How to Select the Correct Barn Door Hardware
There are many things to consider when selecting barn door hardware, but don’t let that intimidate you! You’re in the right place to learn more about barn door hardware, and we’ll walk you through the process of selecting the correct hardware kit for your opening. We also wrote a detailed blog article that walks you through deciding what type of hardware kit you will require: “What Type of Barn Door Hardware Do I Need?”
Single or Double Barn Door Hardware?
If your opening is narrow and you have space on at least one side of the doorway to push your door to when opening it, the answer is simple: a single barn door hardware kit. This option is usually best if your doorway is up to 48” wide. If you have a wider doorway and still have enough room to push the doors to either side of the doorway, then the double barn door hardware kit will be the best option. The single and double barn door hardware kits are simple to install, easy to use, cost-effective, and occupy the least space. If this is a viable option, this would be the recommended type of barn door hardware.
Bypass Barn Door Hardware
What if I don’t have enough clearance on the side of the doorway? This is a common challenge homeowners face and is exactly why the bypass barn door hardware kit was invented. Bypass barn door hardware kits allow you to stack the doors on top of each other so you don’t require clearance on the side of the doorway to open the doors. There are several types of bypass kits that work best in different situations. The three main bypass kits we offer are the Double-Track Bypass Barn Door Hardware kits, Single-Track Bypass Barn Door Hardware kits, and Triple Bypass Barn Door Hardware kits. To learn about which type of bypass kit would work best for your opening, please see our blog article: “Single Track vs Double Track Barn Door Hardware Kit”
Barn Door Hanger Design
Once you’ve chosen your hardware kit confirmation, you’ll want to choose your hanger design. The barn door hanger is the strap that connects the wheel to the door. It is generally mounted to the front (or sometimes the top) of the door. The hanger design is the only thing that differentiates one hardware kit from another (within the same configuration and finish). All of the other components are the same. The hanger is a great way to add a unique flair to your barn door installation with a creative design, or to keep the attention on your door with a simple, low-key design.
Some notable hanger designs:
Classic Strap - this is the traditional barn door hanger design that has the straight strap with the squared-off bottom edges that extends up the door and above the wheel. This is one of the most popular designs.
Low Profile - has a similar design to the Classic Strap, except that the strap does not extend over the wheel. Because of this design feature, the Low Profile hangers in the single-track hardware kits only require 4⅝” of clearance from the top of the door to the ceiling in order to install the hardware kit (compared to 5⅛” for the Classic Strap). Note: with the Double-Track Bypass and Triple Bypass hardware kits, the highest point in the installation is the bypass bracket, so the low profile design no longer has any bearing on the minimum clearance requirements. For more information, please read our blog article “Difference Between Low Profile Classic Strap Hangers”
Spoke Wheel - with its distinctive oversized wheel, the Spoke Wheel bypass kits are a popular option for anyone going for the “rustic” design aesthetic. One thing to note is that because of the size of the wheel, the Spoke Wheel hardware kits require greater overhead clearance from the top of the door to the ceiling than other hanger designs (7⅝”).
Barn Door Hardware Weight Capacity
All of our Dusty’s house brand barn door hardware kits have a weight capacity of 250 lbs. per door. All of our Leatherneck hardware kits come with a weight capacity of 400 lbs. per door. If you need hardware for a door that is greater than 400 lbs., we also have hardware kits in certain hanger designs that are rated up to 800 lbs. per door. Just reach out to our team for a quote.
Barn Door Hardware Track Overhead Clearance
If you have limited space above your doorway, then the required overhead clearance for a particular hardware kit will be an important consideration. Overhead clearance is measured from the top of the door (which will sit ½” off the ground) to the top of the hanger - for single-track hardware kits - or to the top of the bypass bracket - for double track bypass kits. A low profile hanger design will require the least amount of clearance for the regular-sized hardware kits, whereas the Spoke Wheel hanger design requires the most amount of overhead clearance. For installations that have serious overhead clearance limitations, mini-barn door hardware can be an option as they require less space, but they also have lower weight capacities.
Barn Door Hardware Finish Options
Our house brand of Dusty’s barn door hardware kits are available in a flat black or brushed nickel finish. These are the two most popular finish options. The Leatherneck Hardware kits are available in 12 different finish options, including brushed stainless steel, antique bronze, and flat black. Reach out to us if you are looking for a particular finish option as we might have it available in the Leatherneck Hardware line.
