Sliding Barn Door Bathroom Privacy: All the Things You Must Know

Sliding barn door bathroom privacy is still a hot topic. Many people are in love with the look, but they question whether or not this entry type is suitable for the room, particularly because it does not have full privacy just like any other door types.

Are you questioning the same thing? If yes, then you are lucky because we will discuss everything you need to know from the topic.

In this post, we will discuss at least eight different subtopics related to the use of barn door as a bathroom entry. You can see each of the points in the table of content below.

1. The Use of Barn Door for Bathroom

The use of barn door as a part of bathroom design is no longer a strange thing right now. The proof is the existence of many houses in which this entrance type is available. Other than that, the popularity of this interior element seems to get higher and higher from time to time.

About this fact, the question that we need to ask is; why the door becomes so famous for the bathroom? Moreover, many people who haven’t had it before also feel interested in adding it to their home design.

One of the most significant reasons is the fact that this door looks aesthetically pleasing. In other words, besides the fact that it works as an entrance, it also works as a decorative item. That is the reason why people who want to enhance the look of their interior consider this door type as an option.

2. The Space-Saving Value of a Barn Door

Another thing that people love about using a barn door for their bathroom area is the fact that this home element is space-friendly. In other words, it is suitable to choose by those who do not have enough space to install an entry with the regular swinging opening.

The only space you need to prepare is available on the wall. The size depends on the door measurement and the length of the track that you want to pair with it for a comfortable opening and a perfect closing.

As an example, if you want to use a single barn door, then you need to prepare the space on a side of the wall only. It will be the opening space of the door. Please remember that it will be enough to open the door fully.
The situation will be a bit different if you choose a double entry. It must you to prepare the wall space on both sides of the opening.

There is one more thing that you need to remember in this case. It is that you must make sure that the wall is clear. It means there are no outlets, light switches, artworks, windows, vents, or any other thing that gets in the way so that you cannot operate the barn door comfortably.

3. Bathroom Barn Door Is Suitable for DIYer

Another thing that possibly becomes the reason why people love to cover their bathroom area by using a barn door is that this item is suitable for DIYer. It includes those who do not want to hire a professional and even those with a beginner level.

Installing a barn door is quite easy to do as long as you know about the right way to do it. You can even install it without removing the existing door trim if there is any.

Usually, when you buy a sliding barn door, you will also receive everything else that you need inside the package. Those are none other but the hardware as well as the track and the sliding hangers.

Instructions are often included too. You just need to follow it to get the door properly installed to cover the bathroom area.

However, if you are not sure about doing the installation on your own, it would be best to hire a professional. This decision can prevent you from some future problems. Besides, the skill that a professional has can minimize the door gap, which will be excellent for increasing the privacy value that you need.

4. The Privacy Issue of Bathroom Barn Door

One thing that often makes people feel hesitation in installing a barn-style door for their bathroom, as we already told you in the beginning, is because of the privacy value. Many of them concern about how the entrance type is not tightly closed on the sides. It creates a chance for any activities they do inside to be slightly visible from outside the room.

Based on that reason, many people also mentioned that if you have a problem with privacy, it would be so much better not to consider the door type as an option for the bathroom area. The question then is, should you just give it up that way even if you know that you are interested in the aesthetic values offered by this item?

The answer is NO. Let us find out about some possible solutions you can try to add privacy to the sliding barn door for the bathroom in the following subheadings.

5. The Importance of Door Size in Adding Privacy

Although indeed, a sliding barn door is not tightly closed on the sides, it does not mean that you cannot do anything to deal with the privacy issue. The easiest thing you can do first is considering the right size of this item since it can simply be the only thing that you need.

The first most important thing about the size is that it must be wider than the size of the bathroom doorway. The design of the sliding barn door, which track is commonly installed outside the room, usually leaves open gaps on both sides. That is why, by making sure that this item has a wider size, you can reduce the gaps.

About the measurement, you can follow the following explanation as an example. If, for instance, you have a 3-foot width doorway, the door must be at least 4-foot wide. This way, there will be approximately 6 inches left on each side that can cover the gap that you do not want.

Another thing that you must also think about is the right length of the track that you will use to hang the door later. FYI, it must be two times longer than the length of the door. So, if your door is 3-foot in width, then the track must be 6-foot long.

Do you question why you must do so? Well, the only reason is so that you can fully slide the door whenever you need to. In other words, there won’t something getting in the way in the doorway area.

If your door is wide enough and you cannot find the right track length to pair with it, you do no need to worry. You can but several tracks and then cut them into the length that you need. In this case, you must use a special connector that is usually provided by the manufacturer of the door.

There is one last thing you must remember about the track of the sliding door. The location is commonly outside the room, not inside it.

6. Barn Door Lock for Extra Privacy

If the previous solution we mentioned in subheading 5 is not enough for you, there is another one you can add. It is none other but a unique lock designed for a barn door.

Many people still do not know that this feature is possible to add to the entrance type. If you also do not know about it and you are interested in it, there is one crucial thing that you must remember.

