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Trim around barn door openings?

jmw
4 years ago

We're building a house & will have baseboards as well as trim around all of the standard interior doors. We have 4 barn door openings as well. Would you recommend putting trim around the barn door openings or leaving it bare. We are going with a contemporary feel & the barn doors are at the pantry, laundry room & linen closet. Here are 2 Houzz photos showing examples of each (1 without trim & 1 with trim).



Low Country · More Info


Bathroom Barn Doors · More Info


Comments (22)

  • Amy Lydia
    4 years ago

    We have trim on ours but I do like the look in the pantry of option 1.

    jmw thanked Amy Lydia
  • Molly D. Zone4B
    4 years ago

    My pantry is like example 1. I like without.

    jmw thanked Molly D. Zone4B
  • PRO
    Mark Bischak, Architect
    4 years ago

    The best trim around a barn door is a barn.

  • sheepla
    4 years ago

    It looks better without the trim.

    jmw thanked sheepla
  • PRO
    Virgil Carter Fine Art
    4 years ago

    Without trim really means no baseboard, since a continuous baseboard will cause the barn door to be installed to allow for the width of the baseboard.


    In the photo above, we cannot see the baseboard on the wall with the barn door, but we can see a base installed on the wall around the corner.


    If one is installing a barn door to allow for the width of a baseboard, then it's a simple matter to install trim for the jambs and head of the opening (if desired).


    I agree with Mark--why have a barn door if one doesn't have a barn to go with it?

    jmw thanked Virgil Carter Fine Art
  • lindahambleton
    4 years ago

    Would you consider doing pocket doors ?

    jmw thanked lindahambleton
  • Kelsey Janak
    4 years ago

    Without the trim for sure.

    jmw thanked Kelsey Janak
  • PRO
    Virgil Carter Fine Art
    4 years ago

    Since, in most cases, there will be an installed continuous base trim piece, that means that there will be a gap between the barn door and the jamb (sides) and head (top) of the door equal to the depth of the base trim. And the door will have a gap at the bottom in order to clear the flooring.


    The gaps at the side, top and bottom makes it a lot easier for the crawly things to get into the pantry.


    Of course, hinged and pocket doors have a gap at the bottom, so there's no easy way to stop the crawlies.

    jmw thanked Virgil Carter Fine Art
  • PRO
    Patricia Colwell Consulting
    4 years ago

    IMO creepy crawlies will always find a way. But I do like no trim on that pantry for sure but I don’t like the look of the install on the bathroom door picture . I happen to like barn doors on a pantry but not for bathrooms .I am sure you could have come up with a better option than that pantry though in a new build

    jmw thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
  • Amy Lydia
    4 years ago

    I think the track could be higher in the 2nd photo.

    jmw thanked Amy Lydia
  • jmw
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    The doors are only for a pantry, laundry room & linen closet. Not bathrooms. lindahambelton, pocket doors would have been great but did not work structurally with the walls. Amy Lydia, I agree! But I may not have noticed it if you hadn't mentioned it. Thanks to all of you for your input.

  • erinsean
    4 years ago

    I would think with no trim, you would have a closer fit on the sides and top. That is what I would do. I would leave baseboard trim off, if possible, for that same reason.

    jmw thanked erinsean
  • Amy Lydia
    4 years ago

    Sure thing @jmw! I think the barn door adds some fun style and decor to the house when used appropriately! It’s easy to change a door in the future. As mentioned though, I would def put the track above the trim if you decide on using trim. Good luck!

    jmw thanked Amy Lydia
  • PRO
    Virgil Carter Fine Art
    4 years ago

    Well...there is really no good way to leave off the base trim for a wall where a barn door is located is there?


    Think about it.


    You have a wall with base trim and suddenly the trim just stops at the point where the door is located when open? And what does it look like when the door is closed?


    And if you leave the base trim off the entire wall how do you think the drywallers will install the gypsum board or other wall material in order to have it flush and neat with the flooring? A baseboard trim covers a lot of workmanship sins...


    And how long do you think the gypsum board without a base trim will last after being hit daily with a vacuum cleaner, wet mop, broom and Rover pawing and chewing the bottom of the gypsum board along the floor?


    So it's really impractical (and unattractive) to not have a base trim board or other base material. And the thickness of the base trim, plus a little stand-off dimension, is as close to the wall as the barn door can be installed isn't it?


    Thus, if you don't want trim at the jambs and head of the opening there will be a sizable gap between the wall surface and the barn door.


    Simple.

    jmw thanked Virgil Carter Fine Art
  • PRO
    Virgil Carter Fine Art
    4 years ago

    One approach to eliminate trim around the opening and have the barn door as close to the wall as possible would be to use continuous plastic laminate strips as the base everywhere.

    jmw thanked Virgil Carter Fine Art
  • Aaron Woodburn
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I would just like to say to all the other commenter that you're all pretentious and self absorbed. the OP asked about trim, not about your opinion of barn doors.

    "would you consider a pocket door" 🤔 what? would they consider ripping out a wall and 3 joists so they can appease some narcissistic commentator on the internet? sure........

    seriously, grow some manners.

  • PRO
    Mark Bischak, Architect
    3 years ago

    Barn door police??

  • Jen K (7b, 8a)
    3 years ago

    It doesn't take more than one minute to know that "you're all pretentious and self absorbed." The internet requires fortitude, an iron gut and self-deprecating humor. (I also need a good deal of Wilbur buds - shout out to Lititz PA!!)

  • JJ
    3 years ago

    Its easy. Just say no to barn doors. Unless you are living in a barn with your livestock.

  • User
    3 years ago

    “seriously, grow some manners.” right after an insulting rant against those who voiced their (asked for) opinions. On a year old thread. Some people just don’t get irony, I guess. Ain’t the Internet a wonderful zoo?

  • Aaron Woodburn
    last year

    And the opinion against barndoors was completely unsolicited. No history editing here, Mary, grow up