We LOVE barn doors and have written tons of content about them. Today I wanted to round up all of those posts into one and share with you everything that we know and love about barn doors.
Download the free ebook for a convenient PDF with everything that you need to know about barn doors!
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Barn doors are really trendy home decor. They are both functional (as a door) and beautiful (as a decor piece).
You can mix up the type of door that you use as a sliding barn door to match the decor style of your home.
Another big benefit of a barn door is that it slides instead of swings. This makes them ideal for small spaces, where a swinging door might smack into things or get in the way.
However, you will need to be sure that you have room for the barn door to slide along the wall next to the door opening.
Regardless of your space, it’s smart to do your research before committing to a barn door. Here is everything that you need to know!
The Ultimate Guide to Barn Doors
Frequently asked questions about barn doors
How do I build a barn door?
There are tons of ways to build a barn door, but here is the easiest and cheapest way!
We built our barn door using standard, hardware store lumber. It is a one day project! This is really doable DIY and a great beginner woodworking project.
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.
Recommended Products
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How much does it cost to build a barn door?
Of course, the cost of building a barn door will vary depending on your location and the materials that you choose to work with.
For us, the wood cost about $100, the screws were around $5. The nuts and bolts were the same. When you search for doors that people are making and selling online, they cost about $300-400. This is a much better option and you can do it yourself.
How do I mount a barn door?
You will need barn door hardware to mount your barn door. This is a kit that can be purchased at any hardware store or online.
What do I do with my old door?
We encourage you to donate your old door to a place like Habitat for Humanity ReStore instead of throwing it away. Or, list it for free on Facebook Marketplace. Keep it out of the landfill!
After removing your door, follow this tutorial to fill the hinge holes in the door frame.
What keeps a barn door from swinging?
The bottom track! This is a super important part of the barn door hardware and should not be skipped.
You can see in this blog post about how we mounted our barn door that the barn door is connected to the floor on the bottom. This keeps it from swinging.
Can interior barn doors lock?
We wrote a whole blog post about what kind of lock works for a barn door!
How wide should my barn door be?
Be sure to size your barn door to be wide enough to cover the opening of your doorway with a small amount of overlap on the door frame.
Where can I buy barn door hardware?
Barn door hardware is available at a ton of retailers and online. Here are the most popular places to buy sliding barn door hardware:
Barn door hardware from Amazon
Barn door hardware from Home Depot
Can I DIY barn door hardware?
We have not tried to DIY our own barn door hardware, but we love this tutorial!
What do I need to look for when shopping for a barn door?
Our biggest advice is to look at the spacing of the holes on the rail track. You want the holes in the track to line up with the studs in your wall. If it doesn’t, you can use this hack to mount your barn door, but it does lead to more work (and a bit of stress!)
You also want to be sure that the spacers are wide enough to clear any moldings. This includes floor molding as well as molding around the door frame. You can buy wider spacers if you have thick moldings.
Can I use a barn door for a bathroom?
We wrote a whole post discussing the pros and cons of using a barn door for a bathroom!
Is there a gap between the barn door and the wall?
Yes, there is a gap, which is caused by the spacers in the barn door rail. If you have molding around your door (like we do) that will cover most of the gap, but it is not as “air tight” as a traditional door.
Here are all of the posts that we have written about barn doors:
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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Hello, I’m Morgan, half of the creative force behind CharlestonCrafted.com! With a passion for DIY that dates back to 2012, I’ve transformed three homes and now I’m dedicated to helping others craft their dream spaces. Let’s turn your house into a home together!
How to add a barn door lock
Thursday 12th of December 2019
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