Barn doors are commonly used in houses where there is no space for a swinging door. The benefits of using a barn door are that you can customize its design and use it to block noise; it is easy to install and suitable for people with a physical disability, especially mobility disability. Lets look at the barn door installation cost.
The average price to install a barn door is $875. However, many factors influence the door’s cost, like the door’s size, design, material, hardware, and labor fee, if you hire a pro for installation. Depending on the above factors, you may pay between $200 and $4,000 to install a barn door.
If you’re interested in learning more about the cost of installing a barn door, Continue reading this article.
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Are Barn Doors Difficult To Install?
Barn doors are relatively easy to install. The topmost benefit of a barn door is the ease of installation. If you are a determined DIYer, you can install a barn door in a few hours. Unlike regular doors, you don’t need to break the walls as the door is installed on the exterior part of the wall.
Barn doors are not difficult to install because no frames or hinges are required. You need to attach the door’s top rail to a roller track, enabling the door to slide when you open or close it.
Swinging doors take more time to install and require a special technique, which is why you will require a pro service. Although regular doors can be used for exterior and interior doors, barn doors are most suitable for interior doors. Installing an interior door, like a barn door, will require that you pay attention to details and take correct measurements so that the door will fit into the track.
How To Install A Barn Door | Step By Step Process
If you want privacy, ventilation, or natural light in your room, installing a barn door is ideal. The steps to installing a barn door are easy. To install a barn door, you must take measurements, cut out the wood, and then install it. You will require an assistant for this installation.
Before installing a barn door, you need to make the door or buy from a local carpentry shop. You must have enough wall space for the door to slide. The following are the steps involved in installing a barn door.
Step 1: Installing the Backer Board And Metal Track
Barn doors slide on a metal track. So the first thing to do during installation is to mount the metal track. Your barn door needs to be one inch away from the wall, and mounting the metal track alone will not give the required space; hence you need a backer board to place the metal track.
If your barn door accessories do not have a backer board, you need to get one. All you have to do is to:
- Cut a one-inch thick wood into your desired length and width. Ensure that the metal will track will fit in with it.
- Spray the board so that it will match the aesthetics of your house.
To install the backer board:
- Find the wall studs; you can use a stud finder for that purpose. Then, if your barn doors are double, you should find the studs on both sides of the wall but if it is a single door, identify the stud from the door’s one end to the place where the backer board’s length ends.
- Mark the stud location on the backer board and place the board according to the instructions on the hardware. The height of the door, the distance between the door and the wall, and the base of the door are all determined by the placement of the backer board.
- On the backer board, drill two holes each, with a countersink, at the points where you marked the stud location.
- Fasten the metal track to the backer board and drill holes in the track that will perforate the board. Check the manual for this process. After drilling, keep the metal track aside.
Next, mount the backer board to the wall:
- Use a wood screw to screw one end of the board to the studs. Ensure that the screw heads are just under the backer wood.
- Screw in the remaining screws. Be sure that the wood is leveled.
- Although optional, you can cover the screw heads with wood filler and spray it.
You can proceed to hang the fasten the metal track to the wall by:
- Place the metal track on the backer board. Ensure that the hole on the track is aligned with the ones on the backer board. Then, fasten the track to the board using a wrench tool for the lag bolts.
- If you want to install the metal track to the wall directly, place the metal track on the wall, and mark out the position of the holes. Then drill holes in the wall using a masonry bit. Fasten the track to the wall by using lag bolts.
- After you have mounted the metal track or backer board to the wall, add stoppers to the metal track. Put the stoppers on every end of the track. Fasten the stoppers to the metal tracks using hex keys.
Step 2: Assemble The Barn Door
You must attach the door’s hardware to the door before you hang it. The hardware may come with the door, or you may buy them separately. Whichever one, check the hardware manual for instructions on where to place the accessories. Some of the hardware you should install are:
- Door Knob Or Handle
Follow the steps below to mount the door handle.
- If there are no predrilled holes for the door handle, mark the handle’s position on the door.
- The outer handle should be at the edge of the door.
- Position the internal handle in a place that will not hinder the closing operation of the door.
- If the door has holes already, don’t drill the door again. Go ahead and fix the handle and fasten them with their respective screws.
- Rollers
The roller’s hardware enables the door the slide on the metal track.
- Follow the producer’s instructions to fix the rollers to the door. Rollers vary for brands. Some use strap hangers; others screw rollers to the top of the door.
- Be sure that the strap hangers are straight.
Step 3: Mounting The Door
After fixing the rollers and the door handle, you can call on your partner to assist you with hanging the door.
- Place the wheels on the metal track after lifting the door.
- Verify that the door glides properly by testing it.
- Screw the anti-jump disks to the edge so the door will remain in position if there is a misalignment on the wheels.
- Install the guides on the floor door to prevent it from jiggling when you open or close the door. Mark the place you want to put the guide and use screws to fasten it in position.
- Finally, test the door to check if you have installed it correctly. Open the door and close the door see if it slides properly. Verify the anti-jump disk and stoppers to know that they are working well.
A properly installed door will slide smoothly, and all hardware will be secure.
How Much Does It Cost To Install A Barn Door?
The price of installing a barn door ranges between $200 on the low and $4,000 on the high sides. The price variance is due to the difference in door material, size, style, and labor cost. But on average, you may spend $875 to install a barn door. A double barn door will cost more than a single door.
