Sliding Barn Door Stoppers come in a set of two (2).  Choose from the standard stop that attached to the last lag in the track or from the adjustable stop that will "clamp" to the track at the location desired.  Both sets include a rubber bumper.

Top 3 Benefits of a Barn Door Stopper

You’ve done it. You’ve made the decision to install a dramatic sliding barn door within your home—these stylish and functional doors make an outstanding and visually arresting addition to any style home, no matter how traditional, contemporary or rustic. In fact, over the past few years, barn doors have increasingly and consistently gained in popularity when it comes to creative ways to add both visual appeal and functionality to your home. But before your sliding barn door is fully installed and ready for use, it needs the right corresponding barn door hardware to make sure it works the way it’s designed for years to come.

One important component of the sliding door hardware package is your barn door stoppers. These unassuming members of the hardware set play a key role in making sure your sliding barn door operates safely and has a long and useful life as part of your home. There are several key benefits of including adjustable barn door stoppers when you install your sliding door system and hardware, including:

3 Benefits of a Barn Door Stopper

1. Keeps Hangers on Track
2. Preserves Longevity of Barn Door
3. Adjustable Stoppers Provide Flexibility

You’ve made a great investment in your sliding barn door system, and it’s important to protect that investment throughout the life of your door. A small, yet essential, piece of that process is the barn door stopper.

The barn door stopper is a tiny piece of hardware that has a large impact on the useful life and functionality of your sliding barn door. In fact, it’s something of a miracle worker. When placed correctly, barn door track stoppers ensure that your door works quietly, safely, and effectively for many years to come, allowing the door to continue serving as a striking design statement that also allows for privacy when and where you need it.

Additionally, adjustable barn door stoppers allow you to customize exactly where they come to a stop on the barn door track. Depending on the size of the door and the length of the track, being able to adjust the placement of your door stoppers will help you make the most of your space while protecting both the door and your home from unnecessary and unintended damage.

What is a Barn Door Stopper?

A barn door stopper is exactly what you might think, given its name: it stops your sliding barn door at a certain point on the track, ultimately keeping your door from sliding so far along the rail that it glides off the end. Generally, barn door stoppers are placed at each end of your barn door track, and they allow you to decide exactly where your door stops on the track. The great thing about adjustable barn door stoppers is that you can put them anywhere you want.

Door stoppers are typically designed to be installed at each end of the door’s sliding track, blocking the wheels and keeping them from reaching the end of the rail. Whether purchased individually or as part of a sliding barn door hardware kit, door stoppers are available in a wide variety of looks, styles, and finishes that match the look of your chosen track and other associated barn door hardware. This gives your overall setup a polished, refined, and cohesive look—creating the perfect door system.

For extra support, you also can also invest in bottom stoppers, also known as a barn door floor guide. These are especially effective at keeping a sliding barn door from swinging back and forth against the wall or from swinging into the room while it’s in use. This prevents damage to your wall and/or injury to anyone who may be in the vicinity as the door swings outward. Heavy barn doors that are enthusiastically pushed open and closed have a tendency to swing away from the wall, which in some cases can be dangerous.

You also can use a magnetic door stop—one side attaches to the wall near the floor, while the other attaches to the back of your barn door. You can place them either on the edge of the door or in front of it.

3 Benefits of a Barn Door Stopper

Let’s take a deeper dive into the ways a barn door stopper can help your barn door system function smoothly and safely over its lifetime.

1. Keeps Hangers on Track

Once you have your sliding barn door and hardware installed, it’s a no-brainer that you want it to stay on the track. Door stoppers are essential for making sure that your barn door stays on the rail as it glides open and closed. Without a stopper on the track, you run the risk of your barn door literally flying off the track as you open or close it. By the same token, if you have a double door setup, you run the risk of the two doors banging into one another as you slide them closed. The result is not only noise and nuisance, but also increased wear and tear on the barn doors.

