How to Measure for a Sliding Barn Door

Sliding barn doors provide an embellishing look to the home’s interior. You can install them at different locations in the house and enhance the appearance of the entire space. Sliding door hardware and tracks are useful and fantastic for closets, pantries, home offices, small rooms, and much more.

Since there’s a small gap between the door and the drywall, they cannot be installed in bathrooms and private wardrobes. The right measurement for a sliding barn door is essential for installing it the correct way. Considering the space above and beside the drywall is important if you want to utilize the area properly for the installation of the sliding barn doors.

In this article, we will discuss how to measure the sliding barn door so that you can install it in a better way. We will look at a brief introduction of the sliding barn door measurements. After that, we will provide the steps on how to measure sliding barn doors.

Sliding barn door measurements

There needs to be careful planning and assessment while measuring the sliding barn door. You have to also ensure that there’s enough space for the door to function properly and not just provide an aesthetic look. There need to be careful measurements for the drywall sides, door area, and the space for functioning,

You can begin by ensuring that the header can handle the weight of the sliding door hardware and tracks. There has to be a strong beam on which to anchor the sliding track. There has to be enough space between the top of the ceiling and opening to install the barn doors.

A 6-inch clear is recommended, but it is not necessary. A suitable and sufficient space enough for installation will work as well.

There has to be appropriate space next to the opening to ensure proper opening. Eliminate all the things that will interfere with the sliding of the door. However, if there are switches, you have to be extremely careful about it.

The most significant thing with sliding barn door measurements is the width of the opening. It helps to evaluate the track size of the sliding door. The tracks and hardware can be adjusted. A good practice is to get as close a match as possible for the barn door. If the track size is inaccurate, the door will touch the door once it is installed.

The right measurement of the track size will enable the perfect opening and sliding of the door. The wrong size will make the door stick to the floor and damage it while using it only for a few times. Let’s look at how to measure for a sliding barn door in a few steps.

Steps to measure a sliding barn door

The process of measuring a sliding barn door is simple but can be tricky. There are different aspects you need to consider, as mentioned above. Here are a few steps through which you can correctly take sliding barn door measurements -

Start by measuring the right edge all the way across to the left one. This is the size of the opening on each side. The proper width can be achieved by adding 5 to 6 inches to your actual measurement. In most cases, the door should cover around 2 to 3 inches beyond the opening on each side.

Determining the final track size is simple. Double the width measurement, and you will have the track size for sliding and opening the door.

Finally, measure from the top edge to the bottom edge for determining the door length. You’ll have to install the track a few inches above the opening. Considering that is important otherwise you’ll get the wrong door size. For smooth operation, the door should hang at least half an inch above the opening.

The right measurements are essential to perfectly install the sliding barn door hardware and tracks in the space you wish. Ensure that any measurement you take factors in all the aspects of the space.