Barn Door Hardware Track Length
For a single track (non-bypass) hardware kit, the track length calculation is simple. For a single barn door, the recommended track length is 2X the width of the door. So if the door is 36” wide, the recommended track length is 6’ (72”). For a single-track, double-track barn door (bi-part) hardware kit, the recommended track length is 4X the width of a single door. So if your doors are each 36” wide and you are mounting two doors, the recommended track length would be 12’ (144”). For bypass barn door hardware kits, the calculation is dependent on the amount of clearance on one or both sides of the doorway and the desires of the homeowner. For your convenience, we have placed a “track length calculator” on the product page above the “Add to Cart'' button. If you still have questions about the ideal track length, don’t hesitate to reach out to us by phone, chat or e-mail. If you are looking for a track length between the size options that are available, choose the next track size up and you can always trim down the track with a reciprocating saw or angle grinder before installation.
What is included with your barn door hardware kit?
With the exception of the door and the handles, our barn door hardware kits include all of the components required to install your barn doors. The specific components in each kit and the number provided for your specific track length can be found on the component list on the product page for hardware kit.
Barn Door Hangers - sometimes called “straps” or “rollers” are the metal parts with the wheels that are mounted to the front (or sometimes the top) of your doors. This is the only component that is different between hardware kits with the same configuration as the hanger design is unique. The wheels in the hangers are made from polymer nylon, which allows for the doors to slide quietly along the track. Steel wheels are also available as an option with our Leatherneck hardware kits.
Barn Door Track - sometimes called “rails,” are the metal pieces that are mounted to the wall. The barn door rollers glide along the tracks when sliding the doors to the open or closed position. The track length shown on the drop-down menu on the product page is the true length of the track. The “Track Length Calculator” found on the product page is a helpful resource to help choose the correct track length for your installation. The tracks come pre-drilled so that the wall spacers are mounted at specific increments to ensure that the track is securely mounted to the wall and the weight of the door is evenly distributed. The tracks come in specific lengths, but can be cut down to size on the building site, if needed. A hacksaw, angle grinder, or reciprocating saw will all work fine for trimming the track.
Barn Door Stopper - is mounted to the track in the location where you want the door to stop. There are two stoppers per door; one for the open position, one for the closed position. The stoppers are adjustable and can slide anywhere along the track.
Wall Spacers - sometimes called “wall stand-offs,” they are the flanged spacers that mount the track to the wall while creating space for the hanger to slide along the track without hitting the wall. Spacer extenders can be ordered for doors that are greater than 2” thick.
Anti-jump blocks - these are mounted to the top of the door and prevent the door from jumping off of the track. They reduce the amount of space between the top of the door and the track, ensuring that the doors can only be removed when lifted up from an angle. They are a necessary component to ensure the safety of the installation.
Barn Door Floor Guides - These are either “dual clip” or “fin style” guides, depending on which type of hardware kit is ordered. The dual clip guides can be mounted on either side of the door to keep the door from swaying or they can be mounted together to form a fin-style guide. For the fin-style guide, a groove must be routed in the bottom of the door. The fin guide fits into the groove and keeps the barn door from swaying when sliding along the track.
Junction plate - for hardware kits with a track of 8’ and longer, the tracks are shipped in multiple segments and are spliced together with a junction plate. This is done because the cost to ship items 8’ or longer is prohibitively expensive. The junction plate is mounted to the back of the track. There is no noticeable transition (or “bump”) from one track to the other when the doors are rolling along the track.
Lag Bolts - are used to mount the track to the wall by passing the lag bolt through the track and wall spacer before fastening the bolt into the studs in the wall or a headerboard. As the studs in the wall don’t always line up with the pre-drilled holes in the track, it is recommended that you mount a header board above the doorway to ensure that your track is securely mounted. The headerboard is mounted into the studs and then the lag bolts are mounted into the headerboard.
Hex Bolts - are used to fasten the hanger to the door. They are installed from the back of the door and secured with an acorn nut on the front of the strap. The hex bolts are compatible with doors between 1⅜” to 1¾”. If your door is thicker or thinner than those dimensions, we have longer or shorter hex bolts that can be ordered at an additional cost. Other alternatives include cutting the bolts down for thinner doors or countersinking the bolt head at the back of the door for thicker doors.
Bypass Brackets - are only included with the double-track bypass and triple bypass hardware kits. The bypass brackets are mounted to the wall and extend up and over the inner track. The outer track is then mounted to the bypass brackets so that it is cantilevered in front of the inner track, allowing both doors to bypass each other.
