barn door pros cons

5 years ago

A sliding barn door is all the rage now-a-days. I was thinking about getting one for either a coat closet or as a kitchen pantry door. Can anyone tell me pros/cons or what they like or hate about these doors? We have young kids, dogs, and cats. Are these bad for kids that might slide it open easily or try to wiggle their arms between the wall and the door? Do the doors stay put when you slide it open or closed? Please enlighten me on how these work for real people!

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PRO

You're Unique, LLC

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

We build and install these for a living and I can tell you for certain, they are not going out of style anytime soon in Atlanta. If you don't like doors opening into a space, then they work well for that and can make a room appear larger and more open. They are perfect for closing off or separating spaces and look great! I've never known any child injured by a barn door and if they are installed correctly, they stay in the position that you leave them. Hardware options these days are limitless from rustic, to modern and barely noticable. You can hang wall art behind them and it's fine as long as the door will clear it. There is no need to move light switches at all. Only the larger doors are heavy but most standard doors will glide like butter if properly installed.

They are not sound proof and are somewhat expensive. Here are some of our doors that do not resemble the farm house style at all.

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Comments (65)

Hillside House
5 years ago
Not a fan, mainly for reasons already mentioned: not soundproof or odorproof (not an issue with pantry), difficult to open and close, and requiring a lot of empty wall space.

I also think they are ugly. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
mileaday None
5 years ago
Kim Weaver - would you be kind enough to post a picture of your set up? I am trying to find a way of hiding my washer, dryer and a laundry sink with only room for bifold doors which I hate and will not use. Thanks
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salex
5 years ago
Despite all the dislike for barn doors, I installed one between my kitchen and mudroom last year and it serves its intended purpose. The only reason I chose a barn door is because (a) it's an opening that only needs to be closed off when we have guests (human or four-legged) that need privacy between our kitchen and the adjacent stairway/mudroom; (b) the wall between the two spaces is a 100-year old exterior wall, so pocket doors were not a realistic option; and (c) a hinged door wasn't an option due to the fact that it would have blocked a corridor no matter which way it was installed.

Yeah, it's a barn door, lots of people don't love them, but it's functional and outperforms the portable child gate we used to put there.
tatts
5 years ago
And if your wall has a light switch or outlet on it, they'll have to be moved to be usable when the door is open (and for safety, if something's plugged in when the door is open).
skmom
5 years ago
Here’s a photo of my “barn” door, they can be really useful in some applications. (My home isn’t rustic, my hubby and I built ours and it goes with some other things in our home) This door leads down to our basement, and you can’t tell from the photo, but there are two other doors (door to the garage immediately to the right of where I’m standing to take this photo, and behind me is the door to the laundry room) and to the left the area opens up to our kitchen and our back door... basically this is a busy, pinch-point of a weird hallway and the original door here opened out into this hallway and caused some serious traffic flow problems. (Think kids running around and getting a possible concussion or stitches from running into an unexpected open door) I originally thought about changing the swing of the original door to open into the stairwell to the basement, but hubby pointed out that the landing area at the top of those stairs was too small for that and would’ve been a real hazard to those on the basement staircase. We couldn’t do a pocket door because there is electrical on the inside of the basement stairwell, plus that wall is a firewall. My only options were to have no door, or to have a sliding door. So sliding door is what we happily went with and it has solved a real traffic problem (we have a larger sized family with five kids who are all teens and young adults now). So, my pros were that it completely solved that traffic flow problem, and I personally love the way mine looks and we get compliments on it all of the time. (I don’t mind the empty space of wall next to it, it works in my home, and I do think of my door as a piece of art in a sense.) Mine slides easily and doesn’t feel heavy, even though it is actually quite heavy... weighed a frigging ton when we were hanging it, lol! But cons... it IS noisy. You can hear it on all three floors of our rather large house when it’s being opened or closed. I think you can get better hardware than we have to make it quieter, but it’s not something we are planning on upgrading to. And even though my kids were all teens when this was installed, I still had to put my foot down about how doors are not toys and if you freaking break my door you’re not gonna like the punishment and if you freaking break a limb on yourself or a sibling you’re gonna like the punishment even less. (My kids actually listen well, but I still had to give the obligatory speech.) Other con... when I’m trying to spy... I mean check... on my kids in the basement they hear me coming if I have to open that door... unless I open it SUPER slowly. It’s possible to open it silently, but it takes about two minutes until it’s wide enough that I can squeeze my body through the opening. HAHAHAHAHAHA! When my kids were really little that would’ve stunk on a pantry door because then I would’ve had to hide my secret chocolate stash somewhere else in the house. LOL! Hope that helps!
skmom
5 years ago
Fwiw, yeah, it can be bad if a kid wants to wiggle their arm or fingers between the barn door and the wall... but it can be bad if they do that with a regular door too. I once accidentally pinched the fingers of a neighbor kid, I didn’t know she stuck her fingers between a regular door and the door jamb (next to the hinges) and I went to close the door and it wouldn’t close... and I didn’t realize she was standing behind me. She was in pain but stunned and didn’t cry out, so I didn’t realize her fingers were pinched... so I tried closing the door again!!! Doh!!! I felt AWFUL and I was glad she didn’t have any broken fingers. It’s reasons like that why I had really strict rules about doors. And staircases. I had strict rules about staircases too. Whenever my young children accidentally or purposefully slammed a door I’d stand over them and make them practice gently closing the door twenty times. Seriously. Every time. It didn’t happen often.
whaas_5a
5 years ago
The functionality of a sliding door has been around a long time and will continue to do so.

