How to Build Simple Shed Doors
Building your own shed doors can be a simple and cost-effective solution to add practicality, convenience and a beautiful custom look to any shed or outbuilding.
So, you built a shed or outbuilding, and now you’re looking for some inspiration to finish it with custom-built doors. Or, maybe you’re looking to replace the doors on an existing shed or outbuilding. Perhaps you’re just exploring future project ideas. Either way, this post is for you!
Building custom doors doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, this project can be completed in a few hours, with just a few simple tools.
Tools You’ll Need to Build Simple Shed Doors
Circular saw – a miter saw and table saw would be an even better option but work with what you have!
Drill, framing nail gun, or even brad nail gun – whatever option fits your situation best. However, if you are using brad nails make sure to use 2″ nails for added strength.
Wood Glue – Titebond II Premium Wood Glue is a great option.
Drill bit (1/4″)
Material List
Eight-foot 2x4s – 6 count
Two full size pieces of desired siding
3 1/2 inch wood screws – 1lb box
1 1/4 inch wood screws – 1lb box
Door hinges – 6 count (three per door)
Paint
Finishing hardware
Custom Shed Doors in Three Easy Steps
1) Frame
First, have a really good idea of the exact measurements of the door openings. It’s okay if your door opening is not a perfect square or rectangle. You can build the door sizes accordingly to be a perfect fit.
We framed the doors with 2x4s cut at 45 degree angles. Using 3.5 inch wood screws (four screws per corner) the 2×4’s are fastened together. We pre-drilled the outer hole for the wood screw about one inch deep to give the screw a little more bite.
Once the frames were complete, we stood the door frames in place to get an accurate idea of the fit. The doors pictured were about an eighth of an inch too wide, so we used a circular saw to rip the long edge of the door until the exact fit was achieved.
2) Choose Siding Material – add shear strength
The idea here is to use one piece of lightweight and strong material to lock the door frames together and create a very strong door. We used LP Smart Side, which provides a lightweight and strong composite material that has already been primed.
Once the siding pieces were cut to the proper dimension, we used one and one half inch wood screws to fasted the frame the the siding at least every one foot around the frame.
3) Mount Doors and Paint
You can either paint the doors first and then mount them, or mount the doors and then paint. Whichever is easiest for you and your project. To mount these doors, we used 4-inch door hinges. Three hinges were installed on each door. We also used a gate hanging system to help prevent the doors from sagging over time.
Overall, this is a relatively simple project that can add a unique touch to any shed or outbuilding. We hope this post inspires you to tackle your own shed door project! Be sure to check back for more on property development.
