A few months ago my husband and I were browsing a local flea market and we hit the motherload of antique doors! So we did what any person in their right mind would do, we bought all of them. There were 4 total. I’m not even going to tell you how much I paid for them because you would hate me. They were all old cypress doors with just the right amount of chippy paint in all the right places. They were absolutely gorgeous!
I have wanted a barn door for as long as I can remember. Although these aren’t true barn doors, they have every bit of character and charm that I was looking for. As I contemplated the perfect places to hang my new finds, I knew the entry to my bathroom was top on the list. The one in the middle was the winner choice for the master bath. And see that one on the right? That is my future pantry door, folks!
So how do you hang these guys? Actually, it isn’t all that hard. Let’s walk through the steps.
1. First things first. Measure the door opening.
The door should be at least 2 inches wider than the opening of your doorway (an inch on each side). It’s okay if it is wider than this, but if you go any less than 2 inches, you will be able to see through the sides of the door.
2. Find or build a door.
There are so many places you can find doors. If you want an original old barn door or antique door, try antique shops or flea markets. If you don’t mind having a new door made to look like a barn door, you can find those at Home Depot or Lowe’s. Or there is always the option of making your own door. There are many great DIYs on Pinterest to help you do this.
3. Purchase your slider hardware.
These can be purchased online or at your local Home Depot or Lowe’s. I ordered the slider hardware below from Amazon and have been completely satisfied with it (it’s even on sale right now). You will want to make sure that the slider is at least double the width of the door. So, for instance, if your door is 32 inches wide, you want your slider to be at least 64 inches wide. If your slider track is longer, it’s no big deal. The slider track that I ordered came with stops that could be adjusted to stop your door exactly where you want it.
4. Find your studs.
Make sure to find your studs above the opening so that you have something solid for your track slider to attach into. There would be nothing worse than for your gorgeous barn door to fall off the wall because it wasn’t secured. Wall studs are spaced 16″ on center, so once you find the first one, you can use your tape measure to find the others pretty easily. My hubby has a little trick using a finish nail and a hammer to find the other studs. We have run into a stud being slightly off of the measurement before, so it’s always best to check. The holes on the track for the slide that we purchased were drilled every 16 inches, so they lined up with the studs perfectly.
5. Draw a level line.
Once you find and mark your studs, use a level to draw a straight line that you will use as a guide to make sure your hardware is level. If your hardware is not level, you door will slide to one side.
6. Install a header (optional).
If you have molding around your doorway, you will likely want to install a header. We first installed our door against the sheetrock and didn’t have enough clearance between the trim and the door, so it wouldn’t slide correctly. We installed a piece of beautiful cypress as a header, to push it out from the wall about an inch and a half. That did the trick. We now had enough clearance for the door to slide past the trim smoothly without hitting.
7. Install barn door hardware.
All hardware is a little different, so it is best to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your hardware installation.
8. Hang door.
Last, but not least, attach your door. Once all of your hardware is in place, you basically pick up your door and set the casters on the bar.
It’s that easy, friends! And isn’t it a beauty?! I start swooning every time I walk into my room. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure it’s even real. This is such an easy and relatively inexpensive way to add farmhouse charm to your home. The door and the hardware cost me less than $120. Who’s ready to try it? I’d love to see pictures if you do!
I’m so happy with how the door came out. It was my first time hanging a door on a slider, so if I can do it, anyone can do it.
You did a wonderful job! I love it!!!
I’m in love with the barn door idea! What a fun way to add character to any room!
Yes! And so easy!!
Could you tell me how you took care of the places on the door frame where the hinges were and where the doorknob would catch from the previous door? No one seems to explain how to fix those two areas, thank you for any help with that.
Great question, Beverly! We had to change out the trim so that it would be a cased opening instead of a door jam.