Barn Door

For the Barn door i have omitted any and all measurements and have made no plans for this build, as each door will be a different size. So basic rule of thumb is to add at least 4 inches to the width of the opening ( the opening is to the edges of the door's frame not just the space that the door itself occupies) and add at least 2 inches to the overall height beyond the top of the door frame. This helps to prevent sound travel around the edges of the door. Choose the materials that you will use to construct the door. You can go simple, or get fancy like I did with my door. When you pick out your boards, try to get boards that have as straight a grain as possible.

1. Wood of your choice

2. Barndoor Hardware kit ( will typically include the runner and hangers for the door)

3. Handle for your door

4. Woodworking tools to mill and cut lumber( the more the better :)

Choose your lumber carefully ! You want boards that are long and straight and have as straight of a grain as you can find. This is especially important for the boards that will become the door frame to prevent movement over time. Having straight grain boards for the panels will keep a cohesive look throughout and not give you unwanted accents in the panels of the door.

Cut your boards a bit longer and wider than will be needed for final dimensions. This allows for any error to be removed throughout the milling process. Get all the boards perfectly square and flat with whatever means you have available. If you do not have a Planer, or Jointer, all the milling can be done by hand or many lumber yards will offer this service for a small fee and you can start with perfectly flat and square stock. This step is a must when building a door of any kind as you do not want any warping or twisting to manifest over time.

Layout all the joinery to hold the door frame together as well as the groove that the door panels will rest in, inside the door frame. Cut all the joinery and fine tune to the line with chisels. Then make sure all parts fit together snugly while leaving enough room for glue to occupy a small space to hold all parts together. Once all the joints are fine tuned and fit well, cut the boards for the door panels to their final length. Do not fit the panels too tight within the frame so they have room to allow for wood movement throughout the seasonal changes. Placing the panel parts too tight will eventually lead to blowing the frame apart if you live in a climate that experiences drastic changes in humidity. I allowed the panel boards to simply "float" in space and did not glue the panel boards to the frame. This will allow for the panel boards to move freely over time.

Glue the door frame parts together and insert the Panel boards into the frame. Clamp the frame together securely and check for square to make sure the door remains in square while the glue cures. Clean up the glue squeeze out, i prefer to do it with a damp rag while the glue is still wet, but you can also clean up the glue once it has dried.

Install the hardware to hang the door as well as the door handle. For the door hangers, i countersunk the back side of the hole so that the nuts that hold the hangers are set flush to the back of the door. I used a spacer block for the door hangers to set them exactly the same distance from the top of the door. Follow the instructions from the hardware manufacturer to set all hardware in it's proper place before drilling any holes. Also install the hardware for the handle. Once everything is set in place, remove all hardware and finish sand the entire door to prepare for whatever finish you decide to use.

Apply the finish of your choice to your door. The finish has everything to do with where the door will be located. Since this door was going into a bathroom and would experience extreme humidity changes due to folks showering on one side, while the other side was in a cool, air conditioned space, i wanted to get as good of a seal on the wood as possible. For this door, i went with the Total Boat Gleam Marine Spar Varnish to attempt to lock out as much moisture as possible and prevent warping or twisting of the door over time. Once your finish has had time to cure as according to the manufacturers specifications, reinstall the hardware to prepare to hang the door.

Find the studs in the wall where the door is to be installed. Mark the stud locations and secure the ledger board to the studs. Using the ledger board allows you to not have to line up the pre drilled holes in the track to the stud locations in the wall as each wall will be different. Follow the hardware manufacturers instructions as to how to install the door track. Ensure that the track is installed level so that the door will glide back and forth with ease. Once the track is installed and you have all parts in place, hang the door on the track and test the travel of the door along the track. It should slide smoothly into the open and closed position without the use of too much force. The better hardware you purchase, the better the door will glide.

Some Manufactured doors will have a slot cut in the bottom of the door to allow for the floor guide to ride in the middle of the bottom of the door. I did not cut this slot in my door so i made sure the door was level vertically and used the floor guide to keep the door from swaying too far away from the wall. You want to make sure that the floor guide is in contact with the bottom of the door in both the open and closed positions as well as throughout the entire travel of the door. This piece is crucial in making sure that the door stays on track in the vertical orientation.

You're all Done! Go check out the full Build video and get to work building your own Barn Door Today!

I love the way this door turned out and it was an easy way to add interest to this space and get rid of the plain, white, boring door that once occupied this space! You don't have to use fancy wood, but it sure looks great in this project.