Plastic Overhead Door Helps Heat Your Shop

Plastic Overhead Door Helps Heat Your Shop FARM SHOP Miscellaneous 25-1-7 A new, virtually indestructible plastic overhead door can turn a cold shop or garage into a warm, bright haven where it's comfortable to work, even on the coldest winter days. "The Sunshine Door" is made from Lexan plastic, a tough polycarbonate that acts as a super conductor of heat. Thanks to the insulation provided by its triple-layered construction, solar heat captured by the door remains inside. On a sunny day, you don't need a heater or lights and you can stand a few feet away from the door without a sweater, according to Doormasters co-owner, Dan Murdock in Red Deer, Alta. Murdock sells the special plastic doors of various sizes based on custom orders, and also sells individual Lexan panels which can be used to replace panels on existing doors. These panels can be purchased in sizes up to 24 ft. wide. The biggest Lexan door that Doormasters has sold was 24by 40 ft. "It doesn't create a problem in the summer because most people ordinarily open their doors in the spring," says Murdoch. "Also, the sun is a lot higher in the sky in summer, so you don't get the direct sunlight as much. With the door closed on a cool, rainy day, it's just like the door is open because it maximizes the available light." According to Murdock, the Lexan plastic used is translucent, so you can't see through it clearly. It lets 87% of light through and is 40 times stronger than glass. At a trade show where he was promoting The Sunshine Door, Murdock told the crowd of farmers that if anyone could break it with a 16-lb. sledgehammer, they could have his Porsche car. No one was successful. Prices for the panels and doors vary according to the size of the order. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Doormasters, Attention: Dan Murdock, Bay 6, 4830 - 78 St., Red Deer, Alberta, Canada T4P 2B3 (ph 800 886-9409 or 403 347-8670; fax 403 341-4630; E-mail: doormast@telusplanet.net; Web site: www.sunshinedoor.com).

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