Pallet Sliding Barn Doors

For this project you will need a drill, a circular saw, a wrench, a brad nailer, and a table saw. A miter saw and an impact driver will also make this project easier.

2-3 shipping pallets or a few large shipping crates should provide enough wood for a barn door.

Pulley wheels, rails, and hardware will get things rolling! We were able to find all of our hardware at nearby Home Depot and Grainger stores.

Step 1: Parts to Cut

Reclaimed pallets, skids, shipping crates, and the like can provide a variety of lengths, widths, wood grains and colors to work with. For our reclaimed sliding barn doors, we used the dimensions shown.

Step 2: Get Movin' - You Make a Better Door Than a Pallet

Make sure your stagger is right and you measure for a door that hangs properly.

We were able to find reclaimed wood that was fairly straight (or sanded and planed out without to much effort). You'll want the support pieces to be as straight as you can get them - If not, you can cheat a little and used new boards just for this step.

Step 3: Attach Support and Hardware

Image shown: Attaching the straight bar the wheels will glide on.

The trickiest and most time absorbing task here is getting the rails just right.

Step 4: Hang the Door

Step 5: Mission Accomplished

Comments

[LisaGuinther]

Thanks for the directions for the hangers...This is just what I was looking for! :-)

[Donnalashelle]

Nicely done however what could one do you make these where both sides look the same? Like for an entryway where both sides will be seen.

[AW20]

This would be prefect in our basement where we need the door replaced our son ruined. Too bad the man our woodworking son works with said he does not have the tools to work with pallets.

[oldhess]

What the heck are you talking about?

[Shalifa]

My 18 year old son does wood working at an adult friend house they tell me they do not have the tools to work with palettes.

[niki292002]

I'm living in a small flat and i have a question. Can it be sound and smell insulated ?

[John L]

I have a question that is bothering me. But first, I haven't seen any comments about the importance of ensuring that the reclaimed wood/pallets are cured/aged long enough to remove most of the moisture within the wood. Also, the door is pieced together and there are no full length boards running the complete vertical length of the door.

Which brings up my question: what are you going to do when your clients begin to call back and tell you that those beautiful doors are beginning to warp and bow, either inward or outward?

I'm asking this because I am self-employed and make beautiful things for the interior design field, here in the Raleigh area. I'm very meticulous about my workmanship. And lo-and-behold, I have a client who has been bugging me for some time to begin making sliding barn doors for her. So, I completed one, what is finished in a smaller intricate lattice herringbone pattern on the front. I made them look like plaster lath. I put it together, and before doing the staining and finishing, I took the door over to the client, and left it with her for a week. In the meantime, the dry conditions of the furniture store, caused the door to dry out and one side actually warped. I was horrified, as a result.

I have since totally remade it, and it is buttressed, and aged, enough to prevent this from happening again. I'm also thinking of routing a 1" wide recess that will accommodate a 3/16" steel plate on both vertical ends of the door. That should guarantee no bowing. Naturally, the steel will jack up the cost of the door, but I will be able to sleep easier at night.

Have you checked back on the doors for just this sort of thing?

Incidentally, I really do like your crates. Very well done.

[barb.chmura]

What width door is this for? I need to make a 48" door.

[r33tc0w]

What is keeping the doors from flying off the track? Do you have anything that stops the wheels?

[adam.deiterick]

... *GASP* AMAZING. I have a tiny bed room closet, with no door. I am looking at right now, and thinking how.....

[rmccarson]

I appreciate you sharing the plans but I wonder if you could clarify some details. If when I put all the vertical boards together, that is 96 inches, far longer than your frame. I actually had to cut my door down to 80 inches in order to make it work for my opening. What is the length of the steel plates for the pulleys?

[dkb354]

Can you add a picture of the back side of the door from the other room? Also can you add some instructions on how/where to install the 3rd wheel for the lower flat bar?

[cratesandpallet]

Hi dkb - Here are some more shots showing the inside of the door and the 3rd wheel. We put our wheel on the outside door frame at a height that works with the lower bar you'll install on the inside of the door. The lower bar on the door rests on the wheel helping the door to glide and preventing the door from flapping out at the bottom.

[dillonsparks]

what keeps the bottom of the door from swinging away from the wall? or did i miss that part in the pictures?

[cratesandpallet]

Hi Dillon -

In Step 4.7, you are going to install a wheel to the wall or door frame. We choose the door frame so you can't see it even with the door closed. The lower straight bar (which was installed on the previous step to the lower portion on the inside of the door) is at a height that will rest on the wheel - keeps it on track with no swinging!

[cratesandpallet]

Hi Ippy - Assuming you already have the tools and enjoy scouring for reclaimed wood from pallets (like we do) this project should cost you tens of dollars at your local Home Depot -

Here is the steel: http://www.homedepot.com/p/2-in-x-48-in-Plain-Steel-Flat-Bar-with-3-16-in-Thick-44480/202183545

Here are a selection of wheels:http://www.homedepot.com/s/pulley%2520wheel

[g0dswilll]

How do you bend the steel bars?

[cratesandpallet]

The steel we used was fairly malleable. We used a vice and our hands - no hammer needed.

[iamchrismoran]

Apropos to my needs. I'm building a treehouse and wanted either a pocket door or barn door. Haven't decided yet. The barn door seems like a MUCH simpler install, but I wonder if there's a way to weather proof it to a better extent - keep the outside out as much as possible.
Thanks for this and the drawings!

[cratesandpallet]

Hi Chris - We applied a few coats of tung oil to the wood, which gives it a good color and can protect it from the elements. You may also want to use brush seals (such as http://precisionbrush.com/barn-door-brush-seals ) or rubber fenders or weather seals to seal up the gaps for your outdoor space. Have fun with your project!