Love barn doors but not the price of expensive hardware? Then you will love our Sliding Barn Door Plans – they’re free and use easy to find materials!
This is the last day of tutorials in our Barn Door Week – and it’s a good one! Tomorrow we will share a round up of a few of our favorite DIY Barn Doors.
Dean and I really wanted to give you clear instructions for making your own barn door. We went back and forth between step by step instructions and a drawing. In the end we decided it would be best to provide old-school hand-drawn plans. Just click on the plan image below and you’ll be taken to a printable PDF. (Please remember this is for your own personal use and can’t be sold or otherwise modified or distributed.)
MATERIALS
- scooter wheels (with rubber removed) or pulley wheels (disassembled pulleys) qty=2
- 1-1/4″ x 1/4″ x 86-1/8″ long steel flat bar qty=2
- 1-1/2″ x 1/4″ x 84″ long steel flat bar qty=1
- 3″ x 1/8″ x 84″ long steel flat bar qty=1
- 1/2″ x 1/16″ x 2″ long steel tubing qty=7
- 2″ x 6″ x 48″ long wood qty=15
- fitting black iron floor flange 1″ qty=4
- fitting black iron 90 degree elbow 1″ qty=4
- black steel pipe nipple 1″ x close qty=4
- black steel pipe nipple 1″ x 16″ long qty=2
- 1/4″ x 1-1/2″ long plated lag bolts qty=60
- 5/16″ x 3-1/2″ long plated lag bolts qty=7
- #12 x 1-1/4″ long screws qty=16
- 5/16″ x 2″ long – 18 thread plated hex bolts qty=2
- 5/16″ – 18 thread plated hex nuts qty=2
- 5/16″ plated flat washers qty=4
- Minwax Dark Walnut stain
- Rust-Oleum Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint
- white or light grey paint
- water
- sandpaper
NOTE: Once you’ve drilled all the holes and before assembly, spray paint all of the metal flat bar, the wheels and the lag nuts and bolts with oil-rubbed bronze. Let dry.
If you have any questions, give us a shout in the comments and we’ll try to walk you through them. 🙂
Click on the links below to be taken to each step to build your own DIY Barn Door and DIY Barn Door Track That Won’t Break the Bank!
- Instructions for Grey Wash Wood Finish
- Pipe Fitting Handle Instructions
- Sliding Barn Door Plans (YOU ARE HERE!)
Or click here for our original Upcycled Barn Door Reveal.
xo,
Shannon
Ed says
July 10, 2015 at 1:01 pmHI Shannon, How are the wheels holding up? I am a little concerned about all of the weight of the door hanging on one side of the wheels. Also, are you having any problems with the supporting straps bending where the wheels attach?
Shannon says
July 14, 2015 at 10:50 amHi Ed. Dean has worked in sheet metal for 23 years, so to say he knows metal is an understatement! We have therefore had no issues with either the wheels or the strapping given the specific gauge of metals we used. If you stray from our plan and go with something different you may have issues. 🙂
Amy Miller says
September 11, 2015 at 9:23 amWhat is the 1/2″ x 1/16″ x 2″ long steel tubing qty=7 used for? I didn’t see that on the diagram. Thanks!!
Andrew says
February 20, 2016 at 5:38 pmYes, please, I can’t figure out why I’m purchasing the tubing either. By process of elimination I assume it’s for the railing system, but don’t see it pictured. Thanks for sharing, and I love the project.
Shannon Acheson says
February 20, 2016 at 8:56 pmThe tubing is used as the spacer between the flat bars for the rails.
Andrew says
March 6, 2016 at 1:05 pmOh okay, awesome. Thanks!
Shannon Acheson says
March 8, 2016 at 7:41 am🙂
biscuitsntea says
February 16, 2017 at 11:52 amHi Shannon. Beautiful door. I’m working on one myself, using pallet wood. It’s been a little tricky, but I’m almost there. I learned a lot. Question! This steel tubing you used–is this EMT tubing? That is, the stuff that electrician’s use for commercial electrical work? Thank you!
t.
Tracy says
November 11, 2015 at 11:18 pmHi there…where did you purchase the door strapings?
Thank you!
Shannon Acheson says
October 11, 2018 at 2:58 pmMy husband sourced our via his work. But you can find similar flat bar at Metal Supermarket and sometimes at Lowe’s or Home Depot.
Kirby Brown says
December 27, 2015 at 12:48 pmI love your website. I am currently in the process of putting up a pallet wall and also a sliding barn door! this has come in so helpful! thank you!! KB
Ellen says
January 19, 2016 at 4:58 pmHi Shannan! First time I’ve ever commented on a post so please bare with my new adventure.
Can bed rails from a Queen size bed be used as the top and bottom rails for the wheels to ride on? Could I replace the scooter wheels be substituted by hard rubber wheels, I would think that the rubber would grip better and quiet the metal on metal grinding. Just thinking.
Shannon Acheson says
January 21, 2016 at 8:46 amThat would probably work. 🙂 Don’t know if you don’t try!
Bruce Erickson says
January 21, 2016 at 1:09 amI do like your wheels But I found a set of them at a different place. I went to a auto electrical shop where they rebuild and repair Alternators and bought a pair of their steel wheels for $5.00. Then I went to a Bering supply house and bought two bearings to fit inside of the holes for $3.00 each. Total of $11.00 for some REAL HEAVY DUTY wheels.
