If you are thinking about installing a barn door, you might wonder – do barn doors need a bottom track?
The answer is yes.
The bottom track keeps the barn door from swinging back and forth against the wall.
The track should allow about 1/2″ of space between the bottom of the door and the floor for proper clearance.
Tracks can come in two forms –
- Something that has 3 sides (like a U) that the door slides in
- A single piece that slides inside a notch in the bottom of the door
If you have a door that doesn’t have a notch in the bottom, you have two options.
First, you could use a router or table saw to create a notch. It should be wider than the guide and run the length of the door.
If you do not want to create a notch, you will need to build a U shaped guide, attach that to the floor, and let the door slide on that.
You need to install the track so that the door never leaves the track. When it is fully open and fully closed, the edges of the door still remain on the track. If it is constantly falling off the track, that is really annoying!
We have written a TON about barn doors! Check out our posts in the widget below.
How to Build and Mount a Barn Door
Barn doors are trendy and fashionable and can add a rustic flair to your space. Here's how to build a barn door and how to mount a barn door.
Materials
- Roughly nine 1x6 boards
- Screws
- Barn door hardware
Tools
- Miter saw
- Drill
Instructions
How to Build a Barn Door
- Measure the space you want to cover
- Design your door. Use two layers.
- For the back layer, use as many 1x6 boards as needed to cover the gap of your door.
- For the front layer, cut two 1x6 boards to span the width of your door space and attach at the top and bottom of the back layer. Then cut 1x6 boards to span the gap between those two boards vertically. Finally, cut a board to go diagonal from the top corner to the bottom corner.
- Use 1 1/4" screws to attach all the boards from the front layer to the back layer.
- Stain or paint your door to fit your decor.
- Add a pull for a door handle.
How to Mount a Barn Door
- Order barn door hardware. Different brands will differ slightly, but the idea is the same.
- Attach a 1x6 board to your wall in the studs if your doorway has a frame that you need to go past. If your doorway doesn't have a frame, you can mount your rail bar directly into the wall.
- Mount your rail bar.
- Add bumpers for the barn door rollers to hit where you want to door to stop on each end.
- Attach the rollers to the top of your door and hang the door on the rail bar.
- Add a bottom guide for your barn door so that it doesn't swing back and forth.
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Everything about Barn Doors
We have written a ton about barn doors - here is everything that you need to know!
This is our first barn door post that thoroughly explains the easiest way to build a DIY barn door.
In this article we share a step by step guide for how to mount a barn door using hardware from Amazon.
Want to add a lock to your barn door? This is the easiest way!
Have questions about barn door hardware? In this post we break down everything you need.
Want to lock your barn door? This article shares all of your options.
Want to use a barn door for a bathroom? Here is the truth - including interviews with people with barn doors on their bathrooms about whether they would do it again!
It's easy to give boring, plain bi-fold doors a barn door look!
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Hey there, I’m Sean, the woodworking enthusiast and builder behind CharlestonCrafted.com! Since 2012, I’ve been sharing the magic of turning raw materials into beautiful creations. I love teaching others the art and satisfaction of woodworking and DIY. I try to inspire fellow crafters to make something extraordinary out of nothing at all.
Ivy Baker
Thursday 28th of May 2020
This is some really good information about the sliding door. I would love to get a barn door over my bedroom bathrooms doorway. It is good to know that I will want to consider choosing a good roller attachment that will be super strong. Personally, I would want to get a professional to help me choose the type of hardware to use.