Can You Lock A Barn Door From Both Sides?

Barn doors are just as popular for interior use amongst homeowners as they are for barns. Security and privacy are equally important whether your barn doors or inside of your home or in an actual barn. So, can you lock a barn door from both sides?

You can lock a barn door from both sides with many modern sliding barn door locks. This is a more common option for interior barn doors inside of a home, but it is possible for exterior barn doors. However, the best option for an exterior barn door is a padlock or barrel side bolt which you open from one side with a key.

Locks that open with a key add an extra layer of safety and help secure the contents of your barn or room in your home. However, there are many great types of barn door locks such as flip latches and cane floor bolts. Follow along as we explore how you can lock a barn door from both sides.

You can lock a barn door from both sides with a sliding barn door lock. This is a popular option for use inside of the home as well as with barns. Not all sliding barn door locks can lock from both sides, however, so you’ll want to check before you buy one.

It is worth it to lock a barn door from both sides due to the added privacy and security. Some barn doors inside of a home only let you lock them from the inside. Those types of barn door locks are great for privacy, but they aren’t as great for security and are less convenient.

Barrel slide bolts are easy to use and are a great way to improve your security. You can lock a barrel slide bolt with a key which is one of the main benefits. It can be hard to find a strong barn door lock with key, so it’s worth considering a barrel slide bolt.

Barrel slide bolt locks are also easy to install without professional help. This heavy-duty barn lock consists of a plate and bolt. You simply slide the bolt from one end to the other, then lock the padlock with a key to hold it in place.

Cane floor bolts are arguably stronger than most barn door locks because of how they function. You don’t install a cane floor bolt on the door jamb like you would with a barrel slide bolt. Instead, you install a cane floor bolt into the ground.

This unique alternative to a traditional barn door lock only works when you are inside of the barn or room. It is ideal to install the bolt as deep in the floor or ground as possible for stability. Barns with an earthen floor are perfect because you can install the bolt 4” in the ground or deeper.

However, cane floor bolts don’t need to go that deep to block a door’s movement. You can install a cane floor bolt to lock barn doors inside of a home as well. In that case, you will simply need to bolt a base plate to the floor and drill a hole to fit the bolt.

Padlocks are the best way to lock a sliding barn door from the outside in most cases. However, rust can be an issue if your padlock is on a barn door outside. Moisture and humid weather can cause a padlock to deteriorate eventually, but that’s not usually a problem for interior barn doors.

Use a lock lubricant as often as you need to so that rust won’t be a problem with your padlock. You can lock a sliding barn door with a padlock whether you install a hook and eye or a hasp. Padlocks are among the cheapest locks for barn doors, and you can install one with a hasp for less than $30.

Hook and eye latches are among the most common barn door locks that you can find. They are so common because of how easy they are to install and latch. However, hook and eye latches may not be the best option for barn doors on an actual barn.

That is because you need to attach part of a hook and eye latch to a wall. It is possible to install a hook and eye latch on the interior of a barn, but it likely isn’t strong enough. Hook and eye latches are perfect for barn doors inside of your home.

You simply need to install one plate on the barn door and another on the wall beside it. Connect the latch from the plate on the wall to the hook on the door to lock it.

Flip latches are among the sturdiest and most durable barn door lock ideas. Modern flip latches are superior to the classic wood plank that was used to lock barn doors for years. As the name suggests, flip latches flip into place to lock barn doors.

Homeowners typically install a flip latch in the middle between two barn doors. However, it is possible to install a flip latch that connects from the wall to the barn door. Flip latches are just as common in actual barns as they are to lock bathrooms with barn doors.

You can lock a barn door from both sides with many modern sliding barn door locks. However, you cannot lock most interior barn doors from both sides, but it is possible. Many exterior barn doors for barns and storage sheds can lock from both sides.

Padlocks are the best way to lock barn doors for security purposes. You can install a hasp or hook and eye for a padlock in less than 10 minutes without help. However, you must maintain your padlock with lock lubricant and WD-40 if you notice rust or live in a humid climate.

However, flip latches, hook and eye latches, and barrel side bolts are the most practical. Opt for a barn door lock that works with a key for both privacy and security.