How to Reface Interior Doors Into Barn Doors

Last Updated: July 5, 2019

If you have ever wanted a “farmhouse” style barn door but do not have the wall space for one, this may be your solution to getting the look you want at a cost-effective price while still using your same door!

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Preparing

1
Remove the chosen door. You can do this by either taking the door off the hinges, or removing the bifold door from its tracts.
2
Measure the door. Do this exactly and hit the supply store. Measure the door twice so you do not have to return to the store later on!

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Refacing the Door

1
Cut a piece of the plywood to the exact dimensions of the door. Lay it on top of the door to make sure everything is covered perfectly and none of the door is showing.
2
Put a layer of "Liquid nails" down on the door from top to bottom. You do not need to get it in the panels because the wood won’t touch down in them.
3
Lay the plywood and cut over the door and press down. From this point, once you are satisfied where the wood is, go ahead and use a nail gun around the edges to nail down the wood to the door.
4
Measure out how you want the "frame" of the barn door to be. A good measurement is 3 inch top and bottom with 2 inch side pieces for a smaller door but you can use wider pieces for a larger door.
5
Cut the top and bottom pieces the same width and and lay them on the door. Do the same with the side frame piece. Do not glue anything down until you have the entire frame cut.
6
Glue and nail down the the pieces to the door.
7
Figure out where you want the center to be. Some people like it directly in the middle and some people like it a little lower. Play around with it and figure out what looks best to you. The exact middle is good if you want to change the door from a doorknob use door to a magnet door and wanted the handle right where the doorknob was originally.
8
Cut the first half of the X. This can be tricky and it varies for everyone depending on the height and width of your door. This can be hard to figure out your angles. Home Depot/Lowes sell a tool to make figuring out your angles much easier. Spend an extra $15 for this tool in case you want to do more doors in the future, it will save you a lot of time and frustration.
9
Cut the other half of the "X" and glue and nail it down.
- If you are off a little bit and there is a slight gap between pieces of wood, don't fret. A little bit of wood filler and a sanding block will do wonders.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Finishing Up

1
Sand down all the edges. Make sure everything is nice and smooth and nothing is hanging off that could give you a splinter later.
2
Watch as the door comes together. All your hard work is now done.
3
Remount the door to the frame. This is to make sure the door opens and closes like it should and to make sure it all fits like it’s supposed to.
4
Paint your door. You can remove the door to paint it, as it is easier to get the sides where the hinges are, but you can certainly paint it while it is hanging, just use some painters tape so you don't accidentally get paint where you don't want it.
5
Mount the new handle. You can mount it directly around where the doorknob used to be.