Barn Door - Alex D’Alessio (@realiferenovation)

Reduce, Reuse, Restore: DIY Upcycled Barn Door

If first impressions are everything, then the doorway to your room is the ultimate tone-setter. There’s nothing wrong with a plain white door, but why settle for something basic when you can easily upcycle your own beautiful barn door? Make a dent in your scrap pile and avoid material waste with this easy DIY project using leftover wood, an old door and powerful, quick-drying adhesive.

If first impressions are everything, then the doorway to your room is the ultimate tone-setter. There’s nothing wrong with a plain white door, but why settle for something basic when you can easily upcycle your own beautiful barn door?

Make a dent in your scrap pile and avoid material waste with this easy DIY project using leftover wood, an old door and powerful, quick-drying adhesive.

How to Give an Old Door a Second Life

Alex D’Alessio (@realiferenovation) almost threw his old white bedroom door out on the curb before he realized how easy it would be to give it a second chance as a chic barn door.

Watch Alex’s process in the video below.

For a written breakdown explaining how they tackled this project without a power tool in sight, check out these steps.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:  

Directions

1. Gather your materials 

First, decide what wood you’ll use. In the spirit of sustainability, Alex used some leftover flooring pieces and 1-inch tall wood he had laying around for trim. Check your stash and gather enough flat pieces of wood to cover the front and back of your door and enough trim to cover all four sides.

2. Cut flat wood pieces

Measure your door to determine how big you will need to cut your flat wood pieces. Alex’s flooring pieces were score and snap, meaning he only needed a utility knife to cut them. You may require a more powerful wood cutting tool depending on the type of leftover wood you’re using.

3. Lay out wood on one side of door

Be sure to remove hardware, like hinges and knobs, from your door. Then, lay out the door on a flat surface and place your cut wood pieces on top in your desired pattern to double check that you’re satisfied with fit and design. Alex’s floor pieces were designed to fit together, ensuring no seams or bits of the original door would peak through.

4. Adhere wood to door

Using your utility knife, cut the tip of your Loctite® PL Premium Max Construction Adhesive at an angle. Remove one piece of wood and add adhesive directly to the door the way you would add any caulk. Remember, a little goes a long way here! 

Press the wood onto the adhesive in the desired spot. Loctite® PL Premium Max Construction Adhesive has a 20-minute work time, so if you aren’t satisfied with your placement, you can always reposition it. 

5. Flip door

Even with the 20-minute work time, Loctite® PL Premium Max Construction Adhesive still has immediate holding power, meaning you don’t have to wait to flip your door over and attach wood to the other side. Once you are satisfied with the look of the first side, you can immediately start work on the second side.

6. Stain trim

Once you have placed all flat pieces of wood, grab your trim pieces and stain them. Alex used a stain that would match the color of his flooring pieces, but you can play around with colors depending on the design of your space. 

7. Attach trim

Once the stained trim pieces are dry, attach them to the edges of the door using Loctite® PL Premium Max Construction Adhesive.

8. Install barn door hardware

Add barn door hardware to the top of your doorway and secure it properly. Then grab your upcycled door, add it to the sliding track and voilà! Alex was going to throw away his white door, but instead he chose a more sustainable solution and totally transformed his entryway.

If you’re looking to bust your scrap wood pile or reduce, reuse, and restore something in your home, Loctite® PL Premium Max Construction Adhesive is the easiest way to DIY your next project.

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