How Do You Measure A Door For A Barn Door?

The successful installation of a barn door requires knowledge of its size, broken down into length and width. Barn door measurements cannot be taken with assumptions. All the measurements should be taken with precision.

Measure the width of the door opening with a tape measure from edge to edge, including the molding if there is molding. Add 4” for door overlap to the final readings. To measure the height, take the readings from the floor to the top of the opening, including molding where necessary. Deduct ½” from the final door height measurement.

This article will discuss how to measure barn door sizes in detail. We have also highlighted the required door overlap size for various door openings.

How Do I Know What Size Barn Door I Need?

Before purchasing the barn door, you need to get it right in size. Below are some of the tools you will require for this section.

• Measuring tape
• Stepping stool
• Notebook
• Pen

Step 1 – Determine doorway size

Measure the doorways, stairways, and corridor ways that lead to the room you intend to fix a barn door. Take the width and height measurements. Record even the diagonal length for accuracy.

Step 2 – Determine the correct width

Measure the door frame width using a measuring tape. If the door is molded, measure from the outer edge of the trim to the other outer edge. Add 2 to 4 inches for efficient covering of the door opening.

For example, what size barn door for 30 inch opening do you need? Add 2” to 4” for overlay; hence a barn door of 32” to around 34” will be required.

Finally, you need to measure the available space on the wall for the barn door to slide to when open. The width available should at least be equivalent to the door width. You cannot install a barn door if there is no such space.

Step 3 – Measure the right height

Stand on the stool for a better view. Determine the point at which your track will be installed—Mark a part between the ceiling and the top door edge. When fixing the hinge screws, use the barn door calculator for accurate setting.

Measure the height from the floor to the top door edge and add 1 inch for overlay. If your track is high above the leading door edge, take the measurements from the marked point from the trail to the floor.

Deduct ½ inches to allow the door open without scratching the floor.

Step 4 – Determine the track length

Take the width measurement and multiply it by two for a single barn door. For the double barn door, multiply the width of one barn door by four. Those are the minimal measurements that will allow the complete opening of the doorway. Your wall must have the minimum space for the track placement.

When you measure cabinet door hinge placement, use the door calculator to help you fix the hinges correctly.

How Do You Measure A Door For A Barn Door?

The secret to an OK operating barn door is taking the correct measurements. When purchasing a barn door, always have the correct answers to how big should a barn door be.

You need a tape measure and a notebook to record the measurements. Measure one parameter at a time and repeat it to affirm the readings. We shall discuss the size in two different categories, as shown below.

How to measure a barn door height

For a typical door frame structure, measure the barn door hight from the floor level to the top edge of the door opening. Avoid using elastic tape measures that will have unrealistic measurements. I recommend the use of class 1 type of tapes.

A door with moldings should have the length determined from the floor to the outside edge of the molding frame. The measurements for a door with molding are larger than those of a door with a standard frame.

To cater for overlapping, add 1 inch to the final measurement. Similarly, when determining how to cut ikea cabinet doors, it’s advisable to have some allowances and not to cut too much since it’s easier to trim than extend the door.

How to measure a barn door width

The width of your door should be wide enough to facilitate overlapping. Measure the width from across the opening. If your door has been molded, start measuring from the outer edge of the molding.

Add at least 2 inches to the final width for overlay.

For example, what size barn door for 32 opening do you require? You need an overlay of at least 2 inches hence a width of 34 inches. With enough space, have an overlay of 4 inches.

How Much Bigger Should A Barn Door Be Than The Opening

Having a door with exact measurements as the opening is ideal for the swinging doors that need to fit. However, for a barn door, it should be more significant than the opening to allow for overlapping. The overlapping effect helps reduce noise and light penetration to your room.

You are wondering how much bigger should a barn door be than the opening? The width of the door should be bigger than the opening by 2 inches for overlapping. Add 1 inch on both edges of the space or molding.

For length, measure from the floor to the top of the opening and add 1 inch for overlapping with the top bar.

You can adjust these additional measurements according to the available space around your door opening—the more the overlapping, the better the enclosure.

For example, what size barn door for 48 inch opening would be required? Consider having a full overlay in such a scenario with a big door opening. The extensive overlay will strengthen the barn door.

Final Words

We can all agree that you must have the exact measurements for your barn door. Have enough space on the wall for the barn door to slide to for opening. If your door frame structure has molding, include the molding edges in the measurements.

Don’t forget to take the measurements twice while recording in a notebook to avoid confusing the readings.