[dropcap]I[/dropcap] cannot express how excited I am about this door! I was literally jumping up and down when it was finally done and installed. This was one of my most rewarding DIY projects yet. Ever since the beginning of browsing Pinterest, I knew I would have a sliding barn door in our home. When our house was being built and we chose the floor plan, we noticed there was no door between our master bedroom and master bathroom. It is actually common in new build master suites and I knew that this would be the perfect place for a barn door.
 
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diy barn door
diy sliding barn door

Okay so here is how I did it – we had some old fence boards from our old house that I made Joe save for me because I knew one day I could use them. I knew this weathered & light weight wood would be perfect for a door. Since we moved to our new house they have been sitting in a pile getting more weathered, rustic, and beautiful, so I guess it turned out for the best that I waited a whole year to start this project.

diy barn door

DIY BARN DOOR

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I went to Tractor Supply Co. and bought all the hanging hardware. They actually have everything you need and even have an example set up with everything labeled and explanations on how it works. However, I found everything much cheaper on Amazon.

I knew I would need a piece of wood to attach the boards to, so I measured the opening of the doorway and added an extra six inches or so for the sides. I went to Lowe’s and an employee helped me find a light piece of plywood. I didn’t want anything too heavy because of the extra weight with adding more wood and the height. Most sliding doors are probably standard door height, but this one needed to be 8 feet tall! The employee cut the plywood for me according to my door measurements.

diy barn door
Back at home, I quickly got to work and started by putting two pieces of horizontal wood on the top and bottom on the door. These pieces are also fence board, that I bought for about two dollars. They are little thicker in width than the existing boards we had, because I knew I would need something stronger and wider that I could attach the hanging hardware to.

 

Then, I started laying out my diagonal pattern with the fence boards. Using my straight edge, I marked the angle the board needed to be cut and used by jigsaw. I repeated the same steps for each board. You’ll see that at first I was using screws to hold the boards in place, but later realized they weren’t working very well. The reclaimed wood was warped and bowing in the middle, so I needed something I could attach the centers with.

 

Using nails instead, I was able to attach the boards in the middle, sides, and every corner without them being noticeable. This also helped in the center of the door with my herringbone pattern.

 

diy barn door
diy barn door

There is nail about every three inches on the sides of each board. Next, I sanded down the door to clean it up some and prepare the new wood for stain. I used Minwax Classic Gray, Weathered Gray & Special Walnut stain to match up the new wood with the old. I use stain almost like paint sometimes to match up colors. I also stained the back of the door, knowing the back can be seen from inside the bathroom.

After the stain dried, it was time to attach the hardware. The instructions that are included can be a little hard to follow, but once the hanging hardware is together – it should look like this:

barn door hardware

I  measured six inches inward from each side and marked it. Then I marked the three square holes where I pre drilled the wood. I inserted the bolts and tightened the nuts on the back.

barn door hardware

I used a stud finder to find three studs in the wall and pre drilled the holes. When Joe came home from work, he helped me finish installing the box rail and then he hung the door. This part was a little tricky – the door was so heavy that it took both of us to hold and the wheels have to be lined up just right in order for it to slide in. A few bangs with a hammer and we got the first wheels in and the second wheels followed right behind. Then Joe installed the end caps.

 

It slides very easily, but the door was kind of dragging on the carpet. It was fine, but we knew that after awhile it would really wear the carpet down. We should of installed the box rail just a couple inches higher. Instead of taking it all down, patching holes, and drilling new holes I grabbed the jigsaw and Joe cut an inch or so off the bottom of the door while it was hanging.

diy barn door

 

Our door is only an inch thick and we have no door moldings, so attaching the box rail to the wall directly worked for us. Most tutorials will have a piece of wood on the wall to allow for a gap. However, we did notice the door scuffing up our baseboard. So I went to Lowe’s and got some rollers that are used for closet doors. They are only an inch thick so the door is still straight and doesn’t swing back against the baseboard.

 

diy sliding barn door
barn door hardware
Here is the view of the back of the door and the hanging hardware bolts. I got lucky that these also don’t scratch up the wall. If they did, I had a plan to just use the jigsaw and cut of the excess. We also didn’t need a handle for the front or back of the door. I didn’t want a handle to distract from the design of the door, and on the backside there is a wide enough gap that we can fit our hands through and slide the door just fine.

diy sliding barn door

This was the first major project for our master bedroom makeover and I’m so happy with how it turned out. Like any DIY project, at times it wasn’t easy but it all worked out in the end. Next, I will begin painting and I have plans for some new nightstands and lamps. Can’t wait to share!

 

Are you going to tackle a sliding door? Share with me!

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