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Hacks for keeping doors closed

I’m looking for ideas for keeping French style bar doors closed. With shifts in home do to age and weather our doors don’t stay shut in place well. Wondering has anyone stuck or installed magnets on insides of door edge where they come together to keep them shut? They are white doors so would want white magnets. Yet then how hard are they to separate? Any other ideas?

Comments (15)

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    Photos would help us understand what you are talking about.

  • 3 years ago

    Interior? Exterior? Pictures as requested as application and exposure will help dictate response.

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I used cheap dime sized magnets from Amazon to secure a mailbox door that kept flopping open when the latch became unusble. It stays shut but is easy to open. Your doors aren't metal, but you can probably see if magnets will solve your problem by experiments with magnets and removable adhesive. If they work, ultimately you might have to rout out a hole in each door frame edge to insert the magnets flush and have it look seamless. I used round magnets but I don't know why another shape wouldn't be just as good. You can paint any magnet with nail polish or hide it under white tape.

  • 3 years ago

    Picture of the doors. And yes we have handles to install ;)

  • 3 years ago

    I’m open to other ideas too on latching them or keeping them closed when inside they also don’t stay open completely which is frustrating but since installing of course there’s always settling that occurs and things change.

  • 3 years ago

    Are the tracks level?

  • 3 years ago

    Yes they were

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    Could not figure out what a BAR door was.

    Even if the house is crooked, if the track is straight the doors should stay together.


    Someone measured down from the ceiling or up from the door frame to mark where to install the track when a level should have been used instead.

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    Get someone to level the tracks. Your house cant be moving that much.

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    Barndoors I see. I have no idea but it seems to me that is an issue with the track not level. I agree no way should ahouse be settling that much. Yes you could do magnets but first get that track perfectly level

  • 3 years ago

    Thanks all! I am giving some though rather than magnets if there’s some hardware I can use too that I can keep them closed when in office. Example like a lock. So that way my kids can’t just open them and/or play with them while I’m working.

  • 3 years ago

    All the reasons barn doors are typically not a good choice for some locations. Also if the doors do not stay shut as noted above there is an installation error and something is not level or square. You could use cremeone or foot bolts but to use this will require the doors being level and square.

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I have an armoire in which the door didn’t stay closed, so added a small velcro strip. Stays shut and is easy to pull open (you don’t need a lot).

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    The magnets won't keep the kids out so just get a latch

  • 3 years ago

    Use a hook and eye on the inside, a sliding lock or a latch similar, be careful not to get one that will lock by accident from the wrong side.