The Disadvantages Of Installing Barn Doors (And Alternatives To Consider)

Along with the rise of modern farmhouse styles, sliding barn doors inside the home have skyrocketed in popularity. While barn doors often bring to mind a rustic aesthetic, they come in a range of styles, including sleek, contemporary options with glass panels or metal construction. The wide selection lets you customize the look and size to fit your space perfectly. Once installed, the barn door sits flush along the wall, sliding easily back and forth. However, these massive focal points come with potential disadvantages, like noise bleeds, privacy issues, and tricky installation.

The best places in your home for barn doors are closets, bathrooms, pantries, and laundry rooms. You might choose them in areas where there isn't enough space for a door to fully swing open. To make up for the swing, however, you'll need a large section of empty wall space where the barn door sits when it's open, so the doors won't work everywhere and will limit your decorating area. If you're covering a doorway with limited wall space next to it, you won't have enough room for the barn door and its track. Plus, double barn doors require obstruction-free space on both sides. Further, while the hardware installation is relatively straightforward, it requires precision to ensure it can hold the heavy door safely.

Sound can also be an issue. Barn doors don't offer as much sound dampening as other door types that close and latch securely, potentially creating a privacy issue. In other situations, noises from one space interfere with activities in another room. For example, if you're in your home office working behind a closed barn door, you may feel distracted by a movie being played or a loud phone call in the adjoining space. Some barn doors are also noisy every time you open and close them, which can get annoying.

Even though bathrooms are a common location for barn doors, this style of partition doesn't provide as much privacy as other types. Slight gaps between the door and the wall leave bathroom users feeling exposed, and lock options are limited. You can use a wider door or add privacy sweeps or molding to minimize the issue. However, barn doors are not great at muffling sounds that you might prefer to keep to yourself in the bathroom.

Older homes can make installing barn doors more challenging if the walls and floors are uneven. Since they use a track and slide freely, they doors can move on their own if the track isn't perfectly level. That means the door might not stay open or closed properly. If you install the track level on the wall with an uneven floor, you'll have larger gaps under some parts of the door, or the door might scuff spots where the floor is higher. The floor guides might also not work properly if the floor is uneven.

Whether due to style preferences or space constraints, finding alternatives to barn doors gives you the room separation you want with a style and functionality that fits your home. Consider pocket doors if you want an option that doesn't swing into the room. Pocket doors can save space in tight places because they slide into the wall when they're open. However, they're more difficult to install than barn doors because of the modifications you need to make inside the wall.

Bifold doors offer another option in smaller spaces where you don't have room for a full door swinging into the space. Each bifold door panel features two sections connected by hinges. The doors sit on a track within the door frame, so you don't have any overhang along the walls. Bifolds save space because the panels fold onto each other when you open them and slide out of the way. Accordion doors are similar, except that they have more than two connected panels, making them ideal for larger entryways.

In rooms with space for the swing, French doors offer a stylish option for covering a large opening between spaces. They come in a range of styles, from traditional to modern, with glass panels that allow both areas to feel bright and airy by sharing natural light. Curtains placed over the windows increase privacy. An alternative is a double solid door without glass panels if you want more privacy and better sound dampening.