Where things went wrong is the interpretation of a sliding door in a barn door style
HU-797908698
5 years ago
As it was stated above the “ barn door hate” is sadly misplaced. When used in the correct setting with the right hardware application and decor there is nothing more beautiful. Our 1910 Foursquare living room was begging for a better arrangement so we could accommodate our 6’1” grand piano. Our wonderful carpenter used the hardware I found online to rehang the original French doors. Everyone comments on how perfect this application is.
doc5md
5 years ago
I love a good pocket door. Our Victorian has a 5+ foot wide single door pocket door. It’s heavy. Old. Moves with ease. Blocks sound. It’s amazing. But sometimes you can’t have that. Our new house will have one barn door... it’s on a farm so it works. But it’s where we’d have a pocket door but can’t realy because it wild be in an exterior wall. For this application, and others like a plumbing wall, it might be a better option than a pocket door.
PRO
JAN MOYER
5 years ago
Where is your cow?
Storybook Home
5 years ago
Barn doors are polarizing. Most love or hate them. I think they can look really cool. They aren’t good at blocking sound and do take up wall space, but if floor space is limited they can be a good option instead of a swing door.
Kim Weaver
5 years ago
Mileaday - mine replaced a reg door. Hopefully you can see this pic. (took them in the dark to hide laundry mess;) And Jan - sadly, the cows have no door now that I took theirs!
mandy_redworth
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I would think if you like them and if it will work for you, do it! Because someone thinks they were a fad and so 15 minutes ago, who cares? I would never put something in my house because its the ”trend”. Its my house, I put what I like in it. Gawd - if you try to keep up with every trend, you’d be constantly remodeling! I’m in Seattle and in no way are barn doors out anyway - still very popular here.
mileaday None
5 years ago
Thanks for the pics, Kim W
BT
5 years ago
If the doors will be open nearly 100% of the time... They are fine.

Personally, I hate pocket doors. They do not allow for an electrical, plumbing, switches in the wall.

The hardware will fail and gets dust inside. Children will play with them, ugh.
marjen
5 years ago
Wow can't believe the hate on this thread over doors, lol. I have one in our basement office and love it. Its open 95% of the time but allows me to close off the space when needed. Anyone who says they are hard to open either hasn't used one or used one that was not installed properly, it moves very easily and smoothly on the track.

In our new house I am going to have one to the pantry and another to the mud room. Neither space would work will with a hinged door and I really am not a fan of pocket doors, I think they are much more difficult to deal with than a barn door. Both opening will be such that a hinged door could be installed at a later date if needed.
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Mark Bischak, Architect
5 years ago
Where is your horse?

Barn doors have inherent deficiencies that make they appropriately application minimal. In addition to that, the exposed hardware of a barn door is limiting in its appropriateness in some interiors. To have a room nicely decorated in a period style with impeccable trim-work, then install the exposed metal track and carriers is out of place and offensive to the eyes. I am sorry Mr. Emperor, you have on no clothes.
wacokid
5 years ago

We love barn doors out here in Waco. Some people just don't get it and our plain mean....
AnnKH
5 years ago
Kim Weaver, when your laundry room door is open, doesn't it cover up the light switches on the wall? I would think that would be annoying.
HU-874585772
Original Author
5 years ago
Thanks to everyone who gave feedback on the functionality of these of doors, that was very helpful. Those who commented without constructive information...well...I thank you for your opinion, but I'm not decorating my house for you or my guests, I decorate for myself.

