Barn Doors

Three Sets of Barn Doors

If you have a shed or a barn, a well-built set of Dutch-style barn doors can provide not only unique functionality, but are quite attractive and very durable. Barn doors are traditionally sheathed with tongue-and-groove stock, but this set of plans takes a little bit of a different approach: using T-111 siding for the sheathing.

These plans are relatively simple to build, provided you have access to a table saw, miter saw, circular saw, a couple of pneumatic nailers and a drill. One could get by without the pneumatic nailers, but they make the job go by much quicker, particularly if you have a few of these doors to build.

One thing you'll definitely need to keep in mind is that these doors are relatively heavy. The plans are designed for a door opening that is 4070 (4-feet wide by 7-feet tall), and the lower half weighs well over 50 pounds, so make sure that the hinges you choose to employ will handle the weight. The bottom half of the door is 4-feet tall, while the upper half is 3-feet tall, so the upper half is definitely lighter, but that's not a lot of concession when you have to hoist it up and in place to position the hinges. While one person can easily build the doors, you'll want a couple of extra sets of hands for positioning them.

The benefit of that weight is that these doors are stout enough to be used in a horse barn, where the horses like to lean against the door with their necks to try and get to whatever they see outside. When hinged properly, these barn doors will be durable enough to stand up to such abuse and last for years.

Difficulty Level
Woodworking: ModerateFinishing: Paint
Time to Complete
6-8 Hours (woodworking) - 3-4 (finishing)
Recommended Tools
Table SawCircular SawCompound Miter SawCordless Drill or Power DrillRandom Orbital SanderTape MeasurePneumatic staplerPneumatic framing nailerPneumatic finishing nailerPencilCountersink Pilot Hole Drill BitWoodworking ClampsLayout square or framing squareChalk Line
Materials Needed 6 - 2x6 x 6'1 - 4x8 sheet of 3/4" T-111 siding4 - 2x4 x 8'6 - 1x4 x 8'4 - Heavy, barn-style strap hinges1-1/4" treated deck screws2" treated deck screwsHandles and Latches of choice

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