Bertha Heathcote
Homes with barn doors in their listings sell for 13.4 percent more than expected, according to Zillow research. That in itself was enough to encourage me to finally make my barn door dreams a reality — but adding value to your home isn’t the only perk to this project.
Barn doors are a super-functional trend that you can personalize to your space and specific style.
If you’re like us and have always loved the look of a barn door, but you’re intimidated by the thought of hanging or building it, this tutorial is for you. We break the process down so you can finally make this dream project a reality. Here’s what my plain closet looked like before we started this DIY barn door project.
The closet doors weren’t awful or damaged, but I knew adding a barn door would make closet access easier, add style, and even add resale value to my home. I did a lot of research on this component as well, and chose a made-to-order track from Amazon. Up to 300 pounds on the track would never be supported without hitting studs, so I was forced to add a 1-by-8 piece of wood (painted the same color as the wall) for extra reinforcement.
After cutting the piece of wood to size (about 2 inches longer than the 8-foot track), I primed and painted it to match the existing wall.
This step took at least two people and some serious muscle to make sure the board remained level throughout the process. We held up the track and made sure it was level before marking where each of the lag bolts needed to go.
Then we put the track back on the floor and drilled pilot holes into the header at those marks. You need a socket and a bit for your drill in order to tighten the bolts and finish hanging the track. I covered any remaining stuff in the closet with plastic, because this project is dusty. If I had a traditional one-door opening, I could have just bought a barn door from any hardware store for a reasonable price. Since mine was far from standard size, buying one would have cost a lot of money. Then I bought six pieces of 1″-by-4″ MDF strips to border the entire door and add depth to the back.
I also bought two pieces of 1″-by-3″ MDF to add to the middle in order to create a more modern barn door design. Building the actual barn door was probably the easiest part of this entire project. I cut the strips, laid them out, and used a nail gun to secure everything in place.
Then, we flipped over the barn door and put two vertical strips along the back of each side so it was thick enough to attach to the hardware. To fill in the seams and the nail holes, we tried the product pictured below, but you can also use putty and caulk for this step. We let the patchwork dry, and cleaned off the excess to find smooth holes and filled-in seams.
But I’d say to measure multiple times, and use a level to make sure you’re drilling your pilot holes in the perfect spots. Then we drilled pilot holes before eventually putting the hardware on the door and screwing in the large bolts that came with the track. We carefully put the door on the track and were so excited to see our vision coming to life. I had the best luck focusing my search to companies who sold barn door handles specifically.
The great news is that there are lots of hardware options, so choose a set that fits your home’s decor and style. When it’s done, you’ll have a barn door that’s a lot more stylish and functional, and you may even add resale value to your home along the way.
