How To Build An Exterior Barn Door With Plywood

Larn how to build an piece of cake DIY barn door with affordable lumber and minimal tools. Scroll down to download the FREE plans and employ the process to build a barn door that fits your own space.

If you've roamed around this blog before, yous know that my typical DIY projects are simple and light enough to pick up with my own hands. Then, building this big door was definitely out of my comfort zone. This DIY barn door is 3-feet broad and 8′ tall! A beast, for sure.

Peradventure DIY barn doors are a trivial outside of your comfort zone, too. Stick with me and yous'll meet that it's do-able, with beginner woodworking skills. Read ahead to learn the process, forth with some tips and tricks to avoid making the aforementioned mistakes I made (Hint: Keep reading to find out the big mistake I made on this projection. Don't practice what I did.)

How to Build a Cheap DIY Befouled Door

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The Tale of the 36-inch barn door that nigh killed me (non literally…)

The reason I constitute a quick and cheap way to build a barn door is because I'd already done information technology the hard way.

My sister-in-law Rachelle and her husband recently built a new home. We went past for a visit and Rachelle mentioned she loved the new house but didn't especially like the noise from the washer and dryer which were right next to the kitchen She didn't want a regular door in that opening, as it would swing into the narrow hallway.

Before

"This would exist a perfect place for a barn door!" -I said
"Wait, actually? Take y'all always built one of those?- Rachelle asked
"Yes, I built the trivial one in my son's room and the 1 in our laundry room" – I replied
"Oh my gosh. You've solved my trouble! "-said Rachelle excitedly.
"Will you lot build one for me? I will pay yous!"
"Uhhhh, OK, I think that would be fun -I said

In all honesty, I really idea it would be fun. And it was….eventually. The next few days I got inside my own caput and oh man! I realized correct so that doing customer work was not something I cared to exercise. E'er. As well stressful.

After

My goal was to help her out, merely I was super nervous about it. I wanted to do a good job. I briefly thought about backing out, but and so decided information technology'd be proficient to challenge myself and too help someone else. It was also the beginning of summer, so I was off work (at that place goes some other excuse). I ultimately thought, how could I say no when I was the one who suggested it?! (Rachelle, if you're reading this, I love you and don't experience bad. In the stop, I was and then GLAD I did information technology, I hateful Expect at it!)

To encounter exactly what happened in the process (the good and the bad), check out the video below from my Instagram story highlights.

If you skipped the video (don't worry I got you):

To requite you the gist, there were a few problems forth the way. Outset, the lumber I bought initially was not the all-time. I special- ordered it thinking it would be amend than what was on the shelves, simply it wasn't. And so I had some issues with the finish. I used a Minwax polyurethane topcoat that was no bueno (sorry Minwax).  The straw that broke the camel'south dorsum came at the very end, after about a week of working on this door, and information technology was totally my fault. When I measured the door one last time to marking the place for the rolling wheels at the top, I realized I'd built the door vi inches also short.

No. I'thou not kidding.

Do you see the first door resting against the wall? That's Shortie. Wanna purchase it?

The skilful news is that round 2 of edifice this viii-human foot sliding barn door went much faster (and this fourth dimension it was actually eight anxiety!). I was able to build information technology in only two hours! Ringlet down for a summary of what I did differently. Unfortunately, I was so annoyed about my error that I did not accept whatsoever procedure photos. So, be sure and download the DIY Befouled Door Plans with drawings on each step.

How to Build a Barn Door (the quick-n-muddied manner)

I will summarize the steps below. These steps will permit you to create this DIY interior barn door quicker and with fewer tools. Again, make sure you download the plans for digital drawings of each footstep.

Footstep one: INSTALL MOUNTING HARDWARE
(yes, earlier you build the door)

This is one step that I 100% recommend earlier you fifty-fifty brainstorm your DIY sliding barn door. I have built and installed iii doors at present (You can see the other 2 here and here). Installing the hardware first is the one matter  I would do over again. Once the metal bar is installed you'll exist able to get a really accurate height measurement. The absurd thing is that DIY sliding barn doors have become and then popular that it's now easier to discover cheap barn door hardware. If you need information technology, I wrote a tutorial on how to install the hardware. you tin can check it out here!

The height of the metallic bar will exist upward to your preference. Yous can pretty much eyeball it because you haven't built the door withal (see what I hateful?!, then convenient!). Simply make sure information technology's level (this is critical).  If your doorframe has molding, you lot will want to make sure you install the metal bar a few inches above it, like I did in my laundry room. Keep in mind the wheels will need to scroll easily on the track, then you'll desire to leave enough space betwixt the track and the ceiling for clearance.

