DIY: Barn Door

DIY Barn Door

A barn doors is an awesome way to make a statement in any room or any house. This project helps you make your own for about $150 (if you already have some of the right tools) instead of buying one for upwards of $1500!

First, you need to decide where you want your bard door – we are using ours as a closet door.

Second, decide how big you want the door. We use 2x8s – and 6 of them (about $30-$40). So, our finished door measures 7 feet high, 1.5 inches deep and 3.5 feet wide.

Third, you need to find a tracking system for your door. We found ours at the UFA store. They have 2 types, this square one that olds up to about 500 pounds. Then, a rounder one that is far more industrial looking that can hold up to about 2000 pounds; much closer to an actual barn door.

The cost – the square one that we picked was about $75-$90 depending on how many brackets you want. It was suggested to us to get a bracket for every 2 feet and the track is 8 feet long (you can cut it if you like, but then the door just doesn’t open all the way – our door is 3.5 feet, so we’d need a minimum 7 foot track, but we like the look of the 8 foot one) – so, you’d need 5 brackets (one at zero, at 2, at 4, at 6 and at 8). We used 6 brackets because our door ended up being heavy and thick – just the look we wanted.

Okay – mounting the track. Use a 2×2 and anchor it into the wall in the same place you want to mount the track (the 2×2 should measure the same length of your track). Then, mount the track into the anchored beam – this will give it the strength it needs to support the heavy door. Don’t forget to paint the 2×2 before you anchor it!!

Build the Door

Now – build your door. We laid down the 2x8s on the floor and decided which ones we wanted to show on the front, side and so forth. Then we used a pocket hole jig, which we already had (about $100 from Lee Valley) to make the hidden holes for the screws. Then, screw all the boards together and sand. Once the door is all together, paint it ($10), stain it or leave it natural and seal it.

Once the door is built, you need to put on the rollers. Measure where you want them to go first, before screwing them in. Keep in mind that they should be equally spaced apart as to work equally so you don’t have a lopsided door.

Install the Door

After the roller tracks are in place and tight, lift the door and roll it into place. Keep in mind that you’ll need 12 feet of straight wall space, if you use an 8 foot door – basically, you’ll need 3 times your door width of wall space. The reason, your track is twice as long as your door and you need the extra wall space to get your door into the track. I don’t suggest mounting your track with the door rollers already in place – unless you have a handful of people to help…and it most likely won’t be level. Just an extra planning trick to make installation run smoothly!

There you have it – your very own barn door!!