How To Build A Hinged Barn Door With Plywood: Building An Exterior Hinged Barn Door With Plywood


Building An Exterior Hinged Barn Door With Plywood

A sturdy door for a shed, storage structure, or utility locker is made of plywood. About all that is required is a sheet of 3/4-inch exterior-grade plywood that has been cut to size, installed with T-strap hinges, and fastened to the door. For thinner doors, it's also possible to use 1/2-inch plywood. Wooden bracing that attach at the back of bigger doors stop the door from bending while being used and bowing over time. If you use a power saw to cut plywood veneer, it will splinter. For this reason, while sawing plywood to create a hinged door, proper eye protection and the right saw blade are essential. Apply three applications of all-weather sealant to the door and braces before installing them. Use a paintbrush or roller to apply the sealer, and wait until each coat is dry before adding another. Using vinyl edging strips, the plywood door's edges are shielded from moisture. With the aid of a hacksaw, trim the edging to the proper length and fasten it with construction glue and stainless steel brads. Before hanging the door, insert 3-inch deck screws into each of the machined holes in the butt of each hinge.

Items Needed

  • Sawhorses & 2-By-4 Framing Lumber
  • 3/4-Inch Thick 4-By-8 Exterior-Grade Plywood
  • Measuring Tape & Chalk Line
  • Drywall Square Or Metal Straight Edge
  • Utility Knife & Eye Protection
  • Circular Saw Or Table Saw With Fine-Tooth Blade
  • Sanding Block, 1-By-6 Framing Lumber & Drill
  • Screw-Tip Attachment, 1-1/2-Inch Deck Screws & T-Strap Hinges
  • 3/16-Inch Drill Bit, Screwdriver & Open-End Wrench
  • 3/16-By-2-Inch Machine Screws With Washers And Nuts

Step 1: Cutting The Door

  • Prepare The Work Table
    With the aid of two sawhorses and two pieces of 2-by-4 framing timber, erect a worktable next to the door opening. Lay the 2-by-4s flat on top of the sawhorses and space them 5 feet apart from the respective ends of the horses. For best balance while cutting the door to size, lay a complete sheet of 3/4-inch exterior-grade plywood flat on the worktable and center it both ways. Place the 2-by-4s closer together to create smaller doors from a smaller piece of plywood.
  • Measure And Mark The Plywood
    To account for clearance, multiply the door opening's width by its height by 1/2 inch on each side. Take the plywood's one straight end and one straight side as your starting points, then mark the plywood with multiple markings to represent the width and height. Draw reference lines with chalk at the marks for the cuts.
  • Score The Marked Lines
    With a utility knife, drywall square, or other metal straightedge, score the chalk lines. As a guide for the knife blade, place one edge of the square on a line. For optimum results, score each line twice.
  • Cut The Plywood
    Eye protection, please. Using a circular saw or table saw equipped with a fine-tooth blade, cut the plywood along the lines. The blade's one edge is guided by the scored lines, which also serve to avoid splintering. With a sanding block, remove burrs from saw cuts.

Step 2: Braces And Hinges

  • Cut Framing Lumber For Braces
    Decide which side of the door will be the face. Put the door on the work surface with the rear (opposite) side up. To create braces that attach across the top and lower ends of the door, cut two pieces of 1-by-6 framing timber to the width of the door.
  • Attach The Outer Braces
    A drill should be set up with a screw-tip attachment. Place a brace flat on the end of the door. Align the outer edge with the door's edge and the matching outer edges of the door's two ends. Starting an inch from either end, fasten the bracing with a pair of 1-1/2-inch deck screws spaced 4 inches apart. Repeat the process to attach the final brace flat across the door's opposite end.
  • Attach The Diagonal Braces
    A diagonal brace that connects between one brace's outer end and the opposite brace's outer end must be measured and cut. For the brace's ends to fit against the corresponding inside edges of the top and bottom braces, make angle cuts at each end as appropriate. As before, screw the diagonal brace into place at 4-inch intervals.
  • Measure For The Hinges
    Measure from the bottom and top of the door accordingly and mark locations for T-strap hinges at one edge. Doors taller than six feet require four hinges. Doors that are shorter than 6 feet need at least three hinges. The distance between the matching ends of the door and the upper and lower hinges is 4 inches. The middle of the intermediate hinges runs from top to bottom and is uniformly spaced apart.
  • Drill The Hinge Holes
    In the drill, insert a 3/6-inch drill bit. A T-strap hinge should be positioned with the strap component on top of the door's face and at a mark. Place the hinge's barrel so that it is parallel to the door's outside border. Drill bolt holes at each hole using the machined holes in the strap part as a guide. Drill the strap section holes on the remaining hinges by repeating the previous step.
  • Screw In The Hinges
    A 3/16-by-2-inch machine screw should be inserted through each hinge's face and into each hole. At the back of the door, attach a washer and nut to the opposite end. As a backup, insert a screwdriver into the screw's slot and tighten the nut with an open-end wrench. The opening is prepared for the door to be placed.
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