Determine what size to build your door

Once the runway is upward, the elevation of your befouled door volition be the altitude from the top of the metal bar to the floor, minus one i inch. The width of your door will be the width of the door opening, plus four inches. In my case, my door was exactly 8′ tall x 3′ wide.

STEP 2: Cutting LUMBER TO SIZE

This is where I saved a ton of time. First of all, I got smart and used premium pine instead of the cheapest knotty pino. Right abroad I could tell that the wood was so much better quality!. The boards were straighter, the plywood was shine. The guys at the store cut my plywood to the verbal size I needed. Cheers, Lowes!

I opted for a solid piece of 3/4″ plywood to make the core door instead of gluing up boards. Using plywood saved time (no gum-upwardly) but information technology also meant that the dorsum of the door would be smooth, not planked. I was OK with that and so was Rachelle.

Pace 3: Add together VERTICAL TRIM PIECES

Because the door summit was exactly viii feet tall, I was able to use 1″ten viii″10 eight′ for the side trim pieces with no cuts! I didn't even trim the ends (which I usually practise) simply didn't need to because of the quality of the wood. I attached the i″x 8″s flush with the edge of the plywood using woods gum and brad nails. If you're because investing in a brad nail gun, consider a battery-operated nail gun (all the power and no compressor!). I really love mine. Discover I did non use a drill at all to build this door. Merely gum and nails.

Stride 4: Add HORIZONTAL TRIM PIECES

Measure the distance between the two vertical pieces and cutting the 1×8's to that width. You will exist attaching iii horizontal pieces. Attach them in the same way, using wood glue and nails. Be certain to download the plans so you can go more details on the distance betwixt the trim pieces!

Pace 5: ADD X Pattern BOARDS

The cuts for the 10 pattern are best marked on the spot using a square. I used 1″ten half dozen″'s of the same premium pine for the 10. Using a square, place your board across the door diagonally, marker, then line upward the angle with the miter saw and cutting.

Place the long diagonal piece first, so marking and cutting the ii shorter pieces in the same manner, using a foursquare.

I would like to say that if yous don't experience comfortable with angles, you can totally skip the X  and leave the door as is. It looks smashing with or without the 10, or y'all can create a pattern without angles. Get creative!

STEP 6: SAND AND APPLY FINISH

Again, this wood was so nice and smooth that I barely had to sand it. I went over it with fine-grit sandpaper. Once I got all of the dust off I practical one coat of stain with a rag. This is the stain I used.

I started with the back and practical it with a clean rag and then immediately wiped information technology off with some other clean rag. This made information technology so the original color of the wood showed through, giving a "greige" shade. I followed upwards with 3 coats of my favorite top glaze.

I actually love how the finish turned out. After this project, I became such a fan of grey barn doors! Whichever color y'all choose make sure it complements your decor and wall color. If you'd like more details on the finish, see this post where I go into more detail on how I employ the meridian glaze on raw wood.

Footstep 7: ATTACH HARDWARE TO THE DOOR

Now it's just a thing of attaching the wheels, the door handle, and the door pull. Be certain to check out the tutorials below if y'all need help with these steps!

How to Install Barn Door Hardware

How to Install a Finger Pull

The finger pull is nice because it adds no actress thickness to the door. As y'all can meet, this door had a design only on the front. If you're interested in edifice a door with a design in forepart and in the back, check out the two-sided design of my laundry room barn door.

Stride 8: ATTACH THE Floor GUIDE

This is super important! The floor guide keeps the door from swinging out. It'southward a necessary rubber feature! This particular one is awesome. I've used it in all of my barn door projects. I beloved that it screws into the wall, non the floor, and you can also motion the knobs to adjust to the width of the door.

And that's information technology my friends! That concludes the story on how to build a sliding barn door the inexpensive, quick way!

What do y'all recollect? I hope the process of how to brand befouled doors seems less daunting. Recall, all you need to do is offset! At that place are no mistakes, only lessons!

Do you have whatever tips for making the process even quicker? Permit me know in the comments!

And if you similar beginner-friendly woodworking, be sure to join the sawdust sister community and never miss a project! As a subscriber, you take access to free plans! Woot!

Source: https://sawdustsisters.com/how-to-build-a-barn-door/

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