How to Build and Hang a Barn Door

Sliding barn doors are a great way to reclaim swing space — and they're not as hard to install as they look.

The two parts are the door itself and the track hardware. For the door, the simplest build is a 1x6 tongue-and-groove pine slab held together with two horizontal Z-braces on the back. Glue and screw the braces — no fasteners showing on the front.

Door height should equal the opening height plus about 1". Door width should be 2–3" wider than the opening on each side so it fully covers when closed. Standard track length is twice the door width.

Mount a 1x4 header board (a 'mounting board') horizontally across the wall above the opening — through-bolted into every stud it crosses. The track screws into this board, never directly into drywall. The board distributes load and gives you predictable framing for the screws.

Hang the door on the rollers, install the floor guide near the bottom (so the door doesn't swing out), and add door pulls. Total cost for an 80" door with hardware: $200–300, much less than a custom pocket door retrofit.