Are Barn Doors an Eco-Friendly Choice?

These days, many homeowners are trying to make more sustainable, eco-friendly choices. 

Some are doing so by purchasing energy-efficient dishwashers or installing smart climate systems, while others are doing things like choosing floors made from sustainable materials or switching to low-flow faucets and showerheads.   

These are all fantastic ways to help protect the planet, but what about your doors? Does your choice of doors have environmental implications?

Surprisingly, the answer is “yes.” Some doors are much better for the planet than others. We’ll explain everything you need to know about choosing eco-friendly doors below, starting with one particularly important question. 

Are Barn Doors Eco-Friendly?  

Once again, the answer is “yes,” barn doors are eco-friendly and provide a few important environmental benefits when compared with conventional, swinging doors. 

Some of the most noteworthy ways barn doors help protect the planet include:

Barn doors require less material than conventional doors. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWszKO7KsOY

 

Unlike barn doors, traditional, swinging doors require frames. And unfortunately, these frames are largely built from non-sustainably harvested 2x4s (there are sustainably harvested 2.x4s available, but they’re not commonly used yet).

Ultimately, this means that it takes significantly more material to construct a conventional door than it does a barn door. This extra material and the associated manufacturing processes take a toll on the planet, making barn doors the more eco-friendly choice. 

Barn doors generally require less maintenance than swinging doors. 

Traditional doors often feature a lot of moving parts, including hinges, locking mechanisms, and complicated handles–things that barn doors don’t need. These moving parts typically require replacement at some point. In fact, low-quality door handles may only last a few years in some cases (admittedly, high-quality handles may last decades). 

Nevertheless, manufacturers have to produce and ship replacement hardware to rectify this issue–two things that increase the size of the carbon footprint associated with conventional doors. 

Barn doors often last longer than conventional doors. 

Manufacturing any door results in the production of some carbon. So, it’s wise to use doors that last as long as possible, as this will reduce the number of doors that need to be manufactured (and shipped) over time. 

Barn doors are the clear winner here, as they usually last much longer than comparable conventional doors. This is especially true of hollow-core doors, which often develop holes and cracks very quickly.

Barn doors are easier to transport than swinging doors. 

Because they require frames, conventional, swinging doors are generally shipped in large, bulky, and heavy boxes. This means they take up more space on delivery trucks and require more fuel to move around. 

Barn doors, on the other hand, can typically be shipped in relatively compact, flat boxes. This means you can fit more of them on a truck and use less fuel to transport them than traditional doors. 

This may seem like a small thing, shipping has a significant impact on the planet. According to T & E – Europe’s leading transportation and energy advocacy non-profit group – shipping may produce as much as 10% of the global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. 

Don’t Overgeneralize: Not All Barn Doors Are Eco Friendly

While the inherent design of barn doors can provide several important environmental benefits, it doesn’t mean all barn doors are good for the planet. In fact, some may be made in ways that eliminate these benefits or even make them less environmentally friendly than swinging doors. 

A few specific examples include:

• Poorly made barn doors may not last as long as traditional doors or high-quality barn doors.This means they’ll require replacement sooner, which will offset some of the environmental benefits they should provide. 

• Bargain-priced barn doors often feature cheap hardware that will cause the door to stop working correctly. In a best-case scenario, you’ll be able to find replacement hardware (though the replacement parts and associated packaging will still have to be shipped). In a worst-case scenario, the manufacturer may not offer hardware, forcing you to replace the entire door. 

• Some barn door manufacturers may use toxic chemicals during the production process. From chromated copper arsenate to lead-based paints, a variety of toxic solvents, preservatives, and finishes are used by low-quality manufacturers, especially those with factories located overseas.

• Some barn doors are made from non-sustainable materials. While there are a variety of timber species that can be sustainably managed, some manufacturers prefer using only the cheapest materials available and show little regard for the ecological implications.

Don’t let these potential environmental pitfalls discourage you–it’s actually pretty easy to find high-quality barn doors that are designed, constructed, and shipped in an eco-friendly manner. 

Barndoorz: The Environmentally Friendly Option

Unlike some other manufacturers, Barndoorz embraces a number of environmentally friendly processes to provide our customers with peace of mind. For example:

• Barndoorz utilizes efficient packaging and shipping practices. We not only ship our doors in streamlined, space-efficient packaging, but we also place the hardware and doors in the same box, unlike some other manufacturers, who ship them separately. 

• Barndoorz are built to last. We take pride in manufacturing only the highest-quality barn doors available anywhere. This means they not only look great and offer flawless functionality, but they also last for longer than the doors offered by some other brands.  

• Barndoorz offers only high-quality hardware. A lot of low-quality manufacturers like to use cheap hardware to help cut costs and maximize profits. But we’d rather provide our customers with high-quality hardware that won’t require replacement six months later than save a few bucks. 

• Barndoorz are made in the USA. All Barndoorz doors are manufactured in our Houston-area facility. This not only means your doors won’t be shipped from the other side of the globe, but it also means that your doors will be made in accordance with all relevant environmental, health, and safety regulations. 

Be sure to check out the complete Barndoorz lineup of barn doors when you’re ready to start browsing some of the options available.

But if you’re looking for especially environmentally friendly selections, you’ll definitely want to consider our BarnCraft Classic Line. These doors are all made from alder wood (one of the most sustainable choices available), come in your choice of several finishes, and have a natural aesthetic that many customers love.