Old pallets are transformed into the perfect closet door

DIY'er: Everett Ballenger

Project: Sliding barn door

Everett Ballenger of Beaufort shares how he turned salvaged pallets into a stunning sliding door for his closet.

THE PROJECT

I originally wanted a pocket door on our closet, but the contractor said there was not enough room. So I decided to make a sliding "barn door" instead. I got inspiration for the door from magazines and online, and combined two or three different ideas for my project.

I made the door mostly out of old pallets (the herringbone pattern is what came from the pallets). The rest of the door is a backing of three-quarters-inch plywood and a pine frame. The door is finished on the outside with cedar wood.

Finding pallets in the Beaufort area was tough. I got six from a moving company and I used them all. I really could have used a seventh. It took a while to pull the pallets apart because they split easily. You need to have patience breaking down the pallets. I stained the back of the door, but I wanted the natural grain and colors of the wood to show on the front so I sanded the wood and rubbed in furniture wax.

SMOOTH GLIDE

The rolling hardware is by Quiet Glide and I purchased it online. Installing the door took some thought. The door is quite heavy and it was going on the second floor. Getting it up two flights of stairs was a little tough.

Even with the longest brackets, the sliding door was too close to the door frame, so I made three-quarters-inch spacers. Then it was just a matter of sliding the door on the rail, installing a guide on the floor and a couple of end stops. Even though the door is very heavy, it glides smoothly.

In all, the project took about three days. I wanted to take my time so I didn't make a mistake I couldn't go back on. Taking the pallets apart was the most time consuming part of the project. I didn't come across too many issues along the way because I thought about the project a lot before I started. I did have to buy some tools that I didn't have, but that's OK, I like buying tools.

The door looks great and I have had folks ask me if I could make one for them.

This story was originally published March 8, 2015 at 12:01 AM with the headline "Old pallets are transformed into the perfect closet door."