started the current farm location near Dauphin, Manitoba in 1959, he ran a mixed calf and grain operation. In the early 1960s, he built a quonset that housed his seed cleaning operation. But as the farm continued to grow, it became apparent that more space was required to keep up with the needs of the farm.
Now using the quonset as an unheated shop, Brodie found that the aging sliding doors couldn’t keep up with their needs. They were becoming difficult to move and frequently jammed with snow and debris, causing extra work and frustration. After all, running a mixed calf and grain operation makes efficiency and ease of use a priority in day-to-day operations.
That’s when Brodie started looking at options to upgrade the sliding doors on his quonset.
“A friend of mine suggested we look into a Diamond door,” he said. “They have two in use on two separate buildings and had been happy with them.”
The Project
A Diamond door was a good fit for this retrofit project, especially with the addition of the self-supporting header system. This door feature makes it possible to install a bifold door that is sometimes taller or wider than what the quonset would typically allow. In some cases, like with Brodie’s quonset, it can also provide additional structural support to hold the weight of the door.
Brodie also opted to add polycarbonate sheeting to the top half of his bifold door.
Polycarbonate sheeting is a great option to allow plenty of natural light into your building. For Brodie, it makes the quonset a much more pleasant place to work, as it is now brighter and more inviting.
Diamond Doors offers 10mm and 30mm polycarbonate sheeting options. The 30mm polycarbonate, also known as Therma Vu, provides an insulation value similar to that of standard double pane window.
Since Brodie chose to insulate his bifold door, the Therma Vu polycarbonate sheeting was the perfect complement.
While the quonset is currently unheated, the insulation package provides improved temperature control in the shop. Together with his bifold door, it makes the quonset a more comfortable place to work during the frigid Manitoba winters and ensures the building is ready when Brodie chooses to heat the quonset.
The Installation
Like many farmers, Brodie has had his share of experience in construction. He decided to tackle the work of installing the Diamond door on his own and found that it was a simpler experience than he expected.
Brodie says of his experience that “since this was our first door install, we were pleased with how it turned out. We were slow, but the materials and fasteners were all there and the in-depth instructions gave us confidence.”
Easy installation is a key part of the Diamond Doors commitment to our customers. Shipping the frame fully assembled, pre-wired, and with everything needed for installation makes the entire experience hassle-free and as simple as possible.
“The fact that all the door cladding was precut was a nice touch,” adds Brodie, highlighting another Diamond Door advantage.
When customers order cladding or trims through Diamond Doors, we provide the exact lengths needed. This saves time measuring and cutting during the door installation.
When questions did come up during the installation process, Diamond Doors was readily available to help. When Brodie called with a question about installing the polycarbonate panels on his bifold quonset door, he says that he felt supported by the Diamond Doors team.
In addition to a thorough instruction manual, we strive to be as accessible as possible. Our service department is always ready to answer your questions before, during, or after the installation process.
The Experience
“The door is great. [We are] very pleased with it and would not hesitate to order another one,” says Brodie. “The full opening height and width is a really nice feature.” He’s happy to recommend a Diamond door to other farmers.
Located in southern Manitoba and coming from a background of farming, Diamond Doors has built many strong relationships in the agricultural industry. Our rich history helps us understand the needs of farmers and agricultural producers across North America and provide door solutions for any building type.
If you have questions about your existing bifold quonset door or are looking for information about a new door, our team is always happy to help. Call our office at 866-325-7600 or email info@diamonddoors.com and you’ll hear back from us shortly.