I described it as 'barn door' to illustrate the type of door I was talking about. The style I'm considering for the coat closet is dark brown with five rectangular panels of frosted glass where we have a 6-foot bar nearby. Behind the bar is an oversize watercolor of koi fish and another large painting of chinese dragons. The door has a look similar to a Shoji screen (those fold out dressing panels) and would complement the area nicely, serving both as a door and a piece of art. The hard lines of the hardware will balance just fine with the straight lines of the rest of the decor and I see it almost framing the bar area. I'm not bothered that this setup is not trendy at all and instead is very specific to my family's taste and heritage. Thank you for everyone who shared pictures too, it gave me some ideas for the kitchen pantry if I choose to do that instead. And maybe if I make the kids use that closet for their coats, I'll hear them if they try to sneak out!

I'm posting stock photos from websites to give you an idea of what I'm talking about.
Kim Weaver
5 years ago
Ankh- yes the door covers the switches but it is 1 1/2” away from the wall so if needed I can reach behind. But the original owner was an electrician and custom built this house so it has switches everywhere and we don’t need to use those.
jmm1837
5 years ago
Well, as the saying goes, it's your house, do what you want. I like the door in your inspiration photo, but I think it looks very out of place with the traditional baseboard and crown molding surrounding it. If your house is contemporary, fine, but if it's got the kind of detail in that photo, I'd think twice. And I'm not going to apologize for giving my opinion.
HU-874585772
Original Author
5 years ago
jmm1837, not asking for apologies. I thanked everyone for their opinion, just trying to emphasize that this style is clearly not everyone's taste and I'm just looking for information about how these function day to day, particularly with kids in the house. I'd prefer to figure out why I hate it before I buy it! As for your comment about pocket doors above, I definitely will take that into consideration. Thank you!
kudzu9
5 years ago
BT-

Pocket door hardware only fails if you buy the cheap stuff. I've never had a problem with any of my pocket doors, including one that was installed in my previous 1952 house and is still functional. As for electrical, I installed a pocket door in a powder room a couple of years ago, and used a shallow, but code-compliant box for the light switch and stapled the cable out of the way...no problem.
PRO
Virgil Carter Fine Art
5 years ago
Barn door cons:

--Large and visually bulky, both the hardware and actual door

--Depending on style and finish, the door may contrast with and compete for visual attention, as if it's the most important thing in a given space

--When open, it covers the adjacent wall, making art and controls impossible on that wall

--Since they are not a tight fit, there is no sound privacy or odor control

--Easy and encouraging for young children to push, pull and slam the door open and shut, once they learn to push and pull the door

--Since they are not a tight fit, it may be easy for young children to get their fingers caught between door and wall

--Expensive, especially if one uses 8' or 9' doors

Pros:

--I can't think of any
HU-874585772 thanked Virgil Carter Fine Art
artemis_ma
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I have a log home, and would have loved barn doors for two of my closets. Since log homes don't fit into trendy thoughts, they would have worked here. But the electrician put his outlets in places that would make these problematic (despite the schematic), so I went with bifold doors.

I would seriously prefer barn doors in certain home styles over pocket doors. They don't work everywhere. You can design them so they fit into your appropriate style (depending on your style) so they won't look obnoxious.

You can have the doors run behind dressers if you so wish, and have your dressers pulled out a couple more inches or so. That had been my plan.

Pocket doors: We had some at work for private offices and they went wopperjawed, in the concrete/cement building after about 3 years. People in those offices stopped shutting their doors, privacy be danged, even when needed. I'd be paranoid about them.

I would neither use pocket nor barn doors for bathrooms.
catlady999
5 years ago
When I was a child back in the 50's, the phrase "The barn door is open" was a more polite way to inform a male that his zipper was down.
User
5 years ago
Hanging movable Shoji screens are not exactly barn doors.
mxk3 z5b_MI
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I love my barn door! The door closes off the laundry/mud room from the rest of the house, and a slider is what is warranted here -- the laundry room is quite small, and a door swinging in would take up valuable real estate in there. I think a lot of people use the term "barn door" to mean slider -- sure sliders can look "barn-y", but I've seen some ultra-modern ones, some artsy ones, some with sleek contemporary tracks, there's just all sorts of choices for sliders and they can be a terrific problem solver.

