How to Build a Reclaimed Wood Sliding Barn Door

Brittany Bailey, AKA pretty handy girl, shows us another do-it-yourself project in building wood sliding barn door.

Earlier this week when I showed everyone the master bedroom in the Saving Etta house, you probably noticed the sliding barn door. I am in love with that door and especially excited that I was able to salvage the old beadboard and repurpose it as cladding on the barn door. Now it’s time to show you how to make your own barn door out of reclaimed wood. Let’s get building!

Notes about Materials:

To build your custom barn door you’re going to need to purchase a 4×8 sheet of plywood. The plywood will offer strength and rigidity and will add some thickness to the barn door. You don’t need to buy the finish grade plywood, instead purchase the cheapest plywood you can find because it will be covered up. One side will get a sheet of masonite bead board, and the other will be clad with the reclaimed lumber. And the sides will get trimmed out to hide the layers. So, as long as your plywood isn’t warped, it won’t matter how it looks. For my door, I used 3/4″ plywood, but it was heavy. You may want to use 1/2″ plywood instead, but be sure to check the thickness requirements for your barn door track and hardware. This will ultimately dictate your width and weight!

Stripping Paint and Lead Paint Warning:

When you are using reclaimed wood, always test any paint with an instant lead check swab. Or treat it like it is lead paint. Because of the age of the bead board, I’m pretty sure my wood had lead paint. Before stripping lead paint, you definitely need to wear a dust mask or respirator and gloves. Eye protection is a good idea. And since my HEPA vacuum is loud, I wear hearing protection too.

Click here for full article