Throughout the 1950s to 1970s, steel quonsets and wooden arch rib buildings were becoming increasingly common on farms. They provided easy storage and were readily available, easy to build using pre-assembled kits, and were extremely durable.
Over 50 years later, many farmers and private pilots are still using some of these same quonsets as storage or as private hangars. They have lasted the test of time and are usually structurally sound.
Like any building, quonset huts are subject to the wear and tear of regular use and harsh weather. Without proper care, they start to leak and let in pests. In extreme cases, the foundation may crack or the frame may start to rot.
Still, it’s hard to let these buildings stand empty when they could be sheltering your equipment. If you have a quonset on your yard that is waiting for restoration, here are a few things to consider that might help you get started.
Quonset Foundation
As you know, the foundation supports the entire weight of the building. This makes the strength and integrity of the foundation very important. If you are considering a restoration of your old quonset, be sure to inspect the foundation first.
If your quonset has a concrete foundation, you’ll want to inspect it for cracks, flaking, or separation. These can be indicators of a shifting building, which you will want to correct before fully restoring the quonset. With both a concrete foundation or a dirt foundation, you should also check for a sinking building.
The repairs for these issues depend on the severity of the problem. Often, an experienced concrete professional can make these repairs relatively quickly and inexpensively. More extensive damage may require a new foundation for your quonset.
Quonset Frame
Inspecting your quonset frame is equally important. Quonsets have either a wood or steel frame, and the design varies. For a wood frame building, check for rot. If it is a steel frame quonset, check for rust.
If the quonset has been poorly constructed, or if it’s just that old, the roof may have started to leak along the seams – more on that later. Check for rot or rust anywhere moisture may have accumulated – the frame along the seams and near the foundation is especially vulnerable.
Be sure to also check the joints for stability and strength. If anything shifts, it needs to be repaired!
Quonset Roof
Without a strong roof, your quonset won’t do much good. As the tin on the roof of the quonset ages, it may start to rust, the seams may leak, and it may start to pull away from the building.
Depending on the issue, it may be possible to patch the roof. Otherwise, you’ll have a larger, but no less doable, project on your hands.
Quonset Doors
The quonset poses a unique challenge to doors that are mounted directly to the frame of the building, such as overhead doors. Raising the height of the overhead door reduces the width of the door and vice versa.
Sliding doors solve this issue by extending the door frame past the side of the quonset, but that leads to other issues as mentioned earlier. That’s where bifold doors make a great option.
Bifold Doors for Quonsets
The bifold door holds an advantage in its ability to create a larger clear opening compared to other door types. Where an overhead door is limited in width and height, a bifold door can cover the entire face of the quonset, extending past the roofline to maximize your clear opening.
Innovative bifold door features like the self-supporting header from Diamond Doors make this possible.
Self-Supporting Header for Quonset Doors
Diamond Doors designed the self-supporting header for older buildings that needed the extra support and for uniquely designed buildings that do not support a traditional door frame. The quonset fits neatly in both of those categories.
With the self-supporting header, the door can be mounted above the roofline, and can extend to the edges of the quonset. This significantly increases the size of the clear opening in the quonset and lets you move larger equipment into your building.
If you are concerned about the weight of the bifold door, the self-supporting header erases all doubt. Not only does it transfer the weight of the bifold door directly into the ground, but it also provides additional strength to your quonset by bracing the building’s frame.
Better Protection
Older quonset doors, especially sliding doors, do not seal against pests and harsh weather. The Diamond bifold door offers a stronger seal to protect your equipment using a variety of door features such as J channel tracks and column followers (to hold the door firmly against the door frame), and weather seals (to protect against pests and harsh weather).
Low Maintenance
To reduce the time needed for maintenance, we have designed the Diamond door with fewer moving parts and easier access to parts that need more regular upkeep. We have also completely eliminated the need for maintenance on several key parts of our door, like our hinges and lift cables.
Other Convenient Features for Quonset Doors
At Diamond Doors, we equip every bifold door with a variety of convenient features. These features protect your equipment, ensure your door is easy to maintain, and make your building look sharp.
Pedestrian Doors
We can build most Diamond doors with a pedestrian door right inside the door frame. If your quonset door will cover the entire face of the building, this is the option for you! It allows quick access to your quonset without opening the bifold door.
Auto-Lock System
Whether you spent your day on the field or in flight, it is nice to have a door that opens at the push of a button. With an upgrade to the convenient auto-locking system, the Diamond bifold door does just that. Open your quonset doors from the seat of your tractor or your plane and drive (or taxi) right in.
Insulation
For extra protection against the cold, each Diamond door can be fitted with a custom insulation package. Because it is installed on the exterior of the door frame, the insulation package protects every inch of your door against the cold. It’s a smart choice to help reduce your heating costs!
Custom Cladding and Trim
We also offer customizable trim and cladding options for every door. We cut each sheet to length and ready for installation when it arrives on-site. Diamond Doors also provides a detailed cut-list to make ordering your cladding and trim easy if you prefer to order elsewhere.
The Loutchans
The Loutchans’ quonset is a great example of how a bifold door can breathe new life into an old building. When they needed extra clearance to move their John Deere 9860 combine into their quonset for winter maintenance, they turned to a Diamond door.
“The door helps us farm more efficiently. We can put machinery in there in the winter that we could not before and work on it when we have the time. It’s definitely paid for itself,” says Evan Loutchan.
We featured the Loutchans’ project on our website. You can watch their video here or read more about their experience with Diamond Doors.
Interested in seeing more? Visit our project gallery to view quonset doors in a variety of styles and uses.