BTW, my door is actually painted barn red with white trim - you can't get any barn-ier than that LOL! (it's fun and I love it!)
kudzu9
5 years ago
Well, I doubt we can beat this to death any more for the OP. I think she has gotten indisputably clear advice: She can do this -- or not -- at her discretion, and it will be perfect -- or not ;-)
HU-874585772
Original Author
5 years ago
Lisa, these types of doors are classified as Barn Doors as a style. I'm definitely not hanging a sliding shoji screen. If I had said slider or sliding door, some people would have thought I meant something like a sliding glass door. But when I say barn door, everyone knows what style this is. Since there's so many different looks, they should come up with a new term!
PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
5 years ago
NHBabs z4b-5a NH
5 years ago
Mark, she already commented that she can still use the switches when it is open and that there are alternate switches so she does not need to use them. This may not be the case everywhere, but the poster of that photo already addresses your issue.
PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
5 years ago
I am not as concerned about the switches as I am of the electrical outlet.
User
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I know most of the cognoscenti here really hate them. The OP should have asked about ship lap too, to really send everyone into a tizzy....

:)

Yes I've seen them used in some applications where they look out of place.

However I have one in my basement, to close off the mechanical side from the finished basement side. I have rustic decor anyway, I think the barn door harmonizes, and I like it.

To each their own.
Kim Weaver
5 years ago
Not to worry about the outlet. Never been used. (I also have 14 other outlets in my house that I never use, I counted;)) At any rate, it works well for us and that’s what counts. No one else has to like it, or even approve. But thanks for pointing that out Mark because it could be a problem for other people in their houses.
HU-797908698
5 years ago

They hang and slide perfectly . As for the outlet on this side.... don’t open the door the last 6” or so. The aesthetics and function outweigh any slight disadvantages. We have a fabulous carpenter.
PRO
White Shanty
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
We are biased but there are actually a lot of pros to having a sliding barn door!

They save space and allow you to utilize area within your home that would otherwise be unusable because of swinging door space. Sliding doors are a functional piece of art in your home, they are statement pieces and add life to any room. They can be customized to however you please- any color, size, texture, or pattern! Depending on how they are installed, they are noise cancelling! Not to mention, if anything were to go wrong with the door, it is easier to take the door off the tracks and repair than to have to tear through wall to fix your pocket door or tracks- that is much more costly and time consuming. They are fun because you are able to change the door up as much as you'd like with no construction.

Everyone has their own opinions and styles, which is great! And we love hearing the feedback so we can fix the problems that everyone is concerned about and be able to provide the best SBD's in the game :)
jdesign_gw
5 years ago
I'm about to install one of these in a clients home. I guess it's a barn door.
artemis_ma
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
catlady: When I was a child back in the 50's, the phrase "The barn door is open" was a more polite way to inform a male that his zipper was down.

In my neck of the 60's it was "Your fly is showing". And for a female, when a slip was a bit too long: "It's snowing down south".
PRO
Virgil Carter Fine Art
5 years ago
No. barn. doors. Ever.
wacokid
5 years ago
Virgil, try all caps and stomp your feet when you type.
drdeb1234
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I think even if you love the look and functionality of barn doors (and for the record, I don’t) the fact is they ARE trendy. And whether or not they’re already “out”, I think it’s pretty certain that they will eventually be “out”, and will look dated.
If it doesn’t matter to you, and you’re not concerned about the resale aspect, then enjoy!
PRO
JAN MOYER
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
NO BARN DOORS : ) lol
PRO
Virgil Carter Fine Art
5 years ago
Thank you, Jan!
PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
5 years ago
What will barns do without them??
kudzu9
5 years ago
Mark-

Don't worry: I think pocket doors are trending for barns... ;-)
PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
5 years ago
They could also be considered a thing of the past . . . : )
PRO
Virgil Carter Fine Art
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
That's really the issue, IMO: "trending" or timeless? In fashion, past out-of-fashion or something which looks as appropriate and is as functional yesterday, today and tomorrow.

If it was on HGTV, fuggetaboutit.