The steel seems to be a problem for some folks. DO NOT BUY YOUR STEEL AT either Home Depot or Lowes. Look in the Yellow pages under “Steel” and find a supplier close to you that will cut your steel to size PLUS some of the suppliers have “Scrap” steel that will be even cheaper than the new steel[what’s a little rust]. Even with the New steel it should be about 1/2 the price of Home Depot or Lowes
I built the door for under $70.00 and it looks GREAT!!!
THANKS FOR THE INSPIRATION!!!
Shannon Acheson says
January 21, 2016 at 8:41 amGood for you!!! We have mentioned Metal Supermarket for anyone near one. Dean works in sheet metal, so we got ours thru there. 🙂
patrick Sullivan says
February 21, 2016 at 10:21 amI am wondering if the bottom part of the door tends to angle back towards the wall. It seems to me that having the vertical straps secured to the front of the pulleys might make them want to pull the pulleys off the track. I would think this is made worse when all the wood is attached to those straps. Is this the case?
Shannon Acheson says
February 21, 2016 at 11:28 amOurs doesn’t do that at all! The weight of the wood allows it to hang quite straight.
Jennie says
March 3, 2016 at 5:45 pmAwesome! Love, love , love your design and so looking forward to doing this!!
Jennie says
March 3, 2016 at 3:30 pmJust wondering if the door rubbed on the wall when being opened and scuffed it at all?
Shannon Acheson says
March 4, 2016 at 9:26 amThe only time it touches the wall is if a dog toy gets thrown too hard in its direction. We don’t have little kids and Dean and I know to open and close it straight. So no we have no wall scuffs from the door.
Shawna Manning says
June 17, 2016 at 11:26 amDid you have to plumb the door?
Shannon says
June 20, 2016 at 11:41 amNo, we did not.
Rick says
August 4, 2016 at 10:35 amHello there me and my wife are wondering where you used the #12 1″1/4″ long screws at.Thank you love the doors
Shannon says
August 5, 2016 at 1:46 pmThey’re to hold the handles on!
TERI TATE says
September 8, 2016 at 4:53 pmI need to create a barn door for an opening doorway that is 10 ” tall x 5′ feet wide. I cannot seem to find the flat steel bar easily. Did you use hot or cold rolled? The sizes are not easily found either. UGH! Please help. Thanks Shannon,
terilk@citlink.net
TERI TATE says
September 8, 2016 at 4:54 pmI meant 10 feet tall. OOPS!
Darci says
April 17, 2017 at 5:50 pmHi, just wondering if the DIY track squeals or makes any noise when opening and closing the door?
Shannon says
April 18, 2017 at 9:16 amYes, the track did squeak a bit.
Jane says
May 4, 2017 at 4:02 pmWhere can I source the two long steel flat bars for attaching to front of barn door? I already have my track and pulley hardware. For this reason, it would be useful to see the hardware list separated for each part of the door plan. For ex. the design and parts for building the handle could be separated from other aspects of the door, and the track above. For a first timer, it’s hard separating the parts I will use.
Since I have my track, I need to modify your design slightly, ex. place the two bars on the outer edge of each side of the door. That should work fine. Just need to find where to purchase the bars. Also I presume that I will have to drill the holes in the metal bar, and want to know how labour intensive that will be? Thanks for answering me. I’m excited to get started, because I found some awesome wood as you suggested.
Thanks for offering this design.
Shannon says
May 9, 2017 at 11:10 amAs we mentioned in the post you can source the metal items from Metal Supermarket. I’m very sorry that you’re having issues with deciphering the parts list. And yes, of course holes will need to be drilled. How long and how labor intensive it is depends on the tools you have and will use.
Adam says
October 10, 2017 at 2:36 pmLove this project! Do you have anything installed to prevent the door from rolling too far and falling off the track? Thanks!
Shannon Acheson says
October 11, 2017 at 10:18 amWe didn’t…but we had a wall at one end and the door handles would touch the doorway at the other side if it went too far.
Peter kersey says
February 11, 2018 at 2:27 pmHi Shannon!
I love this barn door!
So I’m planning on a master bath remodel, and I want a barn door. I have this 100yr old pine I got in traverse city last year I want to use. My question is did you glue any of the boards, and I think from the plans you just used the flat iron on one side? So that other side just has the handle correct?
Thanks again
Shannon Acheson says
October 11, 2018 at 12:03 pmNope, no glue. Just the flat bar. You could add glue if you felt it necessary. And yes, flat iron on one side only.
Linda says
February 12, 2018 at 4:09 pmI need a Dean!
Shannon Acheson says
October 11, 2018 at 12:02 pmEveryone needs a Dean!
April says
March 3, 2018 at 10:54 pmDid you use anything besides the door strapping on the boards? No wood glue or anything else necessary?
Shannon Acheson says
March 6, 2018 at 10:30 amWe only used the strapping, which is quite enough. 🙂
Jan Rohn says
August 9, 2018 at 9:08 pmI love this! Where do you find 86 1/8″ long flat steel bars? I’m having a difficult time locating that length.
Shannon Acheson says
October 11, 2018 at 12:02 pmMy husband sourced our via his work. But I did mention that you can find similar flat bar at Metal Supermarket and sometimes at Lowe’s or Home Depot. 🙂
Dodi Wicks says
September 25, 2018 at 6:40 pmI love the look and that it does look bulky. Where did you purchase the flat bars?
Shannon Acheson says
October 5, 2018 at 12:11 pmMy husband sourced our via his work. But I did mention that you can find similar flat bar at Metal Supermarket and sometimes at Lowe’s or Home Depot. 🙂