Having a barn door jump its track can be expensive and dangerous. If you’re dealing with an especially heavy barn door, like one made of solid wood, it can fall over once freed from its track, causing extensive damage to the wall around it and potentially hurting anyone who’s standing close. It’s important to have the right kind of barn door stoppers to keep the sliding barn door safely in place while in use. This is especially important if you have small children in your home. Children are notorious for opening and closing doors with enthusiasm, and may be unable to get out of the way of a heavy falling barn door.

If your barn door does jump its track, make sure you have help before trying to put it back on its sliding rail. Barn doors are often heavy and unwieldy, especially those made of solid wood, and trying to get it back in place alone can be dangerous.

First, inspect your door and hardware for damage, especially to the door roller, before trying to re-install it. Make sure the rollers are still attached firmly and straight. To get your door back on track, you’ll need to lift it and place the wheels on the track. Be sure to slide it back and forth a bit to make sure the wheels haven’t been damaged, and that the door will still glide smoothly along the barn door rail.

Once the door is in place, if you haven’t previously installed door stoppers, now is your chance. Determine where you want your barn door to stop and install the stoppers by sliding them under the door and twisting them into place. Test the door a few times by sliding it back and forth to make sure it glides correctly and stops where you need it to.

2. Preserves Longevity of Barn Door

The barn door of your dreams is a substantial investment, and if you take care of it the right way, it can last for many years to come. Installing a barn door stopper prevents your barn door from jumping the track and slamming into the walls over the years. That kind of repetitive impact can dramatically speed up the effects of normal wear and tear on your sliding barn door—and potentially cause damage to your home. The same is true of double barn doors that slam against one another as they come to a close; the repeated impact can scratch and damage each of your sliding barn door.

But with strategically placed door stoppers, you can make sure your barn door stays firmly on the sliding rail as it glides to a stop, protecting its useful life. With the typically included rubber bumpers near the front of each stop, your sliding barn door will come to a gentle close, preventing damage to the door, your wall, and the barn door hanger.

In order to keep your barn door system working to its full potential, you’ll need to clean it and test it on a regular basis. Check your door stoppers frequently to make sure they remain tightly secured. If they begin to loosen over time without your knowledge, this could cause the stoppers to fail. 

3. Adjustable Stoppers Provide Flexibility

One of the greatest benefits of the sliding barn door stopper is that it is easy to install. This also means that it is easily adjustable. Once you have the door stoppers in place, you can move them along the track and place them as needed until you get the effect you’re looking for. So, if your first placement isn’t quite right, no need to worry—you can move them around until you’re satisfied. The same is true if you change the door panel you’re using with your barn door hardware system—different door dimensions may call for a different stopping place along the door opening, so if you’re upgrading to a set of larger doors, you can simply loosen your stoppers, move them, and then tighten them back into place.

The process for loosening and tightening door stoppers is extremely simple. To place the door stops exactly where you want them, simply slide your door to the position you’d like it to be in when closed. Then slide the adjustable stopper underneath and twist to the right to tighten. All it takes is a few twists to tighten the adjustable sliding barn door stopper into place, and you can tighten it anywhere along the rail. If you don’t love the placement, twist to the left to loosen the stopper, move it to a spot you like better and tighten it down again by twisting to the right. Keep repeating until you get your sliding barn door stopper exactly where you want it. 

Barn Door Stoppers to Protect Your Sliding Door System

A sliding interior barn door is much more than just a door; it’s a functional piece of art. Once you’ve chosen a barn door, add the appropriate door accessories, including a door handle, door lock, and the accompanying track hardware. Then, use the adjustable stops to control where and how your barn door glides closed can ensure that your sliding door functions quietly, beautifully, and safely for many years to come.

If you’re ready to shop adjustable door stops, the team at Artisan Hardware can help you find the proper door stops and other accessories that match your décor and functionality needs. Don’t wait another minute—give us a call today!