How To Make A Barn Door On Hinges
Barn doors are uniquely shaped, sliding doors that typically close off a bedroom from the hallway. They are made from a single piece of wood and can be painted or stained to match the décor of your room. The edges are generally rounded and the corners notched to give the doors a classic feel. Barn doors can be hung in a variety of ways depending on personal taste. The most common is with hinges on the top of the door. These are hung directly into wall studs and attached to door stops or latches to help keep the doors from swinging open. Other styles include attaching directly to your bed or bed frame, or installing them on sliding tracks for easy moving around the room.
How to make a barn door on hinges
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make a barn door on hinges, designed to get you started.
1. Measure the door opening.
Measure the opening of your door first. You will want to make sure that the barn door is a good fit, so measure from both sides of the bottom edge of your wall to determine if you can actually fit your barn door. If you are certain that you can, be sure to cover all areas of the bottom edge with painters tape or other covering material as this can prevent your hinge from sticking out and preventing it from closing evenly. The area directly behind the bottom is a common problem, as well as one or both sides with higher openings, so measure each position.
2. Cut and attach trim pieces at outer edges of opening where required.
If you have an opening that is too large for your door, you can cut and attach trim pieces around the outer edges of your door opening to bring it to the proper size. Typically, you will want to cut off about 1/2 inch on each side of the door to ensure that it fits properly into the space. Be sure to always use a sharp saw if cutting and sanding multiple surfaces.
3. Attach your hinges to the top of your door.
The easiest way to do this is with a power drill. Simply follow the instructions for your hinges and screw them into place on the top of your door. You may have seen that some barn doors have a slot cut out of the corner in order to fit edges, but this isn’t really necessary if you are using a jig saw with standard teeth.
4. Finish and attach to door frame.
Once you have your barn door attached, you can finish the edges with a sanding block, sander, or by applying paint or stain. Once you finish the cutting process on your door, carefully lift it into place and line up the hinges to hold it in position against your wall. You can also use small nails to help hold everything together. Take care when doing this to avoid damaging any sections of the door.
Advantages of hinges on barn door
1. Hinges allow a door to be removed easily
The advantage of hinges is that when you want to remove the door, you simply lift it up and off the hinges. In order to remove your sliding barn door, you would have to remove the tracks from your wall and the mechanism from the bed. There are ways around this, such as using a sliding mechanism on just one side of a wall, but then you would need to remove all of your furniture on that side each time you wanted to use your door. With hinges, all you need to do is lift it off and set it aside.
2. Hinges allow for more access
The other advantage that hinges provide is that you can open the door more easily. With sliding barn doors, you must lift them up and move them away from your wall in order to get to it. With a door that runs on tracks, you would need to turn it completely around. This becomes difficult when your bed or furniture is in the way of the sliding track. With hinges, you simply lift your door up and off the wall instead of pushing it away. Additionally, if you have larger beds or furniture along the walls in front of your door, you may have a hard time opening your sliding barn door at all because you can’t lift it high enough to clear the furniture on both sides. With hinges, you can simply lift the doors up and over the furniture.
3. Hinges are easier to install
The third advantage that hinges have is that they are easier to install than track systems. Since you don’t need to measure anything with a sliding system, it is easier to fit the door in place and ensure that it won’t bind when opened or closed. Additionally, if your wall isn’t perfectly straight like a sliding barn door requires, then you may not be able to slide your door at all without damaging it. With hinged doors, you can adjust them as needed so that they always slide smoothly. Additionally, your door will be more secure than with a sliding system since it can’t come loose while closing.
4. Hinged doors are easier to move
Hinges can also be easier to move. When you have a barn door that is installed on tracks and you want to use it in a room that you don’t have direct access to, or for any reason at all, you will have to remove the hinges from their track and install them on the other side. This is time consuming and annoying. With hinges, this process doesn’t require moving the entire door out of place. Instead, you simply lift the door up and off the hinges. Then you can move it around or remove it entirely as needed.
5. Hinged doors are easier to repair
Hinges are also easier to repair than sliding barn doors because a power drill can be used to install them directly into your brick and wood. This is not a perfect solution, but it is a more reliable option than using a jig saw with standard teeth such as those found on hollow core doors. You may need larger screws if the hinge is going into a thicker material, but this can be done by using rafter screws or other specialty hardware.
Conclusion
Barn doors can change the entire look of your room with just a simple installation. If installed correctly, they will provide you with an elegant, stylish way to keep your space cool and fresh during the warmer months. They are relatively easy to install and require few supplies for the most part. This makes them an ideal option for those unfamiliar with working in their home improvement projects or those looking for a quick accessory to spring up during the summer months.