Barn Door Hardware Accessories
Although our barn door hardware kits include everything you will need to mount your doors, there may be other accessories that you will want to complete your installation.
Barn Door handles - are sold separately, but are a recommended addition to your barn door so that you can easily open and close the doors. For the outside of a single barn door or bi-part configuration, you can use a traditional pull-style handle that extends out from the face of the door and allows you to wrap your fingers around the handle. For the back side of the door (or the front side of the inner-door on a bypass kit) you will want to install flush-style handles. These handles mount flush with the face of the door so that they don’t hit the wall or the bypassing door when sliding along the track. Although they do require that you route out part of the door so that the pocket of the handle can fit in the door, it is well worth the extra steps for long-term convenience when opening and closing the doors.
Barn Door Soft Close - is a mechanism that is mounted behind the track. It grabs the door when it is approaching the open or close position and brings it to a nice slow, controlled stop. The soft close is sold in a pack of 2 as it is recommended that you have one mechanism for the open position and another one for the closed position. The soft close works great for single-door, bi-part, and double track bypass kits. They can be used on the Single-track Bypass or Triple Bypass kits, but they will only ever catch the leading door (as there are 2 doors on one track).
Barn Door Guides - although the hardware kits come with floor mounted guides, you may want to order a separate style of guide to suit your needs. The most commonly purchased guide is the wall-mounted guide. This guide is mounted to the wall so that you don’t have to drill into your floor. Wall mounted guides work best with single-door or bi-part hardware configurations. They are most commonly mounted on the wall, right next to the opening on the side of the doorway to which the door moves when opened.
Barn Door Locks - are commonly used in bathrooms and bedrooms to provide some privacy. The lock is mounted to the door frame on the back side of the door and the latch slides into a slot mounted on the back of the door.
Barn Door Hardware Shipping Time
Dusty’s House Brand Hardware - this is our most popular line of hardware (found at the top of the collection page - without a brand name in the title). This hardware ships from Georgia within 2-3 business days and is delivered via UPS ground. Actual delivery time depends on the shipping address, but most orders are delivered within 7-12 days of ordering.
Leatherneck Hardware - these kits and accessories are made to order so there is a 5-business day-lead time on all orders before they are shipped. The hardware ships from Illinois via UPS ground and typically takes 1 week for delivery once shipped.
BarnCraft Hardware - these kits and accessories have a one-week lead time before being shipped. They are shipped from Houston, Texas, via UPS ground. Orders are typically delivered 1 week after they are shipped.
Barn Door Hardware Installation
All of our barn door hardware kits come with a step-by-step installation guide that will walk you through the installation process. Whether you are a seasoned contractor or a DIY homeowner, as long as you have the correct tools you shouldn’t have any issues with the installation. The single-track hardware kit configurations are simpler to install, but for many customers the double-track barn door bypass kit is going to serve their purpose better in the long run, so it is not recommended to make a purchase decision based on installation alone. In addition to the installation guide, we have installation videos available and offer email, phone, or chat support. So if you have a question during the install, just give us a call and we can help troubleshoot any issues.
Barn Door Width
Although barn doors and hardware are sold separately, you want to be thinking about the size of your barn doors before you purchase your hardware kit. One of the most important factors in barn door installation is that you have adequate overlap between the sides of your doors and the sides of the doorway; as well as between any overlapping bypass barn doors. We typically recommend that you have 2” of overlap between the side of the doorway and the side of your doors (on both sides) as well as 2” of overlap between any bypassing barn doors. As the Single-Track Bypass and Triple Bypass Barn Door Hardware kits have 2 bypassing doors on the same track, the amount of overlap between those doors will be greater than it will be for a Double-Track Bypass Hardware kit. The amount of overlap varies based on where you mount the hanger to the door; but at a minimum, you will have 4-1/4” of overlap between the two doors. This overlap needs to be taken into consideration when purchasing barn door hardware, especially if the barn doors have already been made or purchased. If you have any questions about how wide your doors should be for your opening and chosen hardware configuration, feel free to reach out to our helpful staff. We’ve also written a blog article on the subject that will walk you through the process: “Determining the Correct Size of Barn Door for Your Doorway”
Barn Doors
Although almost any door can be used in a barn door installation, many people prefer doors specifically designed for flat track hardware (barn door hardware). Doors are not included with our barn door hardware kits, but we do offer them for sale on our barn door collection page.
