Barn double doors are often a practical necessity, because they allow wider access to the interior of a barn without creating the formidable technical problem of hang a very heavy and wide door. However, building a double set of doors has its own set of challenges such as keeping out the weather. Take a closer look at these areas of concern, and then go ahead and build a nice set of doors for your barn.
Instructions
Build a Barn Double Door
1. Examine the frame. Make sure the posts are plumb and the top piece is level. If they are not plumb or level, then you will have to make some adjustments in the shape of the doors or re-frame the opening, depending on the severity of the situation.
2. Check the overall dimensions for size and squareness. Measure across and up and down in several places to check for uniformity. If you have an earthen floor (the likely case), then you can excavate in places to create an even height to the opening.
3. Decide on the overall dimensions of the two barn doors. Once the overall dimensions for the opening are established, then calculate the size of each door. First, figure the height of the doors by subtracting 1 inch from the height of the opening. This allows for a 1/2-inch gap at both top and bottom. Barn doors are known for being loosely hung because of their large size and weight. For the width of each door subtract 2 inches from the overall width of the opening and then divide by two. This allows for a 1/2-inch gap at each post and 1 inch in the center between the two doors. For overall simplicity we will say that the opening is 121 inches high and 194 inches wide. That will give us a pair of doors that are 10 feet high and 8 feet wide.
4. Cut the lumber at 10-foot lengths with four pieces at 8-foot lengths. (All lumber should be 1 inch thick. Anything more and the weight of the door becomes too great. Anything less and the door might warp.) Cut enough boards at 10 feet to make two doors that are 8 feet wide. The last board for each door ( the one that goes in the center) will have to be ripped to a specific width.
5. Lay out enough of the 10-foot boards to cover the entire 8-foot length. The last board will likely extend past the 8-foot mark, so you will have to cut this board lengthwise with a circular saw so the width is exactly 8 feet. Take the narrow board and place it in the center of the row. Now take two boards and cut them to exactly 8 feet. They get installed at the top and bottom so they are flush with the edge. Use 1 1/2-inch galvanized builder's screws to put the door together. Now you will have to cut two vertical boards to run between the two boards that you just installed. Again, install these with 1 1/2-inch builder's screws along the the two outside edges. These boards will run in a vertical direction. The last board that is installed is a diagonal brace that goes from the top corner to the opposite corner on the bottom. This board can be marked to fit with a pencil and straight edge before it is cut.
6. Make an identical door to the one you just completed.
7. Attach three very large 8-inch wrought-iron "T" hinges to the outside edge of each door. Just attach the pointed section at this time. Place one dead center along the outside edge. The other two go near the top and bottom. You will need pilot holes and a wrench to install the lag bolts.
8. Attach a "rain guard" to one of the doors. The rain guard is just a 1-by-4-inch board attached to the outside face of one of the doors with builder's screws. The board will be 10 feet long, and it will extend at least 1 inch past the outside edge.
Tags: each door, will have, builder screws, last board, outside edge, overall dimensions, allows 2-inch
