10 Innovative Exterior Metal Sliding Barn Doors to Adapt for Your Barn

10 Innovative Exterior Metal Sliding Barn Doors

Metal sliding barn doors are lovely additions to exteriors because they can help you create a focal point that allows you to make a big statement to your visitors or guests.

They don’t look like regular doors, so they will enable you to showcase your personal style as well. They’ll even look good when you leave them open.

They can also be assimilated into many designs. Of course, metal sliding barn doors suit the rustic style. However, they can be incorporated into contemporary or modern designs as well.

They’ll surely become something people can feast their eyes on, and the good thing is, they offer functional benefits as well.

The first functional benefit of metal sliding barn doors is that they help you save space. They’re amongst the most ideal doors for tight spaces. They help you save space by eliminating the space you need for door swings.

Metal sliding barn doors are also very easy to install. When you install conventional doors, you have to make precise measurements. However, it’s not the case with sliding barn doors.

This easiness to installing metal sliding barn doors is also a benefit that pre-cut doorways cannot offer.

One of the most incredible things about metal sliding barn doors is that they’re not just doors. They’re functional arts.

The fact that they also provide a contrast of materials and make commonly forgotten or even boring elements at home interesting is a plus point of having these doors.

If you have plans to install metal sliding barn doors, we have some to be inspired by here. From sturdy 16-gauge metal barn doors to galvanneal doors or even perforated steel doors, we have many doors to be in awe of here.

Check these doors out before you design yours.

1. 16 Gauge Sheet Metal Sliding Barn Doors as Sturdy Gates for an Urban Barn

16 gauge sheet metal sliding barn doors as sturdy gates for an urban barn
16 gauge sheet metal sliding barn doors as sturdy gates for an urban barn. image © strataap.com

This urban barn gives one of the most stunning examples of an exterior with attractive metal sliding barn doors.

The doors on the exterior are made of 16-gauge sheet metal. These doors are really sturdy.

When it comes to the durability of metal, the measurement principle to follow is that the lower the number of a piece of metal’s gauge is, the sturdier it is.

Why is it?

Because the lower the number is, the thicker the piece of metal is. For example, a 24-gauge piece of metal is only 40% as thick as a 16-gauge one. There you have the comparison.

The sheet metal used to build these doors are amongst the sturdiest available.

If you consider installing sturdy doors like these ones, naturally, it’s wiser to contact a steel fabricator. This way, you can consult your needs and get the best piece of metal possible for your barn doors. We bet you want your doors to be as strong as possible.

There are several benefits you can get from installing 16-gauge metal sliding doors.

First of all, you’ll get improved noise dampening, which is excellent. Then, your metal sliding doors will also be less susceptible to bowing and denting. You’ll also have super solid and durable barn doors, which is not a bad thing at all.

2. A Kallwall Panel Sliding Barn Door Welcoming Guests to a Mid-sized Country Home

a kallwall panel sliding barn door welcoming guests to a mid-sized country home
a kallwall panel sliding barn door welcoming guests to a mid-sized country home. image © studiocarver.com

This mid-sized country house has an exterior that looks so stunning, with a metal sliding barn door that welcomes its guests inside.

The door opens manually, but they can actually be motorized using a gate opener as well. The metal sliding doors look so cool because they are almost translucent.

The door’s translucence is due to the fact that it’s built using custom Kalwall panels.

What are they?

To make things simple, a Kalwall panel is a composite sandwich panel consisting of four layers. The panel has a Grid Core that consists of a number of interlocking I-beams.

Awesome, right? That’s not all.

A Kalwall panel also has an interior Fibre-Reinforced Polymer face sheet that is shatterproof. This sheet is formulated to meet the UK and international codes related to finish, flame, and smoke requirements.

This sheet is something else, and its quality translates to how it looks when used on doors.

The great thing about a Kalwall panel is the fact that it is highly insulating. It also offers excellent Solar Heat Gain Control.

A Kalwall panel controls solar heat gain to reduce heating and cooling loads to save energy and create more comfortable and balanced spaces at the same time.

Imagine a panel like that is on your sliding barn doors.

3. Sliding Barn Doors are Born from the Combination of Galvanneal Metal Panels and Fir

sliding barn doors are born from the combination of galvanneal metal panels and fir
sliding barn doors are born from the combination of galvanneal metal panels and fir. image © realcarriagedoors.com

This exterior is a part of a contemporary shed, and it has excellent metal sliding barn doors.

The doors are absolutely gorgeous and have the things that make galvanneal metal panels great.

First of all, galvanneal metal panels are designed primarily to be painted. Having these panels on your door gives you a lot of options when it comes to painting colors.

A galvanneal metal panel is also more absorbent than the average galvanized steel, thanks to the matte finish of its zinc coating. This allows the paint to adhere to a galvanneal metal panel’s surface a lot better.

