How-To: Reclaimed Wood Barn Door

Sometimes a project is not about getting it done quickly, it’s about craft and vision. In this case, it’s the vision to produce a reclaimed wood barn door. Barn doors and sliding doors have been popular in the past few years. Not only do they produce an interesting look, they  can often be used for practical solutions when looking to avoid the space a swing door requires. A sliding door could be used for any style of design, from modern to heritage. In this case, we are looking for a finish that is antiquated and ornate. The extra work that is required to achieve this look will be worth it, as the door will be one-of-a-kind and will match the aesthetic of the rest of the home.

Reclaimed Materials:

The barn door is made from 100% recycled 2X6 Douglas Fir. This came from a renovation project of a colleague on the North Shore. Originally, this wood was part of the framing in a 70 year old home. When you can re-use materials from a demolition, do! You never know what you will find and rather than have usable materials end up in the land-fill, with some TLC, they can become something new!

Building the Reclaimed Wood Barn Door:

Matthew Senf, principal of Sasen, milled the 2X6 wood down. He then biscuited, glued and clamped the wood. The design was his own, and he added other details for aesthetic purposes only. These include: strap hinges, a knocker, clavor and handles (all of which are wrought or cast iron). These were sourced and ordered online.

The roller hardware for hanging the sliding barn doors is a simple barn door hardware package purchased from one of our trusted suppliers, Windsor Plywood. This was then modified by Matt, as the door is 4’4″ and there is no basic set available for a door this size.

Finishing the Barn Door:

The finishing of the door is what enhances the aesthetic we were looking for with this barn door. We worked with Lucy from Tartaglia Designs. Lucy’s talent is more than just design: her artistic abilities to paint and finish materials adds a one-of-a-kind touch.

Lucy explains how she will finish the barn door: