How To Choose The Right Barn Door For Your Needs

Barn doors are one of the hottest trends in interior decor. Despite being a classic style, they can add a modern and unique touch to any home.

If you’re looking to dress up the doors in your home, this guide is for you. We’ll cover everything from the benefits, how to choose your perfect barn door, and mistakes you should avoid in the process.

Whether you’re building a new home or replacing a current door, find everything you need in our barn door buying guide below.

Table Of Contents

• What is a barn door?
• What are the benefits of a barn door?
• Guide to choosing a barn door for your home
• Top mistakes when buying a barn door
• Find Barn Doors

What is a barn door?

First things first – what is a barn door?

Barn doors have been around for a long time. They were initially designed for… you guessed it, barns! They were designed to be easy for farmers to open and close, even on windy days.

Over the last several years, they’ve become a popular decor choice for homes and other interior spaces.

Unlike more traditional doors, barn doors don’t open and close on a hinge. They typically are installed on track above the door frame and slide open against the wall. However, they aren’t quite the same as classic sliding doors or even pocket doors, where the tracks are often hidden.

Tracks for barn doors typically rest outside the door frame, making the hardware a major part of the aesthetic.

What are the benefits of a barn door?

There are many benefits to buying a barn door. With points for both style and utility, it’s no surprise they are a popular choice among homeowners.

Here are some of the top benefits of buying barn doors for your home:

Unique – Barn doors are a great alternative to traditional doors. While more popular than ever before, they are still incredibly unique. By installing one, you can improve the value of your home and make your home stand out from the others.

Space – Traditional doors require a good amount of space for the door to fully swing open. Barn doors open by sliding against the wall parallel to the doorway, making it a perfect solution for tight and narrow spaces.

Easy to install – Depending on the space you’re working with, a barn door may be easier to install. If the doorway is already finished, you’ll need to add a frame in order to install a traditional door. A traditional door also requires very precise measurements.

On the other hand, a barn door can easily be added on top of any finished drywall doorway. And while it’s ideal to get one that’s perfectly-sized, there is a bit more flexibility since the door doesn’t need to fit perfectly into the existing frame.

Customizable – There are many different options for barn doors. You can mix and match hardware as well as the material and color of the door itself. The endless options for customization mean you’re almost guaranteed to find a door that’s the perfect fit for your space.

Guide to choosing a barn door for your home

Now that you understand the basics, you’ll need to choose a barn door that works for your home.

While they look pretty simple, there are a lot of factors that you need to consider to get that perfect fit for your space. Here are some of the top things to consider when buying a barn door.

Location

Where you’re putting your door can have a huge impact on what type of door you choose. Every entryway and room has a different size and aesthetic. This is why it’s important to decide on a location before choosing your barn door.

Functionality

Barn doors are functional and beautiful. But depending on where you’re installing the door, you may need to prioritize function over form.

If your door is more decorative, you can focus on things like design. However, if you’re outfitting a bathroom or bedroom door, you’ll need to make sure that the door filters enough light and sound to offer privacy.

Barn doors can even be used to partition separate rooms into two. These doors will need to be built differently than those used in narrower doorways.

Door size

The benefit of barn doors is that they’re easy to use with doorways of any size. Unlike a traditional door, the way the door is mounted offers more flexibility in the final measurement of your door.

Depending on where you’re putting your door, you may want to go with an oversized look. You may also opt to go for a double door.

Door style

Barn doors are most commonly found in farmhouse-style homes. However, there are so many styles making them extremely versatile. You’ll find them in everything from rustic to industrial-styled homes. Just make sure to choose a door that fits the look you’re going for.

Design – Barn doors can be simple planks of wood or they can have intricate designs. Pick a style that complements the decor style of the room it’s in. Fortunately, there are so many designs and styles to choose from.

• Paneled barn doors – classic farmhouse style with a rustic look.
• Glass barn doors – let the light in with a glass insert (or opt for a mirrored finish to make the room feel bigger).
• Industrial barn doors – often featuring metal or bold features, industrial-style barn doors are also a popular choice.

Material – From wood to metal, there are many materials to choose from. Some materials are heavier than others, which can make opening and closing the door more challenging.

If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly material, MDF is a great way to achieve the perfect look without breaking the bank.

Color – Many homeowners choose to go for white or natural-colored barn doors. Wood finishes are a classic barn door style, which makes it a popular choice. However, you can choose a barn door in any color you like! Many barn doors also come unfinished so you can stain or paint the door a custom color.

Finish – Do you want the door to have a rustic, worn-out feel? Or do you want it to be sleek and shiny? The final finish of your door can significantly impact the look of your door. Make sure you’re choosing a finish that complements the rest of your room, including the floor and other furniture pieces.

Hardware

Unlike traditional doors, hardware is a huge part of the design (and function). This is why hardware should be at the top of your list when choosing your barn door.

There are several pieces of hardware that you’ll need to choose throughout the process. Here are some of the hardware you should consider:

Tracks – The tracks are one of the most important pieces of hardware for your barn door. These are installed over your door and on the wall, so your door can slide along the track. Make sure you’re choosing tracks that are rated for the size and weight of the door you’ve chosen.

Hangers – These are installed on the door and hang off the tracks. Make sure your hangers are designed to fit with the tracks you’ve chosen.

Pulls and handles – Fixed onto the door, the handles help you slide the door open and closed. You’ll want to pick a shape that’s easy to hold and designed for a heavy door.