Are the interior doors in your home traditional six-panel doors? Do you have any glass doors, accordion doors or pocket doors? While doors provide an inherent function (access and privacy to an enclosed space), many often forget that doors can add great value to the overall aesthetic of a space. One type of door that doesn’t disappoint is a barn door! If this style is in line with your tastes and preferences, it can certainly add interest and drama to your room. Let’s take a closer look at the use of barn doors in the home.

Before deciding that you’ve found the perfect spot for a barn door, you’ll need to make sure that you have adequate wall space adjacent to the opening of the door so that it can freely slide open. If you have a large space, you have the option to add double barn doors.

If there are baseboards or chair rails in the room, you’ll need to consider their thickness to make sure the barn door will open and close without getting snagged. Also, pay attention to whether or not the opening of the barn door has a casing. Barn doors are heavy, so the track system must be affixed to a header or substantial blocking in order to keep the door in place. In a new home, the prep for a barn door is quite easy. If you are adding the door to an existing home, the wall will need to be opened up and the door properly affixed to a header. To keep the barn door from swinging, you’ll want to make sure the door is not only fixed at the top but also secured with a solid floor mount.

Another small point to think about when you are deciding where to position the door is to make sure there are no electrical outlets that could be covered up when the door is open. If there is an outlet, it’s a good idea to check with an electrician prior to having the door installed.

How wide and tall should the door be? Always choose a door that is larger than the opening. The door should block the light from the top and two sides when it’s closed. If the space is extra wide, consider adding double barn doors. If you need true privacy, keep in mind that the barn doors’ inherent gaps will allow sound to get through, as well as some light, depending on the angle.

The beauty of a barn door is that it is an extremely versatile, functional add-on to any house. In fact, it can coordinate with just about any concept or style. For example, you can make the door modern with metal framed glass or more rustic with reclaimed scrap wood. Using unique tracks, latch and locks, paint colors, and pulls and handles are also ways to make a statement and add layers of detail. Adding a barn door somewhere in your home will surely add character to the space. Some of the places we’ve seen clients add barn doors are in the kitchen, bathrooms, or leading into an office.

If you’ve been considering a barn door as part of your next remodeling project, our Mosby team will gladly work it into the design. Call us today at 314.909.1800.