Building and Installing Saloon Doors
The fantasy of bursting through saloon doors into a room and ordering a scotch on the rocks may very well become a reality. Even if this room isn’t a bar, flinging open those flapping wooden doors will make for one of the more memorable appearances anyone has witnessed in some time. Whether one owns a Wild West saloon or simply a rustic themed home bar, properly assembled saloon doors will enhance the atmosphere tremendously.
Doorway Measurements
The first consideration one must deliberate in the addition of saloon doors is exactly which doorway they will adorn. Once this doorway is chosen, take an accurate measurement of its width and assemble these items: a tape measurer, a screwdriver, a pencil, and depending upon the project, 1-inch thick wood, a jigsaw, sandpaper, and door hinges.
With the previously taken measurement, subtract one and a half inches. Then, divide this measurement in half. That number is the exact width of what each of the two purchased saloon doors needs to be. The height of these doors is a bit more negligible, though is typically from about 2 and a half feet off the ground to 5 and a half feet high. Saloon doors come in multiple styles mostly made of wood. Many have intricate carvings while others are more plain and rectangular. The styling of one’s saloon doors depends entirely on its surrounding décor. Inclusion of finely detailed doors is almost never a poor option, though one can expect price to vary with intricacy of woodcarving. To maintain a more authentic feel, one may be wisest to purchase simpler and more frugal doors.
Installation
The most frugal option, however, entails slightly more craftsmanship. One may take exact measurements and trace the exact desired patterning onto a slab of one-inch thick wood. Then, use a jigsaw to carve out each door, and use sandpaper to fine-tune the edges. It is highly advisable to apply polyurethane or some other wood finishing to these doors to maintain professional-looking quality. The doors’ appearance will also most benefit with a layer of paint that most complements other furniture in the room it graces. Keep in mind that purchased saloon doors will exhibit detailed carvings in each door’s body that are difficult to replicate in a basic home woodworking studio. In addition, each professional-looking door will mirror the other’s exact body carving, which is an even more difficult task for a novice constructer to accomplish.
The next step to this procedure is attaching hinges to the doorframe. On each doorframe, measure 2 and a half feet from the floor and make a pencil marking. Then, measure from those points upward to the exact height of each door and make two more pencil markings. From the bottom marking, measure 1 and a half inches upward and make yet another pencil marking. From the top marking, measure 1 and a half inches downward and make the final pencil marking. Ensure this procedure is done for both sides of the doorframe.
The innermost pencil markings on each frame signify the starting point of each hinge to be attached. With a screwdriver, attach each of the four hinges firmly at the specified points. Once the hinges are securely attached, apply one saloon door first, and then the other. Hinges and screws will be included with saloon doors that have been purchased. However, when using doors that have been constructed from scratch, proper hinges will first need to be attached to the doorframes, and then hinge receptors attached at the proper measurements on each saloon door’s side.
Styles
In browsing for saloon doors for purchase, one may notice that many come unfinished, which allows flexibility in matching staining and coloring to one’s pre-existing furniture. The classic saloon doors that most invoke Western films or Old West bars are called Louvered Saloon Doors. They contain wooden flaps the face upward, and which resemble closed blinds. This style of saloon doors is available in a wide array of exotic woods that one may choose from. A furnishing attachment to these doors is called wrought iron, which comes in four uniquely shaped pieces that attach to the corners of each saloon door. They greatly enhance the appearance of these doors, though also entail a small price increase.
Another intriguing style that one may choose is called Knotty Pine. Knotty Pine Saloon Doors lack any carving whatsoever on each door’s body and exude a simpler, more rustic feel. They are also available unfinished, and in a variety of different woods to choose from.