It is none other, but the fact that this unique feature is not the same with the ones designed for any other doors, especially the regular swinging ones. If you want to add a lock to a sliding barn door, then you must be sure to choose the one designed for it.

Right now, this additional feature is available in different designs. The one you see in the picture above is an example.

Something like this is usually installed on the inner side of the sliding barn door. This way, you can lock the door from inside whenever you use the bathroom.

7. The Smell and Soundproof Values of Barn Door as Bathroom Entrance

Because of the design, a sliding barn door position is commonly not tight to the wall. As we already told you earlier, it leaves gaps on both sides. This fact leads people to question about the smell and soundproof values of the door.

Well, it cannot be denied. The gaps create a possibility for a bad smell, such as when nature is calling, or sounds from inside the room to be noticeable from outside. Something like this can make us feel uncomfortable in using the bathroom, right?

The same reasons also often make people choose the door only for the bathroom, which location is inside the bedroom. The most common example is in the master bedroom design.

If you are highly concerned about such things, it would be better not to take the door type as an option. Or, if you want to, you can use it in the master bathroom since it is more private.

Until now, it seems that there are no products available for increasing the smell and soundproof value of this door type. Therefore, you should think about everything carefully before deciding to use it to cover the bathroom in your house, mainly when the location is in the public area.

8. Inspirations of Sliding Barn Door for Bathroom Privacy

Now that you already know about the use of sliding barn door for covering a bathroom, it is the time to check out some inspirations that we think to be interesting. Each of them can give you an idea to choose your option later.

Stunning Hardware for Decorating the Door

Another thing that can make a sliding barn door an interesting choice for your bathroom is that you can choose some custom hardware to pair with it. This way, you can boost the decorative value.

As an example, you can take a look at the picture that we found above. The overall design of the barn door is stunning, not only because of the wooden material that makes the entire area looks rustic. It is about because of the series of the track hardware on the upper part.

The dark color is bold. Besides, the huge wheels and hangers are catchy.

A Sliding Barn Door with Special Feature

Some sliding barn doors even come with special features that can add functions in the bathroom area. You can see an example in the picture above.

It is a sliding barn door in a contemporary bathroom. The interesting features that we can see from it are none other but the two towel hangers.

Details like this are excellent to consider when the room is quite small. The space-friendly value would be awesome for a limited space.

Sliding Barn Door for a Small Space

As we already told you before, a sliding barn door is also an excellent choice because it has the space-friendly value in the design. That is why you should consider it for a tight space as the closed toilet in the picture above.

The room available near the toilet entry is limited because of the floating bathroom vanity right next to it. That is why it would be impossible to install a door with a swinging opening here.

The sliding barn door is just excellent in this case. The small size makes it does not need to much wall space.

Concealed Bathroom and Home Office behind a Sliding Barn Door

Sometimes, a sliding barn door can also conceal the bathroom behind it. Sometimes, it looks like a closet instead of a room for cleaning up when the size of the entry is wide enough.

Take a look at the pic, for instance. The design of this wide sliding door is unique because it has a very long track. That is why it can cover the bathroom and home office one at a time.

Space-Saving Sliding Barn Door

This picture shows another example to prove that the door type we are talking about in this post is suitable for installation in a limited space. As you can see, the space used in the farmhouse bathroom above is very narrow because the location is in between the tub and the wall.

This picture shows an excellent inspiration for you who are dealing with space limitations in a small bathroom.

Double Sliding Barn Door for Concealing a Master Bathroom

If your doorway is wide enough, choosing a double sliding barn door is the best solution. The appearance looks like the one you can see in the picture.

Something like this is also perfect for creating a concealed effect. When closed, the door looks like a closet, not a master bathroom.

Bulky Sliding Barn Door for Contemporary Bathroom

If you want to create a stunning look in your contemporary bathroom, choosing a bulky sliding barn door like the one you see in the pic could be an excellent decision. The wood detailing is the most prominent thing here.

An interesting idea that you can see from the door design is that it comes with hooks for hanging towels or robes. The features even have the same rose gold color to match the bathroom theme.

Sliding Barn Door with Handles

There is an inspiration we want you to notice from this picture of a double sliding barn door. It is the existence of handles in the design.

If you want to operate this kind of door comfortably, you should consider adding these features. There are quite a lot of styles available so that you can pick one with the best looks according to your taste and the compatibility value with the bathroom design generally.

Modern Sliding Barn Door with Mirror

Here is another inspirational example that we found. It shows a modern farmhouse-style sliding barn door that comes with a built-in mirror in the design.

It looks perfect for a small bathroom. The reason is that it can create a spacious visual there.

9. Closing

What do you think about the info and inspirations about sliding barn door bathroom privacy that we share in this post? We do hope that everything will be helpful for you in choosing the right product that can provide the privacy that you need.

Do you have any other ideas that can help increase the privacy value of a sliding barn door used for covering the bathroom area? Share if you care.