A Door!

As per usual, we are getting to projects we had planned for the fall in late winter. Although we managed to get tin up on the west side of the barn to keep the weather out for the chickens, as you can see in this picture, we did not get around to installing the big barn door. I made the doors in the summer - utilizing plywood from the dance floor from our wedding. We left the checkerboard paint that matches the house. Although some have argued that it looks out of place, we love it. It's a reminder of a great day and is unique - when you see this barn, you'll know you're at Korclair Farm!

Since we moved in over two years ago, the large barn door has been missing. The original doors were hinged, swinging open to each side. As a result, the support for the heavy doors is along the sides of the opening. We wanted to go with sliding doors, so we had to start with reinforcing the track area above the opening. We did this by securing 4x4 beams to the wall structure of the barn with lag screws. We then bolted a 2x8 to the face of the barn. This is what the track will hang on.

With a solid structure installed, and the track hung, we are ready to lift the doors into place. To do this, we called on my parents - the doors are really heavy and require one person up on the ladder guiding it into the track. It took a little effort, but we got both doors in place and are very happy with the result.