DIY Barn Style Door Track For Under $60

A friend of mine has wanted to turn her laundry room door into a sliding door for a long time, so she finally got her husband on board to start the project with a little help from my husband.  This idea came from many years of frustration with a narrow laundry room and the huge presence of sliding barn doors on every DIY show out there!

The regular hinged door opened into the laundry room and took up almost 3 feet of space when opened.  She wanted to have more room to move in and out of the room without the door always being in the way.  She began by researching all the ready-made options available online but decided to try to create a less expensive design based on many DIY versions.

With most DIY “Barn” style sliding door projects the DIYers build a door and a track system, but she wanted to give it a try using the regular old door.  This did add a few challenges when it came to finding hardware that word work because there was more space between the track and door, but after a couple trips to the hardware store (ok, maybe 15 trips…) she was able to come up will all the pieces needed for the track.

Here’s a list of exactly what they used:

• (2) 3 in. Garage Door Pulley with Fork and Bolt $4.94 Each
• (4) 1-1/4 in. x 18 in. 20-Gauge Strap $1.27 Each (Needed the extra length to make sure the door hung down far enough)
• (2) 12 in. 12-Gauge Heavy Strap Tie $2.88 Each (Sandwiched these between the metal straps to provide rigidity.  This could have been done with longer 12-gauge strap but would have required another trip to the store!)
• (2) 3/8 in 3-1/2 in.External Hex Hex-Head Lag Screw $0.60 Each (Use these on the end holes of the track)
• (5) 1/2 in. Rigid Conduit Nipple $0.98 Each (Use as spacers behind track)
• (2 or 3) 3/8 in. Stainless Steel Flat Washers (3 per Pack) $1.18 Each
• (1 or 2) #8 x 3 in. Phillips Zinc-Plated Flat-Head Sheet Metal Screw (3-Piece per Pack) $1.18 Each (Use these screws in the holes on the track between the bolted holes to keep the door path smooth)
• (1) 1 in. x 3 in. x 8 ft. MDF Moulding Board $6.25 (Cut to length a little more than twice the width of your door)
• (1) 6 ft. x 2 in. x 1/8 in. Steel Flat Plate $13.99
• (1) Light Duty Solid Doorstop $1.68
• (1) Closet Door Finger Pull $0.89
•  Cobalt Split Point Drill Bits $3.99 – $11.99 (Use to drill holes in steel. You will need more than one size to match your screws. You may also need a lubricant like gun oil or motor oil while drilling )

If you are considering a project like this, here are a few links to help you get some more ideas:

• Barn Door Tutorial
• DIY Sliding Barn Door

I’d love for you to join me over on Pinterest (I love that place!)  If you have a blog and have done a little fluffing in your home, I’d love to see it, so leave your link in the comments section. Also, if there’s a craft you’ve seen on a website that you’re hoping to make, feel free to share that link as well (I’m always looking for new ideas!)

See previous Friday Fluff Up projects and ideas . . . and Happy Fluffing!