How To Create Saloon Doors In Your Home

By UpGifs.com in House and Home January 19, 2021

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If you’re aiming to create something unique in your home, saloon doors can be an excellent option.

Just like the doors you see in old Western films, these doors swing open and closed from the center, but today’s designs have a modern twist.

Read on to learn how you can recreate this same look and functionality in your own home for a fun update.

Measuring Your Doors

Before you begin your project, it’s a good idea to learn more about how saloon doors work so you have an idea of how they operate. Start your project by measuring the door frame, then subtract about 1 1/2-inch from these measurements for the salon door hinges.

Divide your measurement by two, which will be the width for each individual door. You can install tall, standard doors or try the shorter paneled doors that are similar to the traditional ones in the old West.

After you have the measurements, draw your design on a large sheet of pattern paper and cut it out. You may need to cut several pieces and tape them together to create a template.

Making Your New Saloon Doors

Now it’s time to choose the material of your doors – solid slab is preferred over hollow-core doors. You can also use decorative panels or even a lattice-style panel or plywood to serve as your saloon doors.

Place your paper that you cut out directly over the door material and draw it out using a carpenter’s pencil on each side. Using a circular saw or jigsaw, cut each individual door out to match.

Once you’re done cutting the doors, you’ll need to sand the edges smooth with fine-grit sandpaper. After the doors are cut out and sanded, you can paint or stain them your desired color or finish.

Installation

Now it’s time to install the hinges and mount your new doors. Use at least two hinges on each side of the door frames and carefully measure the distance between each, with the bottom one located around 2.5-inches from the bottom of the door. This measurement will also apply to the hinges at the top of the saloon door.

If your doors are tall and fill in the entire height of the doorframe, make sure you add a third hinge in the center to keep them stable. You will need double-action barrel hinges if you want your doors to swing in and outward.

Carefully hold each individual door against the hinges and make sure they’re straight using a level. Mark the location of each hinge on your doors in advance with a pencil, then lay them down and drill pilot holes for each hinge.

Attach your doors to the hinges, making sure that each one is even with the other before you tighten the screws and hinges. Once they’re level and even, tighten things up and enjoy your brand-new doors!