Installing a barn door in your favourite room can easily take the space from dull to stylish. Unfortunately, if you install the door incorrectly, it can turn what should be a simple task into a headache, which is why we wanted to highlight the most common mistakes people make when they install their sliding barn doors to help you avoid them. 

Measure Incorrectly 
One of the most common sliding barn door mistakes we see is incorrect measurements. Measuring for a sliding barn door is much different than measuring for a traditional swinging door because, although they serve the same purpose, they function differently. Barn doors must overlap the door opening, as this overlap is necessary for privacy and safety. In general, measure the interior of the door opening and then add two inches per side. If you wish to completely cover any trim, add the trim width x 2 to the door opening’s width. If your door opening is 80"h x 36"w, for example, you would use an 82"h x 40"w barn door. If you had 4” wide trim, and wanted to cover it, you would use an 84”h x 44”w door. If you are not sure what size of door you need, use the measurements outlined in our guide and we will be happy to help if you have any questions. If you have an unusual layout, or a bulkhead in the area, you can also include a picture in your request for support.

Click here to see our full guide on measuring for your barn door

Levelling the Header Board & Rails 
We often see people with sliding barn doors that aren’t level, and it’s simply because they made the mistake of not using a level when installing their header board and rail. Using a level is the  best way to ensure you are drilling the pilot holes for your header board and rails in the correct place. You likely won’t notice if your rail isn’t level until you hang your barn door, but if it isn’t, the door will appear to be crooked and may slide to one side, failing to cover the door opening. It’s much easier to install your sliding barn door hardware right the first time, rather than having to uninstall and try again, so don’t make the mistake of failing to use a level. 

Failing to Follow Instructions 
As with any construction project or renovation, the biggest mistake you can make when you install your sliding barn door is failing to follow the instructions. Hanging your beautiful barn door and installing the hardware isn’t a complicated task, but unless you’ve done it before, you’ll need to follow the instructions closely. If you read the instructions carefully before starting, and take things one step at a time, you’ll have no problem making it look like a professional installed your sliding barn door. 

Click here to see our full instructions on how to properly install a Viba barn door

Find your dream door at Viba! 

Viba has been designing and building custom barn doors since 2013. We are a Canadian owned and operated company committed to sustainability and customer satisfaction. 

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