Barn Door Installation Cost By Material
Although traditional barn doors are primarily made from wood, modern ones are made from materials like vinyl, chalkboard, metal, medium-density fiberboard (MDF), and wood. The cost of these materials differs from each other.
- Vinyl Material
Installing a barn door costs between $250 and $500. Vinyl or plastic are cheap and light materials; they have different colors and patterns. You can pay between $600 and $1,050 to install a vinyl barn door. Although vinyl material is not as durable as metal, they make a good barn door choice due to its color options and cost.
- Chalkboard Material
The cost of a chalkboard barn door ranges from $100 to $1,200. Just like a chalkboard, you can write on the surface of the light material, and you can add other decorative items to it. You will pay between $350 and $1,750 to install a chalkboard material door.
- Metal Material
Metal barn doors are durable and sturdy. They are the most expensive, as they are long-lasting. Buying a metal barn door costs between $400 and $2,000. The installation cost of a metal barn door ranges from $750 to 2,550. Common metal materials are steel and aluminum.
Steel barn doors are sturdy and impact-resistant. They cost more than aluminum doors and are more durable. Aluminum doors are light and cheaper than steel. They are highly susceptible to damage and dents.
- Medium-Density Fiberboard Material
MDF barn doors cost between $350 and $800. Installation cost ranges from $700 to $1,350. You should consider an MDF material if you are looking for a cheap and durable barn door. This material is made from solid wood with a fine finish. You can customize your MDF material to any design and color.
- Wood Material
Regular barn doors are obtained from wood. A wooden barn door costs between $400 and $2,500 and installing it ranges from $650 to $3,050. Wooden barn doors are popular, and they give a good curb appeal. They can be carved and decorated to fit your taste.
Barn Door Installation Cost By Size
Barn doors can be single, double, or in French style. Single doors cost less than double doors. A single door costs between $100 and $2,000. To install a single door, you will pay between $450 to $2,550. Single doors are between 36 and 60 inches wide.
A double barn door is between 30 and 42 inches. Both doors slide from each end and close in the middle. You may pay between $450 and $4,000 to buy a double barn door and install it at $900 to $4,750.
French barn doors are similar to double ones because they have the same style. Unlike double doors, French doors are made of glass panes in a frame. Buying a French barn door costs between $500 and $4,000. Installation cost ranges from $950 to $4,750. French barn doors are suitable for the interior and exterior of a house.
Barn Door Installation Cost By Design
You can customize a barn door to your designs and styles. There are three categories of barn door design: panel, glass, and flush. The prices of these barn door designs are different.
Glass doors are modern doors designs. They cost between $450 and $4,000. Installation costs range from $900 to $4,600. Glass panes are made into frames of other materials like steel, aluminum, or wood.
A barn door’s installation costs are between $350 and $2,550. If you want to buy a barn door, you will pay between $100 and $2,000. Flush designs are used in modern homes, and any material can be used for it. Chalkboards, metals, wood, and vinyl are used for flush barn door design.
Panel barn doors are traditional door designs commonly made with wood. If you want to buy a barn door, you will pay between $250 and $2,500. Installing it costs about $500 to $3,050. MDF and vinyl materials can be used for panel designs.
How Much Does It Cost To Install A Sliding Barn Door?
The cost of installing a sliding barn door is from $600 to $3,050. The door itself costs about $250 and $2,500. The cost of this door depends on the size, material, design, and hardware. If you hire a pro for installation, you need to include the cost of their service.
Pros And Cons Of Installing Sliding Barn Doors
One advantage of using a barn door is that it saves space and promotes privacy in a house. Farmers used barn doors to separate large barns so that their animals could pass without obstruction when they slid the door. However, barn doors are now used in modern houses, especially houses with no space.
Below are the pros and cons of using a barn door.
Pros Of Installing Sliding Barn Doors
- Saves Space
Barn doors are used in houses with no space for swing doors. Regular doors require a space where the door will stay when you open it. It is different for barn doors. When you open a barn door, it slides over a track to the next wall. If your house is small and you are looking for an interior door that will suit your house, you should consider buying a barn door.
- Privacy
Barn doors are good at protecting your space. If you are looking for a door to separate your room from the sitting room or another room, you can install a barn door. A barn door is a good choice for your private and internal rooms.
- Easy To Install
Unlike traditional barn doors, barn doors are simple to install. If you love to try hands-on activities, you can take up the challenge of installing it yourself, which will be cheaper. Barn doors do not require hinges and door frames, so you don’t need to break walls during installation.
- Design Customization
A perfect interior door for your rooms and hallways is a barn door. You will not just be hanging a door but a door you can make to your design and style. If you want a door that matches the aesthetic view of your house, you should consider a barn door.
There are different styles and designs of barn doors. You can choose one and spray paint to your color. The various kinds of barn door materials also make them flexible to use.
- Favors Kids And Those With Mobility Challenge
If you have kids, the aged, and those with mobility challenges in your house, a perfect door idea will be a barn door. Cons of regular doors are that children may put their fingers between the hinges of the door or they may not reach the door handle, posing door operations challenge to them. Those in wheelchairs are not left out of the goodness of barn doors.
Con Of Installing Sliding Barn Doors
- Misalignment
Barn doors slide over a metal track. A barn door can fall off the track, making the door difficult to use. A misaligned barn door will wobble when sliding. Although the situation is fixable, it is a common problem with the door.