How do you Lock your Sliding Barn Door?

iplumb · Sep 13, 2009

Looking for ideas on how to lock my sliding barn door from outside? I have no passage door so I need to lock my slider from outside. Currently has no lock. Thanks

mrcaptainbob · Sep 13, 2009

A hasp and padlock is what I've seen used....

schmism · Sep 14, 2009

do you have a concrete apron? (i dont suppose it really matters)

one of these

oriented vertically into concrete would work (even if its just a "post hole" below the bolt)

FYI mine is secured from the inside.

kthompson · Sep 14, 2009

Be sure there is something on each end to prevent it being pulled open, even by the wind. The hasp probably will be your best option. I have seen a chain with hole drilled in the door. There is a local hardware store here who sells all kind of sliding door hardware and that was only place I could find what I wanted but that was for the inside. Some of this will depend on whether your door slides over the wall or is level with the wall or even on the inside wall.

whitedogone · Sep 14, 2009

iplumb said:
Looking for ideas on how to lock my sliding barn door from outside? I have no passage door so I need to lock my slider from outside. Currently has no lock. Thanks

Well there's your sign!

studor · Sep 14, 2009

I have a sliding mechanism that looks like a bent rod -- hard to describe but it is specifically designed for sliding doors It holds the door closed and can be locked by a padlock if desired. I bought at TSC stores here in Canada -- different than the U.S. but they might have them if they have the sliding door track and wheels. They are called horse fooler latches. You can also use a cremone bolt which can be operated from both sides and locked from one side- they go into a top and bottom plate. -- or you can use a hasp!!

iplumb · Sep 14, 2009

whitedogone said:
Well there's your sign!

I don't get it

My door slides over the side of the barn. Its not even with it.

whitedogone · Sep 14, 2009

iplumb said:
I don't get itMy door slides over the side of the barn. Its not even with it.

You have no wall to install a passage door?

hr3 · Sep 15, 2009

some of these might work...

The first one is a maine barn door lock ,,, the second is to keep the revenours out barn door latch.. the third is a keep the wife in the barn latch...

sorry I just had to,, here the barn is always open the keys in the tractor door to the house is open,, just have fun getting by the wifey with the shot gun

iplumb · Sep 15, 2009

hr3 said:
some of these might work... The first one is a maine barn door lock ,,, the second is to keep the revenours out barn door latch.. the third is a keep the wife in the barn latch...

sorry I just had to,, here the barn is always open the keys in the tractor door to the house is open,, just have fun getting by the wifey with the shot gun

Same here. But I just finished cleaning and organizing the barn. I guess I'm getting paranoid as the economy worsens

stevem5215 · Sep 15, 2009

I have two long crossed wires wrapped around a nail that go from the outside ends of the main posts to the middle. Then I have two brackets on each barn door that hold a 2 x 8 x 4' in the middle of the doors (so they can't pull them apart) and then I have a latch with a padlock on each barn door where the main posts are next to the door at. It's one of those flexable ones you use with a padlock that has a turning piece in the middle for the lock to go through. I also have chains on the same area on one end and have another wire on the other side with a nail on both ends. On the other end of the barn I have nails on the outside doors that i pull each time I need to get in and also have it chained on one side to the same main posts next to the barn door. And then it's just a normal padlock as well on the regular barn sliding latches. This method seems to work pretty well keeping out people that have tried to pry in. Although, if they wanted in they'd just cut a hole in the barn siding. It would be a lot easier.

Steve

iplumb · Sep 15, 2009

stevem5215 said:
I have two long crossed wires wrapped around a nail that go from the outside ends of the main posts to the middle. Then I have two brackets on each barn door that hold a 2 x 8 x 4' in the middle of the doors (so they can't pull them apart) and then I have a latch with a padlock on each barn door where the main posts are next to the door at. It's one of those flexable ones you use with a padlock that has a turning piece in the middle for the lock to go through. I also have chains on the same area on one end and have another wire on the other side with a nail on both ends. On the other end of the barn I have nails on the outside doors that i pull each time I need to get in and also have it chained on one side to the same main posts next to the barn door. And then it's just a normal padlock as well on the regular barn sliding latches. This method seems to work pretty well keeping out people that have tried to pry in. Although, if they wanted in they'd just cut a hole in the barn siding. It would be a lot easier.

Steve

Wow

Maybe I'm not that pariniod....

Farmer John · Sep 16, 2009

I hung a photo of my mother-in-law just inside the door. If anyone slides the door back to get a peek in, the first thing they see is her face. Nothing lost yet...

shane · Sep 16, 2009

Farmer John said:
I hung a photo of my mother-in-law just inside the door. If anyone slides the door back to get a peek in, the first thing they see is her face. Nothing lost yet...

I used to do that until a crook sued my for emotional trauma and I lost.

CaptBob · Sep 16, 2009

Farmer John said:
I hung a photo of my mother-in-law just inside the door. If anyone slides the door back to get a peek in, the first thing they see is her face. Nothing lost yet...

For the past 31 years every time I have tried to take a photo of my Mother-In-Law, the lens of my camera cracks!!

iplumb · Sep 16, 2009

Wow you guys are brutal.

studor · Sep 16, 2009

I just have a sign that says "You are in Range" -- cannot do the mother - in - law thing -- she was truly a lovely woman -- my father used to tell me always look at the mother -- it was gonna be what the daughter was like in thirty years

radioman · Sep 17, 2009

studor said:
I just have a sign that says "You are in Range" -- cannot do the mother - in - law thing -- she was truly a lovely woman -- my father used to tell me always look at the mother -- it was gonna be what the daughter was like in thirty years

we are getting off topic - but yeah I agree with the look at mother part.

anyway my grandparants sliding door barn had a sliding bolt with arm sticking thru the "peephole" that would lock down and a hasp went over that to lock the whole thing instead of hasp on the sill and door. Unforunately they are 2 hours drive so can't take a picture.

hopefully this would give you an idea.

Kernopelli · Sep 17, 2009

studor said:
my father used to tell me always look at the mother -- it was gonna be what the daughter was like in thirty years

I tell my boys the same thing...it's generally pretty close. My wife IS an exception to the rule though, at 43 yrs old she still has the body of a teenager. The problem with that is I can chase her around the house all I want but a 47 yr old body can't catch her

grangerc · Oct 28, 2013

I used a 6" "Gatehouse" zinc swivel Hasp (#0309008) from Lowes. Bend the long portion contain the slot 90 degrees out away from the short portion that has the four mounting holes. You should straighten out the two slight bends that it comes with.