Barn Door FAQ

I have never had a barn door before. Where should I start?

We are here to help throughout the day and on weekends! Please give one of our sales reps a call  or text at 1-847-727-3263, and they can direct you through the whole process with suggestions, ideas, and personal assistance through your whole order process. 

How do I choose the width dimensions for my door?

It’s important to consider overlap with your door and the opening. We consider a standard of 2’’overlap on each side of the door from the door opening width. 

How long should my track length be?

For a flush opening take your door width, multiply it by 2, and subtract one side of overlay. For instance, say you had a 3’ wide opening and a 3’4" wide door. 40"x 2 = 80 - 2" = 78" or 6’6" of track. This way you have sufficient coverage when the door is closed but when you open the door it will come flush to the opening for a clean finished look. For a cased opening you will take the door width and multiply it by 2. This way when the door is closed the trim/casing is hidden but when you open the door you will expose all the beautiful trim work for a more traditional look.

What size should I make my door?

For a flush opening we typically recommend a 2" overlay on each side to act as a light, sound, and privacy barrier. This will make your door a total of 4" wider than the opening and 2" taller than the opening. You can also make the door just an inch taller if you are tight on clearance. Keep in mind that you will lift your door a 1/2" off the floor to allow it to roll. For a cased opening it is most popular and cosmetically appealing to make the door to cover all the casing. So you will measure from outside of trim to trim for the width and from the floor to the top of the casing for the height. Our doors are built on the inch, so round up to the nearest inch if the exact measurement is unavailable.

What thickness of barn doors does your hardware accommodate?

Most of our barn door hardware accommodates up to 1.50" thick door, but a header board (to push the track away from wall more to allow clearance) can be used if you have thicker doors.

Do I need a header?

Mounting your track to a header not only gives a more finished look but adds additional support to help disperse the weight of the system and prevents crushing of the drywall on large or heavy door applications.

How thick and wide is the barn door hardware track?

The barn door hardware track is 3/16” thick, and 1 1/2" wide. 

How much clearance do I need for my hardware?

For our standard barn door hardware, you need 6 inches of above opening clearance. We offer styles that accommodate lower clearances (modern, jumbo horseshoe) but you will still need about 5 inches.   Double Track Bypass requires 11 inches; Jumbo Wheels require 8 inches; Single Track Bypass requires 7 inches.

When would I need additional hangers?

We advise doubling up on the hangers on any doors over 4’0” wide to help disperse the weight and prevent the door from warping on bowing in on itself over time.

How much of a gap is there between the door and the wall?

That depends on the thickness of your barn door. Our standard track sticks out just 2’’ from the wall. When the door is hung, the center of the door width will line up with the track above.  If your barn door is 1.5” thick, then you would have 1" between the wall and door.  This allows most customers to clear existing door trim without the use of a header.

How much bigger should the door be than the opening?

The barn door should be at least 2-4 inches bigger than the opening, but that is subjective to your taste and home's decor. 

How much does the barn door hardware weigh?

Between 14 and 60 lbs depending on which style and size you buy.  A standard 8 ft. single door kit weighs 17 lbs. 

What is a floor guide?

The floor guide is a bracket that keeps your door aligned with the track above.  It prevents the door from swinging toward or away from the wall.  We include a floor mounted door guide with our barn door hardware kits (double door kits & bypass kits get 2).  This mounts into the floor, usually around the doorway casing or the edge of the doorway (situations vary & you can decide where you want to place it that works best with your situation). If you do not want to drill into your floors or the doors will be off the ground more than 1-3/4 inches, you may want to upgrade to a wall mounted door guide.  This mounts to the baseboard or wall at the bottom edge of the opening instead of the floor.

If you have a door size that is not available online, you may call/text our sales team at 1-847-727-3263 and they will be able to assist you!