Barn doors provide the perfect mix of rustic charm and functional style. Eager to add them to your home, but unsure how to find the right fit? Keep reading to learn exactly what you should measure before you buy.

How to Find the Right Barn Door Sizes

What You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Pencil
• Paper
• Step stool

Step 1: Measure Your Doorways

Before selecting the perfect barn doors, it’s important to measure any doorways, stairways, or hallways your barn doors will pass through leading to the installation site. Record the height (top to bottom) and width (side to side) for each. These measurements will help you determine the maximum barn door size that can fit into your home. Here are some of the most popular barn door sizes:

Step 2: Find the Right Width

To make sure your barn door provides full coverage and properly slides from side to side, it’s important to measure the door frame’s width and the available wall space:

Measure Door Frame Width

If your doorway has trim: Measure from the outer edge of one trim piece to the outer edge of the other. Add 2” to 4” to your measurement to make sure your barn door fully covers the framed area.

If your doorway doesn’t have trim: Measure your door frame from the inner edge of one side to the inner edge of the other. Once again, be sure to add 2” to 4” to your measurement for full coverage.

Measure Available Wall Space

Next, measure the wall space beside your door frame to ensure your barn door has enough room to completely slide open. For double barn doors, it’s important that there’s enough room on both sides of the frame.

Take a pencil, lightly marking the doorway’s width on the wall where it will slide. Keep an eye out for obstacles, like light switches or other nearby walls – if the door can’t open all the way, this location is not ideal for barn door installation.

Step 3: Find the Right Height

Consider Track Placement

To ensure you pick the right barn door height, determine how far above the door you want the track to be mounted. Tracks are most often mounted halfway between the ceiling and the doorway’s top, or directly above the door frame. For easy reference, use your pencil to mark where you’ll place the barn door track.

Measure Height

If placing your track right above the trim or doorway, measure from the floor to the top edge of your door's trim or edge. Then, subtract 1" to ensure that your door can close without scratching the floor. If your door track will be placed higher than this, measure from the floor to your pencil mark, then subtract 1" again.

Step 4: Determine Track Length

Now that you’ve determined the ideal barn door size, it’s time to figure out which track length is best.

For single barn doors: Multiply the width of your door by two. This measurement provides the minimum track length needed for the door to fully slide open. If you’d like, you can extend the track length for aesthetic purposes.

For double barn doors: Multiply the width of one door by four. This ensures the track has enough room to fully slide along both sides of the doorway.

To simplify the installation process, opt for a hardware kit – they're available for both single and double barn doors and come with all the pieces you need.

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