DIY Modern Barn Door - Under $110
Project Difficulty: Easy-Medium
We currently live in a 1952 Mid century modern home that has great character and amazingly huge windows. The natural light is great for our ever growing plant collection, but not so great for privacy. We wanted to add a door into our master bathroom but didn't want to take away any of the precious real-estate. I have made a few barn doors in my days, but this time needed to match the Modern feel of the rest of our house.
Materials Needed
Mounting Hardware:
Barn Door Hardware: https://amzn.to/3cfbJYf
Door Guide: https://amzn.to/2NC3Q4Y
Wood to build the door:
3/4-in x 4-ft x 8-ft Maple Plywood: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Top-Choice-SkyPly-3-4-in-HPVA-Maple-Plywood-Application-as-4-x-8/1000083319
Build Materials:
Screws: https://amzn.to/2Mp9p67
Wood Glue: https://amzn.to/3gTuuks
Tools Needed:
Skill Saw: https://amzn.to/2LVKeZf
12v Milwaukee Drill set: https://amzn.to/3ccAZOS
IRWIN QUICK-GRIP Clamps: https://amzn.to/3708osW
Craftsman tape measure: https://amzn.to/3n3E6uW
The Design
The need to match the modern look of our house, matched with my recent obsession with using Plywood as an artistic medium for most of my recent projects drew me to come up with this design.
This is a single sheet of plywood project, which makes it pretty simple to build and source the materials.
Step 1: Measure and decide the size of the door
Note: If the door needs to be larger than 8' tall by 4' wide this project will not work. The Ideal size for this door design is a standard 32" x 82" opening.
For best results the door should be 2-4" wider and 2" taller then the entrance opening. So, the easiest way to figure out the size is measure both dimensions and add 4" to the width and 2" to the height.
Step 2: Cut the door out of the plywood
For this project I used a skill saw and a straight edge with some clamps to do all the cuts. The best way to do this is to measure 1.5" to one side of the line you want to cut on and place the straight edge on that line. The guard on the skill saw is 1.5" from the center of the blade so this will give you the perfect cute every time.
First: cut the dimension of the height of the door, this will give you the base line for all the pieces that we will need for this build. You can discard the off-cut (extra plywood) or save for a future project.
Next: use the same method to cut the width of the door you decided on. Save the off-cut to use the for the decoration pieces.
Step 3: Cut all the decoration pieces
I ended up ripping them into 1" strips and had 12 decoration pieces evenly spaced apart across the door. But, you can choose whatever width/style you like the best.
Step 4: Clue and screw down each decoration piece
Since these strips are pretty thin, I decided to glue and screw them into place instead of just relying on the glue alone. This added the need to fill all the wholes with wood putty and sand, but I think this is worth-it since I don't want to have to worry about the strips every falling off. I ended up putting 5 screws in each strip.
You could also leave the exposed screw heads for more of an industrial look. If you choose to go that route, make sure to line up the screws to make sure there is a uniform look.
The bottom of the door also needs a smooth place for the bottom roller to glide on, I chose to add these blocks in-between each strip which did the trick.
Step 5: Paint/Finish
I chose to paint our door and fill in the screw holes with wood putty, but this is a 100% optional step. Either way I highly suggest using some kind of polyurethane to seal the door. this will protect it from the oils on your hands and make it really easy to clean in the future.
Step 6: Adding the mounting hardware
As you can see in the picture the mounting hardware I used required an additional block of wood to be inserted in between the decoration pieces. This might not be required for your hardware, but check the minimum depth and follow all recommended instructions that are included in your hardware kit.
Step 7: Hang hardware
Your door hardware will come with instructions but here are a few notes to keep in mind when installing for best results.
• Try your best to find the studs and anchor your lag screws into those when possible. The kit I used came with drywall anchors, but this door is very heavy so it is best to connect directly into the studs for most or all of the anchor points.
• I would highly suggest you have a second set of hands to help get the door in place, this door is wood and mine weighed around 50 lbs. Please be careful
• Read all directions that come with your installation kit.
Step 7: Hang the Door and stoppers
This is the best part! Once you have the hardware secure and in place, it is time to enjoy your door. Make sure you get the wheels completely seated on the track and enjoy the glide.
Once the door is on the track, make sure to add the stoppers to each side of the track, this keeps the door from rolling off the track and/or slamming into any thing around it.
To see an in-depth video tutorial of how I build this door check out this video below.
Other Ways to follow along:
https://www.instagram.com/beardedspruce/
https://www.facebook.com/beardedspruce
Or you can check out my Youtube channel!
https://bit.ly/2ZmeeAR
DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you!