I'm helping a friend to build a rustic looking barn door....

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jimbob79

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#222483 14-Aug-2017 10:17

I'm going to help a friend to build a rustic looking barn door to a particular custom size. The door is going to be an internal door and needs to be straight. Most likely be painted. What wood/type would you make it out of and can it be purchased from Mitre10 or Bunning?

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#1846217 14-Aug-2017 10:38

D4S grade pine should be all you need and most places will have it.

Put an oak stain on it and it will look like a million dollars.

jimbob79

673 posts

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#1846222 14-Aug-2017 10:49

kryptonjohn:

D4S grade pine should be all you need and most places will have it.

Put an oak stain on it and it will look like a million dollars.

Thanks. Isn't D4S grade pine prone to 'cupping' due to not having a tight grain pattern? I could be totally wrong.

kryptonjohn

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#1846251 14-Aug-2017 11:11

I could also be wrong! But I think you get that cupping where one side of a board dries out more than the other so shrinks on one side. You get this on decks with one side exposed to the sun. In this case it's all kiln dried and indoor so I would expect that won't happen.

How are you going to build the doors? There are some very difficult and very simple approaches but I think I would like to build the frame out of 100x40mm D4S and route a channel for 18mm T&G boards. But you can do a really quick and dirty like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUcRm1vp8UA

And it will still look pretty decent. It's a rustic barn door not an antique chippendale, but if you have the tools and skills to clamp and dowel joint it that would look nicer again.

mdf

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#1846312 14-Aug-2017 13:16

I'm not really sure what an internal barn door looks like. Is it aopposed to be solid? Or one of those swinging saloon door things? If it's supposed to be solid, I'd be leery about using D4S pine to make my own panels. Any gap (whether mistake or warping) will let light through and stand out like the proverbial reference of your choice. T&G will look best and is relatively forgiving. Otherwise Bunnings has pine handy panels pre joined. You could just add your decorative bits and pieces to that?

If you're in Wellington, City Timbers has some beautiful oak t&g. I want to get into using some nicer timbers for my projects but haven't been game enough yet.

mattwnz

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#1846324 14-Aug-2017 13:30

Have you got a photo of an example you are going to build? Rustic could mean many things, and to mean an old weather beaten non painted door comes to mind, which big black cast iron fittings

jimbob79

673 posts

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#1846328 14-Aug-2017 13:32

mattwnz:

Have you got a photo of an example you are going to build? Rustic could mean many things, and to mean an old weather beaten non painted door comes to mind, which big black cast iron fittings

kryptonjohn

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#1846331 14-Aug-2017 13:34

Barn doors are just rustic doors that you hang from wheels on an exposed rail:

https://res.cloudinary.com/dsgmrzsui/image/upload/c_fill,w_600/v1483997530/Z_Barn_-_Stain_Glaze_Clear_-_Ultra_Modern_-_Flat_Black_zlwlfx.jpg

Agree about using T&G and there's plenty of ex demolition rimu, totara and matai lying around.

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mdf

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#1846470 14-Aug-2017 16:02

Ooh that is nice (mental note: figure out where I can stick one of these...).

I'd go with recycled t&g flooring I'd you've got a building recycler handy. Wouldn't be the end of the world if you had to use square dressed though. small gaps would be a feature.

Is it for a cupboard like in the photo or a doorway? If you can't see the back, an easy option is to use ply (or MDF) as a backing board and glue everything to that. But obviously that's very contingent on not being able to see the back of it.

kryptonjohn

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#1846525 14-Aug-2017 16:59

Like cavity sliders, barn doors are great if you don't want doors swinging out into a space. Barn doors look kinda cool, are relatively inexpensive and about as easy to install as a shelf. The alternative, a cavity slider, is way more expensive and and you need to have some proper builder's skills to install (and it may need a lintel above if part of a load bearing wall. We're in the process of putting up three of them for the above reasons.

mattwnz

20164 posts

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#1846530 14-Aug-2017 17:23

kryptonjohn:

Like cavity sliders, barn doors are great if you don't want doors swinging out into a space. Barn doors look kinda cool, are relatively inexpensive and about as easy to install as a shelf. The alternative, a cavity slider, is way more expensive and and you need to have some proper builder's skills to install (and it may need a lintel above if part of a load bearing wall. We're in the process of putting up three of them for the above reasons.

The big problem with pocket sliders is when the door warps, or the framing warps.We have one and it has warped a bit over time, and the the door doesn't slide that well. External barn sliders are my preference these days, and am using them on a new build. You can get some very modern looking ones too. The only real problem is that you lose wall space, and you can hav a problem with gaps around the edge if you aren't using architraves, but have skirting.So the door can require fillets.

mattwnz

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#1846531 14-Aug-2017 17:25

kryptonjohn:

Barn doors are just rustic doors that you hang from wheels on an exposed rail:

https://res.cloudinary.com/dsgmrzsui/image/upload/c_fill,w_600/v1483997530/Z_Barn_-_Stain_Glaze_Clear_-_Ultra_Modern_-_Flat_Black_zlwlfx.jpg

Agree about using T&G and there's plenty of ex demolition rimu, totara and matai lying around.

For this type of rustic look, I would definitely go for recycled rimu or similar. No real pointing using cheap new pine and then staining it, when there is so much good native recycled timber out there.

MikeAqua

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#1847527 16-Aug-2017 12:46

If you really are lego batman ... 'master-build' it

Seriously if it not in direct sunlight thick wide pine should be OK. Pine is easy enough to 'distress' and stain.

I do think you need a wide and thick profile. with the planks too narrow the door will look too 'busy' and you don't want them too thin either as then it will look flimsy.

Recycled native timber looks great but it might be difficult to find in a wide and thick profile. Most of what you do see is either floor boards or framing timber. It's also a to work with.

Mike

jimbob79

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#1847531 16-Aug-2017 12:51

MikeAqua:

If you really are lego batman ... 'master-build' it

Seriously if it not in direct sunlight thick wide pine should be OK. Pine is easy enough to 'distress' and stain.

I do think you need a wide and thick profile. with the planks too narrow the door will look too 'busy' and you don't want them too thin either as then it will look flimsy.

Recycled native timber looks great but it might be difficult to find in a wide and thick profile. Most of what you do see is either floor boards or framing timber. It's also a to work with.

"I only work in black….And sometimes very, very dark gray".

My friends choice of building material was to use boxing timber for the rough-sawn look. But I do have some reservations but it was cheap and dry.

MikeAqua

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#1847559 16-Aug-2017 13:19

jimbob79:

My friends choice of building material was to use boxing timber for the rough-sawn look. But I do have some reservations but it was cheap and dry.

Hope fully it's straight - otherwise:

Mike

jimbob79

673 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1847565 16-Aug-2017 13:27

MikeAqua:

jimbob79:

My friends choice of building material was to use boxing timber for the rough-sawn look. But I do have some reservations but it was cheap and dry.

Hope fully it's straight - otherwise:

I've made a jig for my table saw to create a jointed edge. That newly joined edge will act as my datum for cutting on the parallel side of the board.

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