I’m thrilled to share Part 2 of our DIY project series with you today – building barn doors from scratch. As we dive into the details, I’ll reveal a surprising cost-effective twist: this entire project has come in at just $250, significantly cheaper than store-bought alternatives that can set you back by $400 per door! To recap, here are links to each post in this series for easy reference: Part 1: Preparing Your Doorway for Barn Doors, Part 2: Building Barn Doors (this one!
), and Part 3: Hanging Barn Doors. Before we get started, if you haven’t already, I highly recommend reviewing the first installment, which covered the essential step of prepping your doorway to ensure a professional-looking finish.
Planning the Barn Doors
As we embarked on building the design, the first step was to decide on the perfect aesthetic. I spent hours scouring Pinterest, finally stumbling upon a beautiful inspiration board from @themodestfarmhouse that stole my heart. The simplicity and elegance of their classic barn door style perfectly captured the essence of our loft’s charm. The rustic beauty of these doors is undeniable – but what really caught my attention was the challenge of bringing this design to life.
We had to weigh various factors, including durability, structural integrity, noise reduction, and a professional-grade finish. With every project, we’re driven by the question: ‘Will this enhance the value of our home?’ We strive for projects that yield a meaningful return on investment, rather than investing time and effort without tangible benefits.
Disclaimer!!!!!
As I proceed with the blog post, it’s essential to acknowledge that we encountered a few challenges when working with pine wood. One of the primary drawbacks of using this material is its tendency to warp, which can lead to uneven results. To mitigate this issue, we implemented extra measures to ensure the doors remained flat and took careful measurements to accommodate any necessary adjustments.
It’s crucial for anyone undertaking this project to measure meticulously and be prepared to make adjustments as needed. Furthermore, it’s vital to inspect each board thoroughly at the store to select the straightest and flattest options available. In terms of difficulty level, I would rate this project a 4.5 or 5 out of 5. To ensure success, it’s recommended that you have an experienced DIY enthusiast or handyman by your side to offer guidance and support.
If you prefer to opt for custom barn doors or high-quality hardware, I highly recommend White Shanty’s products, which are manufactured in the United States and renowned for their exceptional quality.
Materials
As I proceed with the blog post, it’s essential to acknowledge that we encountered a few challenges when working with pine wood. One of the primary drawbacks of using this material is its tendency to warp, which can lead to uneven results. To mitigate this issue, we implemented extra measures to ensure the doors remained flat and took careful measurements to accommodate any necessary adjustments.
It’s crucial for anyone undertaking this project to measure meticulously and be prepared to make adjustments as needed. Furthermore, it’s vital to inspect each board thoroughly at the store to select the straightest and flattest options available. In terms of difficulty level, I would rate this project a 4.5 or 5 out of 5. To ensure success, it’s recommended that you have an experienced DIY enthusiast or handyman by your side to offer guidance and support.
If you prefer to opt for custom barn doors or high-quality hardware, I highly recommend White Shanty’s products, which are manufactured in the United States and renowned for their exceptional quality.
Assembling the Door
To construct the frame of our door, we started by laying out the horizontal components. We used nine 2x4s, arranged side-by-side to create a width of 84 inches, with the lines on our tile floor serving as a guide for straightness. To account for the natural warping tendency of wood, we alternated the boards to minimize their cumulative warp. Once satisfied with the arrangement, we applied Liquid Nails to secure two vertical 1×6 boards, each measuring 84 inches in length, onto the 2x4s.
Filling in the Screw Holes
With the door frames fully constructed, it was time to focus on aesthetics. To conceal the screw holes that had accumulated throughout the assembly process, we employed plastic wood filler and carefully filled each one in. Additionally, we opted to camouflage a few prominent knots that would have otherwise been visually distracting. Following the drying process, we proceeded to sand the entire door surface using 80-grit paper.
Given our relatively relaxed standards for smoothness, we elected not to utilize finer grits. The resulting texture proved more than satisfactory, and the doors ultimately felt comfortable under the circumstances. With this milestone achieved, we had finally completed the assembly of all doors! To celebrate, here are visual representations of both the front and back views.
Caulking the Crevices
As we posed for the photo opportunity, a crucial detail caught our attention – the spaces between some wooden boards were visible from certain vantage points. This might be tolerable in other contexts, but for our loft conversion, we were determined to achieve a seamless finish. To ensure this, we applied caulk between every board, making sure to push it deep into the crevices to maintain the paneling effect.
Interestingly, at this stage, the door already had a coat of primer (a reversible step), which added an extra layer of protection for our subsequent work.
Priming & Painting
We opted to apply a coat of primer to the bare wood doors before painting, as this allowed us to achieve the desired finish with just one coat of paint. This approach proved cost-effective, considering the lower price point of primer compared to paint.
To ensure a seamless transition between the door and trim colors, we employed a custom color match for our trim since the doors would be adjacent to the trim and both featured a white finish, so we sought to maintain visual continuity by using the same shade in this instance, we chose an eggshell finish over semi-gloss as we preferred a non-reflective appearance. Once painted, the doors were ready for installation.
I’ll be sharing the details of our hanging process in Part 3: How to Hang Barn Doors! For now, take a sneak peek at our finished product and get excited!
PIN IT
We opted to apply a coat of primer to the bare wood doors before painting, as this allowed us to achieve the desired finish with just one coat of paint. This approach proved cost-effective, considering the lower price point of primer compared to paint.
To ensure a seamless transition between the door and trim colors, we employed a custom color match for our trim since the doors would be adjacent to the trim and both featured a white finish, so we sought to maintain visual continuity by using the same shade in this instance, we chose an eggshell finish over semi-gloss as we preferred a non-reflective appearance. Once painted, the doors were ready for installation.
I’ll be sharing the details of our hanging process in Part 3: How to Hang Barn Doors! For now, take a sneak peek at our finished product and get excited!
