Want to build a sliding barn door in your house? Sliding barn door should be a good option to add artistic features to your house. But it can be a sticker shock to have someone in charge of building it for you.

Thus, a lot of barn door lovers choose to DIY their own sliding barn doors. It doesn’t require you to rip open or reframe a wall. If you make full preparation for it, it is possible for you to build your own sliding barn door in one day.

Follow this DIY guide to get yourself ready for your own new sliding barn door.

Before start building your own barn door:

Before you buy the items you need to build your own sliding barn door, there are a few things you should consider carefully.

Is your wall wide enough for a sliding barn door?

To ensure that you can open your sliding barn door completely, the track should be twice the width of your barn door and the wall next to the opening must be at least as wide as the opening.

And if you prefer double barn door, then the wall on two sides should be at least the same wide as one door.

Can the wall support the barn door?

As the entire sliding barn door should be hung on the wall, the wall must be strong enough. So, you should install your own sliding barn door on the load-bearing wall.

Besides, continuous wood back or header board can help you screw the track easier. You can also bolt the sliding barn door track directly to the studs.

Options for barn door and barn door hardware

The sliding barn door installation enables you to design the door as you like. If you have no idea of the style of your sliding barn door, read Signstek's blog: How to Build a Sliding Barn Door to find out about the common styles of barn doors.

Before purchasing the sliding door hardware, select the door material and calculate the door's weight. The hardware should be strong enough to support your sliding barn door.

Take Signstek’s series of Heavy Duty Sliding Barn Door hardware as an example. They are in different sizes: from 5ft to 8ft, and fit door panels up to 160 pounds.

Measure for your own sliding barn door

There will be gaps between your sliding barn door and the wall. If you make a door panel the same big as the doorway, the light and sound in your room will leak out.

To protect your privacy, your sliding barn door panel should be 2-4 inches wider than the opening.

Build your own door

Pick a finished door panel if you prefer an exquisite barn door panel.

If you want a rustic style or save the cost, buy boards and make your own door panel.

Pick your favorite color wood paint to design your door. You can even scrawl on your door panel.

Install the sliding barn door hardware

The installation of sliding barn door hardware falls into 3 parts: install the track of sliding barn door, install the anti-jumpers on the door and hang your sliding barn door on the track.

Since the specifications for barn door accessories are different, follow the user guide.