Additionally, galvannealed metal also has a harder zinc coating than other types of galvanized steel.

The harder zinc coating on a galvanneal metal panel increases the panel’s resistance to various kinds of coating damage, including scratching, which would expose the metal underneath the coating. It is noteworthy that galvanneal metal panels are incredibly flexible as well.

The weldability and formability of the galvanneal coating are better than those of other kinds of galvanized steel. Galvanneal metal panels also provide way better corrosion resistance than uncoated carbon steel.

Having a galvanneal metal sliding barn door will simultaneously give you looks, flexibility, and durability.

4. Plywood and Metal Sliding Barn Door as a Gate That Offers Strength and Stability

plywood and metal sliding barn door as a gate that offers strength and stability
plywood and metal sliding barn door as a gate that offers strength and stability. image © cgsdb.com

The marvelous metal sliding barn door was built because the owners of the house wanted to enlarge their courtyard and build a carport.

Formerly, the owners of the house parked on a concrete pad. They would enter their home through a gate in the aforementioned courtyard.

The door is plywood clad, and it has roofing metal on painted steel 2×2 HSS frame complete with a padlock clasp combined with the plywood. The metal, of course, offers strength to the owners.

The door now holds the title of the guardian of the entrance to the property.

Aside from offering strength, the door also offers stability thanks to the plywood on it.

After all, plywood offers increased stability because it has the advantages of the parent wood combined with the enhanced properties in the material’s laminated structure.

Plywood also possesses high impact resistance. It’s a good thing that it’s also chemical resistant, so it won’t be damaged by chemical products.

The material’s high strength to weight ratio and dimensional surface stability also make it an excellent material for a sliding barn door, especially when combined with metal.

5. A Durable, Flexible, and Energy-efficient Perforated Steel Sliding Barn Door

a durable, flexible, and energy-efficient perforated steel sliding barn door
a durable, flexible, and energy-efficient perforated steel sliding barn door. image © atelierwong.com

Metal sliding barn doors are great to have, but ones that are energy-efficient on top of being durable and flexible are the best to be in possession of.

This perforated steel sliding barn door is a door that meets this requirement. Finding a home on a contemporary exterior, this door offers a lot of benefits to the owners.

Being a part of a house that loves to combine invention and efficiency, this perforated steel door is custom fabricated for the house.

The benefits it offers include superior strength. It’s because perforated metal has superior structural strength compared to various other building materials.

Perforated metal is also excellent at soundproofing and diffusing sound.

If you have a perforated metal door, you won’t be bothered by the sound of voices coming from outside of your house. It’s also lovely that perforated metal can be manipulated easily into various thicknesses, shapes, sizes, and perforation designs.

The fact that perforated metal sheets are lighter than unperforated metal sheets of the same thicknesses and sizes makes them excellent materials for sliding doors.

Also, note that perforated metal doors can deflect heat build-up that comes from the sun, helping ensure energy efficiency. Lovely!

6. A Paneled Zinc Sliding Barn Door Makes a Flashy Metallic Gate

a paneled zinc sliding barn door makes a flashy metallic gate
a paneled zinc sliding barn door makes a flashy metallic gate. image © blokbuilders.com

Metal sliding barn doors suit various types of exterior, and garage exteriors are not an exception. This huge industrial attached garage is proof of that.

With a metal door that appears to be a paneled zinc barn door, this door suits the garage and gives it a really lovely look.

If you’re intrigued to try building a paneled zinc barn door for your exterior, know that you can get many benefits from building such a door.

Zinc is really durable, so you’ll get a strong metal sliding barn door. Also, zinc can provide your exterior with stunning aesthetics.

Choosing zinc to use to build a sliding barn door should be a no-brainer because its availability is just excellent. Its deformability and low specific weight are something else as well.

Zinc panels are also easy to install because they’re designed for fast manufacturing and assembly. Sweet!

On top of that, zinc sliding barn doors are also sustainable choices of barn doors.

Zinc doors have very long lifespans, which can be up to 75 years or even more, and they’re also recyclable. You won’t have to worry too much about the risks of damaging the environment if you install a paneled zinc sliding barn door. So try it!

7. Aluminum Sliding Barn Doors That Pop on a Red Siding

aluminum sliding barn doors that pop on a red siding
aluminum sliding barn doors that pop on a red siding. image © bjanegardens.com

Contrasts of colors look lovely on exteriors, and these doors easily prove it.

Stationed on a red siding, the moving doors appear to be aluminum barn doors that pop on an exterior of a much different color. The exterior gets benefits from the existence of the doors, as aluminum provides warmth and style in addition to beauty.

