Salvaged Door Turned Sliding Barn Door

Zest it Up
by Zest it Up
8 Materials
$40
3 Hours
Easy
This was such a cool find, y’all! Hunting through the treasures at Restore the other day, Sam and I discovered the coolest door. This is legitimately the case of “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Apparently, the old donut store in Templeton, CA decided to get rid of their old storefront door. Years of patina and paint color changes may have made it less than desirable for their first impression to customers, but it makes for an awesome statement piece for our new digs.






In order for the hardware to support the weight of the door, it needs to be screwed into studs. The bummer is that the predrilled holes in the hardware almost NEVER lines up with the studs in your doorway. The easy solution is to simply attach a wood anchor to your studs and then attach the hardware to the wood. Complicated? No. Secure? You betcha! So, here is how it’s done:


My first step was to rip off the old molding around the doorway, so that I could create a frame that would allow the sliding door to lay more flush with door jam. I used a crowbar and a hammer to pry it off. Next, I measured my opening and cut two of my 8′ boards to fit the height of the doorway. You can attach these to the wall with nails, wood screws or a pressurized staple gun, your choice!


Now for the part that really matters. I used a table saw to cut my third board in half width-wise (you can leave it thick if you want, or buy a thinner piece…honestly, I just happened to have three 1″ X 8″ boards laying around, so I made it work visually by cutting it down to a 4″ width). Here you can use a stud finder, or just give the wall a knock with your knuckles to find the studs. Then, using a level to keep things straight, line up your board and screw it into the the studs.


Finally, grab your hardware and secure it to the wood. Make sure you use a level to keep things from going wonky and lopsided!


I purposely chose this style of hardware because I think it is always visually exciting to mix up opposites! The sleek, modern steel looks so cool with the rustic patina of the old door. I LOVE it!




Make sure to follow the instructions that come with your hardware. The instructions will let you know exactly where to drill your door for attaching the hanging hardware.


Pretty, pretty! In love with our door makeover!


Never have I been so excited to see someone throw out an old door! Thank you Templeton donut shop for making me such a happy camper. The second life for this door is just beautiful!


One happy junker!


xoxo


Chanda
Suggested materials:
  • 2- 6′ long 1″ X 8″ boards of pine
  • Wood screws
  • 1 sliding door kit (mine was from Home Depot)
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Zest it Up
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
  3 questions
  • Carrie Lovett Carrie Lovett on Jan 12, 2017
    How much was the kit?
  • Chuckee Notelling Chuckee Notelling on Jan 13, 2017
    I love the look, good job! Does the door "flap" as you move it and mar the wall? Or are there guides at the bottom to prevent that? And if so, do the guides wear on the door?
  • Lovesunique Lovesunique on Jul 23, 2017

    I want to make my existing bathroom door that has a glass panel into a slider but I don't want to lose my matching trim around the door. Do I have to make a frame around the door and then hang it?

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