Barn Door Install
I’ve dreamt of having a barn door for YEARS!! Way before they were a thing… but now they come in kits….YAY!!! So for a Spring Break present to myself I bought a barn door kit from Home Depot & it did not disappoint! My handy hubby willingly accepted this major DIY challenge & the result is amazing! (He never disappoints & I’ve yet to find any project he can’t complete with flying colors! Lucky me & not so lucky him… LOL!)
I will add the following disclaimer…. this is not for beginner DIYers. I know we DIYers have to start somewhere, but this is not that project. In other words, I would not want this to be someone’s first project…especially with a significant other if you aren’t used to working as a team on projects!! First off, the door is super heavy. Second, it takes two people - one holding while the engineer on the team is measuring, drilling etc… during the entire process. The engineer brain on the team must be meticulous & good at math. This was the winning combination for us & the project went smooth without any mistakes.
It all started rather innocently as I wandered through Home Depot one day & spotted the Barn Door Kit by Masonite Doors. I was in love at first site! There were four colors to choose from & I liked the raw pine look for my space. Here’s a picture of the box:
These were the doors to our master bath that were long overdue for an upgrade.
Below are the tools that made this action happen. This “collection” has been the key with all of our projects. Don’t skimp on quality when it comes to your tools. I can’t say enough about the Gorilla Ladder that has been a welcome addition. For the door, every piece of hardware needed came neatly packaged & labeled with the kit. (The energy drink is not included but definitely helped!)
After assembling all the tools in the room, opening & organizing all the pieces from the kit….the meticulous task of measuring, remeasuring & finding & marking the studs began. Once hubby had all this completed to his satisfaction, he then mounted the metal bar to the strip of wood that sits above the door & holds the wheels & rolling mechanism.
Next, the wood piece the rolling mechanisms will mount to gets drilled into the wall, matching up to all the markings hubby meticulously made earlier. The heavy duty bars that hold the wheels go on next along with stoppers across the top. This is where the second person has to be holding while the person on the ladder is drilling & drilling & drilling. Hubby was smart enough to insert a small shim to lift the door just a bit so it wouldn’t drag….(this was not in the instructions btw so Kudos as always to my strategic thinker on this DIY team!!)
Now it was time to add the stopper brake to steady the door & keep it from shaking. Hubby had to drill holes into the newly installed (24 hours earlier) hardwood floors…(our OTHER project this week) YIKES!! He used painters tape (I didn’t get a picture of this…) on the floor, marked & drilled through it to minimize any splitting of the wood….I told you he was strategic!
And last but not least, the door handle…a little more measuring, leveling & drilling & folks we had a real sliding door….YAY!
And it goes without saying that every good project needs a supervisor & fur baby makes a great one!
This is a look at the door while standing in the master bathroom. Hubby removed the double doors that have been my nemesis for over a decade…. some trim work & quick paint to touch up where the double doors were & it will be good as new. We gained square footage in the bathroom by removing the original doors & the entry is much more open now versus the door hitting the tub… (go figure???) A handle isn’t necessary on the inside. This thing glides open with a touch!
And here is the finished project!! I LOVE it!!
So from soup to nuts, it took the both of us working together about 3 hours to get to this point.
If you’ve been considering installing a barn door in your home, I hope this post can help motivate you with confidence to go for it!
As always, thanks for stopping by - this chick enjoyed your visit!!