Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Installation of a Barn Door for a Room

 Barn doors a great. They take up little operating room since they don't need to swing open. They don't get blown open, or slam shut. Best of all they can bring a touch of character to any room.

  With guests staying with us we have had to devise ways of creating privacy in an office/guest room. A dressing screen kind of worked(not really) but was awkward to use as a door. A curtain was just too flimsy and offers no audio interference. In other words, guests make noise, like snoring and the sort. It is also nice to be able to keep the cats and their curiosity out of the room and off the guests. So the installation of a solid door was in order.

   Being on a farm I was able to scrounge up a door that was perfect. Old, slightly bigger than the door frame, solid, and best of all- free. Otherwise I would have gone to the local antique store to find one.

   The wheels are inline skate wheels and relatively cheep @ $3 a pop. The hangers are hinges that are attached flat. The wheels are attached to the hanging brackets (hinges) with a flat head screw in the highest hole. The screw goes through the wheel then gets a small washer that acts as a spacer, then the bracket, then one more washer and finally a locking nut that is snug, but not too tight, so the wheel still spins smoothly. The rail is a piece of wood (in this case walnut, but any type will work) that is just over double the width of the door and it has a hallow in it, like a slight "U", to track the wheels. This can be done by a carpenter or you can glue to skinny pieces of wood on the side of the rail that will act as curbs. Finally, add stops to keep the wheels from rolling right off the ends.

   Set the whole thing on the floor as it covers the doorway. Mark where the rail will sit in that position. Move everything out of the way and then mount the rail 1/4" above the mark making sure that the rail is level. Set the door on the rail and make any minor adjustments and modifications. And your done!

Enjoy!

P.S. Sorry for the blurry pictures the official FilliQuist website camera is old and will be replaced in short order. Thanks for your patience! -Skip
 

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