So you’re thinking about installing a beautiful Canadian-made sliding barn door in your home! For many households, this is a great option, not only due to its stunning look but also because of its functionality and ability to save space in the home. If you’ve never installed a sliding barn door before, you may have a few questions about the new experience. Here’s what our experts want you to know before installing your first sliding barn door.
- Use Quality Materials
Like anything that you wish to install in your home, the quality of your sliding barn door matters. The better the quality of the door and the hardware, the longer it will last and the nicer it will look. At Viba Barn Doors, we individually make the most high-quality sliding barn doors made of properly kiln-dried and hand-selected 100% Canadian wood. This ensures that Viba doors don’t warp with seasonal humidity changes. A Viba door will last for years and will continue to look beautiful.
- Handles And Latches Are Helpful
Many of our first-time customers ask us if they can achieve the same privacy as offered by a traditional swinging door with a sliding barn door, and the answer is yes! Our soft-close mechanism keeps the doors from accidentally opening when casually bumped., and you can also choose to install a privacy latch, This way, you can achieve all the privacy and accessibility of a traditional swinging door.
- The Right Space Is Key
Installing a sliding barn door can’t be done just anywhere. You first need to make sure you have the right space for your door and its hardware. As a sliding barn door must be mounted on a track, you want a wall space that can accommodate the door movement. This is why it’s important to measure your space before ordering your door.
- Structural Support Is A Must
It’s vital that you have proper structural support for your barn door Simple anchors are not enough to mount a sliding barn door. If you are framing a new opening, support can be added between the studs before your drywall is installed. If you have an existing opening you would mount a header board on your wall. The header board is secured to your studs allowing the hardware to your header board to give the necessary structural support.
Check out our handy structural support guide!
1. The Door Should Be Wider Than The Doorway
A common mistake when ordering a sliding barn door is ordering a door the size of your door frame when in reality, it must be larger than the opening, for both esthetic and safety reasons. . As a general rule, we recommend that the door be a minimum of 2 inches wider on either side than the opening itself. If you have wider trim, you can make your door wider as well.
Want to know more about installing sliding barn doors?
The team at Viba Barn Doors is always ready to help!
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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