Saving some money with DIY sliding door handing this weekend? Great idea! But, do you know how to hang a sliding door or you’re just playing on your self-confidence? Hanging a sliding door can be a huge deal if your skills are at the beginner’s level. In order to do this properly, you will need at least an intermediate level of skill and expertise. Besides the skills, you should acquire proper tools and materials. If you thought that buying a sliding door and matching hardware is a done deal – you’re wrong!
Read which 5 tips you should follow in order to hang those sliding barn door in less than a day.
Tip #1 Get your tools together
You cannot start without checking out your toolbox. In case you don’t know what tools are going to need you in this case, you can check the instruction manuals that came with the door. The basic tool set includes drill, somat wrench, level, metal cutter, awl, and tape measure. There is also a safety kit which includes working gloves and safety goggles (since there will be a lot of cutting).
Once you get your tools together, check out each of them especially if you didn’t use them for quite a while.
Tip #2 Take measures
When you finish the preparation phase, you can start taking measures. There are several things that you should follow in this step. Firstly, take measures of the door opening because the door must fit perfectly to it. Once you’ve done it, take the total length of the door and multiply it by 2 – that way you’ll get the track length. You should also mark the spots where you are planning to place the bolts for the track. The same thing should be done on the door, especially at the top and bottom.
Tip #3 Start cutting and drilling
After you taken the measures and mark the entry points, you can begin with cutting and drilling. The first thing to do in this step is to secure the place for the track. Since it cannot hold door by itself, you should use supporting wood and place it right on the track. When you finish, drill the track into the support and place bolts on marked spots.
The same procedure stays with installing the doors: place hanging bolts on the top of the door and then fix bottom guides. You can figure out how to Hang a Sliding Door in a barn by checking out the sweet links here.
Tip #4 Keep your level straight
During the process, you need to keep the level of track and door straight all the time. If you’re not getting an even line, you might end up with curved door or track. Not only that – since one side of the door would be placed lower than the other, it would be impossible to manipulate with the door.
Tip #5 Final considerations
Hanging a sliding door can be a fun and exciting family thing. If you want to save up some extra time, get your family members busy with helping you during the process. Since you will spend most of the time measuring, drilling, and cutting, they can help you with leveling the door.