How To Lock a Barn Door

“But this barn door needs to lock. What options do we have??” is a question that we are asked time and time again. Just when we think the work of specifying barn door hardware (the track, carriage, pulls, etc.) is done, this question always gives us pause. Until fairly recently, we didn’t have a solid answer.

There are plenty of options out there that lock a door, like the classic hook-and-eye or a “teardrop” lock, but these cheaper solutions tend to ignore the need for an emergency release, which becomes a safety concern. And, as hardware people, it is our duty to provide safe, reliable solutions.

Finally, as manufacturers are now noticing the demand for this privacy barn door function, we’ll take a look at the best privacy barn door locks on the market.

Krownlab

Configure Privacy Barn Door Lock

Krownlab is a hardware manufacturer based in Portland that offers iconic modern barn door solutions. The Inox Barn Door Lock is a simple, affordable, and easy to install lock. Available in satin stainless and black stainless finishes, and with ADA thumbturn option, this barn door lock is highly versatile.

The tubular drive-in bolt is installed inside the jamb, with the thumbturn located in the frame that is used to project the privacy bolt into the interior face of the barn door.

Inox Privacy Barn Door Lock in satin stainless

Inox Privacy Barn Door Lock in black stainless

Though we think this is a great, simple solution to a complex problem, it is very important to note that the door to wall clearance is 1/2” to 3/4”, as the lock bolt has only a 1” projection, which is a limiting factor.

Accurate

9100 Barn Door Lock

Connecticut-based Accurate Lock & Hardware is one of our favorite manufacturers. Known for their high-quality, American made locks, Accurate’s 9100BDL is a superior solution for privacy barn doors. This mortise lock is available in a variety of finishes and backsets, as well as compatible with plenty of barn door trim options, including flush pulls, grip pulls, and ADA thumbturns. It also has a keyed function available.

When the thumbturn is turned, the bolt protrudes from the face of the door directly into the wall it meets. Again, as we saw with Krownlab’s Inox lock, the gap is crucial here: the bolt allows for a 3/4” gap. If your gap is greater, let us know.

Accurate 9100BDL Barn Door Lockset featuring an ADA thumbturn and grip pull

Accurate 9100BDL with Privacy Flush Pullls

9500VR Vertical Rod Bolt

Accurate also offers the 9500VR Vertical Rod Lock, which features an elongated rod that is channeled through the turn piece to the base of the door to meet a strike on the floor. This is a good (though expensive) solution if your wall to door gap is an issue. This lock is also compatible with Accurate’s ADA and Flush Pull trim, and available in many beautiful finish options.

Chant

Vertical Rod Bolt

New Zealand-based Chant Hardware is another favorite of ours. Conceptually similar to Accurate’s vertical rod bolt, Chant’s 1070 Euro Single Point Locking Bolt allows one to throw an elongated rod bolt that goes through the length of the door. With the 1070, you can select either an upward or downward bolt (though the fact that you’d need upward direction for a barn door is unlikely), and you also have the option of making this a privacy or keyed function. Chant has some handy strike options, as well, including water proof strikes for exterior or wet (think bathroom) conditions.

Sun Valley Bronze

Pop Out Latch

Sun Valley Bronze has two barn door privacy hardware options that are worth honorable mention. There are plenty of jamb bolts and slide bolts on the market for barn doors, but there are two reasons why the POL-01-12 Pop Out Latch and BRN-L100 Barn Door Latch are superior options:

1) They have Emergency Release (which is a must if there is no other way out of the room)

2) They are made from durable, heavy-duty bronze

The POL-01-12 Pop Out Latch is a heavy-duty jamb bolt. Here, you have the same gap issue as the tab only projects 3/4”, but its a really simple and minimal way to add privacy function to your barn door.

SVB POL-01-12 w/ ER grommet, photo courtesy of Folger & Burt Architectural Hardware

Barn Door Latch

The BRN-L100 is just as simple. This is meant to be mounted on the jamb and latch into your door. You have the ER-12 grommet for the exterior side of your door for emergency release. To use this, you must make sure that your jamb is thick enough to house the 3-1/4” width surface mounts.

In summary, including a privacy function on your barn door isn’t as easy as you might think, but there are some good options!

Barn door-focused privacy locks, such as the ones from Krownlab and Accurate, could be the solution for you, but you must mind the gap! If your clearance from door to wall is too great (which in most cases shown here is 3/4”), you might be best off abandoning the barn door lock and using a (pricier) vertical rod bolt, like Accurate’s 9500VR and Chant’s 1070, instead.

If you are questioning which solution is best for you, call us at +1-877-777-0592 and we’ll walk, or slide, through it together!

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How to Lock a Barn Door