This exterior is undeniably a source of inspiration for farmhouse barn remodels, thanks to the excellent contrast provided by the siding and doors.

If you also want to build an aluminum sliding door, know that aluminum has exceptional resistance to the weather and superior acoustic and thermal insulation.

Aluminum doors are reliable, and at the same time, they’re very eco-friendly, especially when compared to wooden doors.

Aluminum doors also have long lifespans, and they do not rust. Corrosion and termite are also not a threat to these doors because aluminum is resistant to them.

Aluminum sliding barn doors are also very easy to clean. You can just dust and wash them to clean them. These doors also have a low maintenance cost.

What’s more?

They don’t need any annual or periodical expenditures on polish or paint. Aluminum sliding barn doors are clearly some of the best choices available.

8. Blued Steel Sliding Barn Doors are Perfect for Exteriors as They Don’t Rust

blued steel sliding barn doors are perfect for exteriors as they don’t rust
blued steel sliding barn doors are perfect for exteriors as they don’t rust. image © jobecorral.com

This mid-size cottage has an entryway with a gray floor and metal front doors. The doors are sliding barn doors that appear to be built using blued steel. The doors suit the cottage’s design perfectly.

They’re also perfect for exteriors because they won’t ever rust.

How is that possible?

Blued steel is protected against rust. It’s because bluing is actually a passivation process that involves partially protecting steel against rust by using what is called a black oxide coating.

Why is the metal called blued steel?

It’s because of the blue-black appearance that it possesses after the protective finish is applied to it.

Bluing steel also helps resist superficial scratching. In addition, it helps make the piece of metal less shiny, reducing glare to the eyes of people walking towards the door from outside during the day.

It is worth mentioning that iron is steel’s primary component, and it’s prone to rust. Bluing is a treatment that prevents the metal from rusting.

Blued steel is perfect for outdoor use. Thus, this type of metal is perfect for building exterior sliding barn doors.

9. Aluminum Clad Sliding Doors in a Solid Stain Guarding a Large Room

aluminum clad sliding doors in a solid stain guarding a large room
aluminum clad sliding doors in a solid stain guarding a large room. image © johnsonsquared.com

Aluminum is one of the best materials to be used in exterior doors.

After all, the material is resistant to the weather, so you don’t need to worry about finding out that your aluminum sliding barn doors have worn due to extreme weather. Aluminum sliding barn doors are super easy to clean as well.

Another benefit of using aluminum sliding barn doors is that you don’t need to worry about corrosion or termite. This metal is corrosion and termite-resistant.

Aluminum sliding doors sure offer a lot of benefits, and if you want to build one like that of the exterior in this photo, here’s some information for you.

The sliding doors belonging to this exterior conceal a room that’s about 400 square feet in size.

The color used on the siding is a solid stain. The name of the color is French Roast. The color is really cool, not too flashy, yet looks very elegant.

The doors offer excellent acoustic insulation, so the large room that they conceal will benefit from the fact that noises coming from outside are reduced by the doors.

Also, the doors are very environment friendly, and they don’t require you to spend time on paint to color them annually or periodically.

They help you save money.

10. Versatile W20 Steel Sliding Barn Doors

versatile w20 steel sliding barn doors
versatile w20 steel sliding barn doors. image © steelwindowsanddoors.com

Building W20 sliding barn doors is what you should consider if versatile doors are what you’d love to have. It’s so easy to build custom doors out of W20 steel.

What makes W20 steel doors such a versatile type of metal, though?

W20 steel doors offer numerous different options that allow designers to get the opportunity to create various door styles, including elaborate ones.

The versatility of these doors is not the only thing that homeowners, including you, can benefit from. After all, these doors offer functional benefits as well.

W20 steel doors ensure almost perfect thermal insulation properties. They also ensure efficient opening casements. They’re strong and durable as well. It’s no wonder that W20 doors are still in demand today, even though they have been around since at least the 50s. These doors are the real deal.

Closing

Metal sliding barn doors are without doubt beautiful choices for any exteriors since these doors suit all house styles virtually.

Whether you have a rustic house or a contemporary or even a modern house, these doors can be perfect additions to your exteriors. We bet the doors we’ve shown you have made it evident.

We really hope that you find doors that inspired you among the ones we’ve shown you.

Before you adopt any designs, however, it’s important that you note a number of essential things about installing a metal sliding barn door.

First of all, you must always use quality hardware during the installation in order to ensure the best results.

You also need to choose the right space on your exterior. Despite the fact that a metal sliding barn door helps you save space, it also requires additional space to slide along the track.

Also, note that it’s important to make sure that your sliding door is bigger than the doorway. Then make sure you have structural support because a metal sliding barn door is heavy.

You’ll also need a handle because having one helps you slide your door open or shut it easily.

Good luck installing your metal sliding barn door.