Hanging barn door rail
#1
12-22-20, 08:47 PM
Hanging barn door rail
I'll be installing a 36" barn door in the near future, and was wondering if I need to (or should) secure a board (2x6, 2x8) to the wall and attach the rail to the board, or if it's okay to bolt the rail directly to the wall. There's a 2x12 beam behind that runs the full length of the room so I'm not concerned about strength, but rather if the mounting hardware will sink into the Sheetrock and look unsightly. It's an office/guest room so I'd like to keep the door as close to the wall as possible, so no board is the desirable option, but not if it will cause issues with the Sheetrock.
#2
12-22-20, 09:27 PM
Group Moderator
Adding a 1x6 or 1x8 to support the hardware is optional, and it changes the look of the door / hardware significantly. Because of that, some omit it. Others prefer it. Its up to you. Generally the weight is distributed on enough anchors that crushing isn't a problem. But in the end its up to you. I would suggest no ledger... but one could always be added later. The ledger also moves the door farther away from the wall, increasing the gap you see between the door and wall. Another reason I would omit it.
#4
12-23-20, 05:32 AM
Group Moderator
The big thing with adding a board is its thickness. Barn doors don't close tightly to begin with so spacing it further from the wall with a board will only increase the gap around/behind the door.
