How to Detail Barn Doors

A barn door can add an element of “cool” to a home interior, but there are several critical details that must be properly executed otherwise the door will have limited functionality.


First, as most barn doors are custom made, it is critical to size them correctly. They should be a minimum of 3 inches wider than the opening on both sides to properly conceal the door way. There also must be enough wall space on the travel side of the door to store the door when it is in the “open” position, without having it stick out past a corner or into the passage way by more than a few inches.


The track must be designed to properly support the weight of the door and there should be sufficient blocking in the wall because barn doors can weigh up to 500 pounds. If you want to add a valence to conceal the track, make sure it is removable so the door can be adjusted or leveled if necessary. There also should be a stopper set into the track to prevent it from rolling off on the end!


Finally, there needs to be a heavy duty floor guide installed to keep the door stable and level as it opens and closes. There is nothing worse than a heavy barn door that rocks back and forth as you are trying to operate it.


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