Sliding Barn Door Track Question

[maradcliff]

I am trying to put a small (6 1/2 foot wide, 7 foot high) sliding barn door on my barn. I put on the common steel siding. What I am running into is the door brackets that bolt to the side of the building are spaced 1/2" from the wall because of the ribs in the steel. In other words the whole track is riding on top of the ribs of the steel siding, which in itself is no problem, but the brackets need to bolt to something solid, not just to the ribs of the steel. I am thinking to just put blocks of wood 1/2 or 3/4" thick under the brackets and on top of the steel. I guess that wont be the nicest looking, but I am more concerend about the door working properly. Anyhow, just for the heck of it, I thought I'd ask to see if anyone has any other ideas. I am sure this is a common problem. I should note this is a square track with the groove in the bottom for the rollers. There are brackets that go around the rail and hang by one lag bolt into the wall. This is NOT the other style that seems to be more popular now, which bolts on top of the header over the door. I can not use that type with the roof being directly over the door. (This is a lean off the back of the main barnm and the roof is directly ontop of that header. The roof has a one foot overhang so I dont need all that trim to keep rain out of the top of the door, since the overhang is directly over the door, there will not be leaking.

I should mention that the main doors on my barn are bolted directly to the siding, but that siding is that old fashioned ine inch corrigated steel that only sticks out like 1/4" or so. Plus that track is the "antique" round stuff.

Mark

[W. Wells]

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[Duane Bozarth]

The other alternative is to do similar to what you mention but make filler blocks to fill the low spot and bolt through them. You don't want to mount through the high spots as you can't torque the lag bolts down w/o crushing the tin underneath.

[Dean Hoffman]

Another alternative might be to buy the blocks made for plastic siding. They are used for things like mounting porch lights.

Dean

[Larry Caldwell]

If that is the common val-rib design, you will find that the rib height is 7/8" When building a new barn, the track goes up first on a spacer board, then the track flashing, then the siding laps over the track flashing and continues above the track.

In a retrofit situation like yours, there is no way to get the track flashing under the siding. The easiest way to proceed is as you have already figured out, by blocking the hardware out until it doesn't interfere with the siding. Don't be afraid to give the door a little extra clearance to accommodate bolt heads and hardware. 1-1/2" blocks would work fine. Since the door top will be open to the weather, you will get some water on the inside of the door, but if you use galvanized hardware and treated wood for the door frame, the door should last as long as you do.

If you are a compulsive perfectionist, take the siding off and cut it to accommodate the track hangers and track flashing. You will still have to space the hangers out, but you can use a continuous board and go with untreated wood, since the flashing will catch the moisture.

[maradcliff]

This is what I was considering. I can see putting a board across the whole wall, but then the door will stick out too far from the wall. I guess the blocks will be what I do, whether wood or another material. My tin ribs stick out about

1/2". I guess standard 3/4" 1x4 (treated) will work.

Thanks

[Andy Asberry]

One inch square tubing works great as a spacer. Cut pieces about 2" long and lay in the valleys where you bolt up your track.

[Duane Bozarth]

Of course it's more of a pita to accomplish, but it would be possible to use a metal cutting blade and a guide board and cut the tin for the mounting plank and flash it as described by somebody else earlier...

[Goedjn]

Run a plank down the side of the doorway too.