Can an interior door be used as a barn door?

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Started a renovation in the room? Don’t rush to throw away old items. Some may serve you for years to come. Want to know how to turn a regular door into a barn door? A little imagination and double barn wood doors will make a standard room unique. Read our detailed article to find out if any structure can be used as a barn door and how to do it!

If you have an old interior door left after renovating your home, don’t rush to throw it away! Show a little creativity, and you’ll transform a regular door to a barn door. This is very convenient, and you will also save money planned for the repair.

Is it good to create a barn door from the interior door?

As you know, repairs in the barn are often postponed to the last. Any barn can be upgraded simply by replacing the doors. Perhaps this will be the beginning of an interior renovation in the utility room. If you don’t know, can you use a regular door as a barn door, check out our article. You’ll discover that self-installation is simple and tasteful!

Advantages of DIY barn door

What could be better than home items made by DIY? Using the door panel, you can mount a sliding door from the living room to the barn. What are the benefits of such an item? Read more about this below:

  • reliable construction that can serve for a long time (more than 10 years);
  • unusual appearance of the door highlights the sense of taste, individuality of the owners;
  • stylish design that is always in fashion;
  • significant savings of space, it is only necessary to calculate the parameters correctly;
  • easy to use (even a child can open the doors);
  • usage of a deaf door panel or different variants with glass inserts;
  • The door can be left half-closed, which allows to ventilate the room, in addition, this is relevant if there are children and animals in the house.

Supplementing the product door hardware of high quality, you will increase its service life. 

Disadvantages of DIY barn door

It is not recommended to use a hollow door for a barn, as it is unknown what it is made of inside. The exception is products with solid frames at the top and bottom for reliable fixing of fittings. However, if you want to get a quality product, use a wooden panel.

Perhaps the main disadvantage is the need for qualification to do this work. However, this is easily solved by inviting a specialist or asking friends for help.

How to make a barn door from an interior door?

The unique door to the barn will give the room a rustic loft style. It’s fashionable at all times. Make sure that there is enough space along the wall to install this type of door. That way you can use the product comfortably. Before you turn the door into a barn door, remove it from its hinges and repair the hinge notches with wood filler. You can paint or varnish the product. That way it will look fresh.

How to do a barn door stylish and original? To do this, you will need to follow a few steps.

Step 1

We remove the  existing door in the barn. It will no longer be needed. Now begin the process of replacing the door.

First, the door should be removed from the door frame. After that, all hinges, door handles and other fittings are removed. The resulting holes are filled with a special filler, then polished. Paint of the respective shade is applied.

Size matching. The parameters of barn doors are usually larger than interior doors. To adjust the size, you will have to add wooden elements, using carpentry glue, screws.

The doors should be covered with primer and then simply painted. You can also give them an original, laying, for example, boards in the form of a Christmas tree. It only takes a little imagination, and your door will have a unique trim.

Step 2

Now let’s get to installation. A plate is mounted over the door opening, then the door track is attached. For this you need a laser level, a pencil to mark, a drill, dowels. The following actions will be necessary:

  • set up a laser level to guide where the holes will be located;
  • mark places with a pencil, bore them with a drill;
  • install the track, using dowels (available in the kit) and fixing screws.

After these steps, it is necessary to attach the bracket with rollers. This will require:

  • fasten the brackets to the door;
  • make holes for the bolts;
  • insert bolts;
  • put the staples on the bolts; 
  • tighten the screws.

Next, the stroke limiters are installed. 

Step 3 

It is recommended to install the door with a partner. Ask a family member or friend for help. Lift the door panel and insert the rollers into the slide. You can even hang a small lock on a door like this. It will protect the barn from outsiders.

To buy a suitable kit for the installation of the door to the barn is offered in a hardware store. Today, many manufacturers offer similar products. Contact consultants to find the most suitable option. Choose a quality product. Its cost is certainly higher, but its useful life is much longer. 

Can any door become a barn?

Can any door be used as a barn door? No, some models are not suitable for this application. The product must satisfy the following parameters:

  • Have a sufficient width, height, capable of closing the doorway with an overlap;
  • the door frame must be strong enough to attach sliding fittings;
  • the hole for the door handle should be decorated or filled;
  • appearance that combines with the interior of the barn.

The most suitable options are considered to be double-panel accordion doors, curtains with eaves, classic swinged doors and pocket interior doors. It should be understood that the interior door is not suitable for exterior doors, only for interior use. Under the influence of weather conditions it will deteriorate and lose its appearance.

Final words

Making repairs to the barn, you should not rush to buy a new door. You can use the old interior door. After studying our article and showing imagination, you will show your acquaintances how to make a standard door into a barn door.  This will help to significantly save the family budget and get the original model. It is proposed to decorate the barn in the loft style: a minimum of unnecessary decorative elements, simple rustic style.