Ideas for a Flush Mount Latch on a Barn Door

   / Ideas for a Flush Mount Latch on a Barn Door #1  

leadfarmer

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I just had a metal clad pole barn built and I'm struggling to come up with a latch for one door.

It is a man door built into a large sliding barn door, so it needs to be flush on the inside so nothing catches when you slide the larger door open.

The latch needs to be able to be opened from the inside and the outside. The man door swings out.

The larger door and the man door are both a 2x4 frame with corrugated metal on the outside, and J-channel on both sides of the opening, nothing special. The 2x4s have the corrugated metal on their wide side, so the thickness of the doors is 1-1/2". The latch piece that engages the door will pass through the 3-1/2" width of the frame or be built into it.

My first thought was using a common gate latch, mounting the inside piece against the metal, and drilling through the 2x4 to create a channel for the lever that engages the strike piece. That idea isn't panning out.

My second thought is making a sliding bolt, and it would have a long rod that extends through the 2x4 of the man door to engage the wood frame to secure it. I would have to cut a slot in the metal for a handle on the outside to work the sliding bolt. It would easily be made flush on the inside. My concern is having a slot cut in the metal and it being ugly/not sealed. I guess I could weld a flat sliding piece on the inside as a backer to the handle, but it still would have gaps with the corrugated metal.

So does anyone have any ideas?

Maybe a cam latch like they use on boats?

Some kind of pocket door latch? Most I see aren't meant to be opened from both sides.

I just found this extension for normal door knobs, which could get me through the 3-1/2" width of the 2x4, but I still need a flush mechanism on the inside: Kwikset 3014-01 3 CP Security 5-Inch Entry Door Latch, Polished Brass - Door Dead Bolts - Amazon.com
 
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   / Ideas for a Flush Mount Latch on a Barn Door #2  
Think about something that rotates through a hole, not slides.

An image search is good for finding something that works.
 
   / Ideas for a Flush Mount Latch on a Barn Door
  • Thread Starter
#3  
   / Ideas for a Flush Mount Latch on a Barn Door #4  
Does the man door need to be locked?
 
   / Ideas for a Flush Mount Latch on a Barn Door #5  
Does the inside of the man door opening/jamb have depth, I mean is the stud "cavity" open from the inside? If you can arrange something to stay within the depth of the 2x4 framing then a number of options would work.
 
   / Ideas for a Flush Mount Latch on a Barn Door
  • Thread Starter
#6  
No locking of the door is required.

The tack room inside this horse barn will be locked, but the rest will be easily accessible through the horse stall double dutch doors, etc.

I will have to post pictures to clarify the arrangement of the jamb and studs. I forgot to take some last night.

I'm also considering using two heavy screen door struts to hold the door closed, or some self closing hinges.
 
   / Ideas for a Flush Mount Latch on a Barn Door #7  
Then most of the latch could be on the outside to provide sliding clearance.
 
   / Ideas for a Flush Mount Latch on a Barn Door
  • Thread Starter
#8  
Right, I'm just trying to keep as much on the inside to keep it clean and out of the elements.
 
   / Ideas for a Flush Mount Latch on a Barn Door #9  
How about a recessed automotive door handle, like on my neighbor's KW? If you could scrounge around a wrecking yard you can probably get all the stuff for the handles and latch mechanism.
 
   / Ideas for a Flush Mount Latch on a Barn Door
  • Thread Starter
#10  
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IMG_5174.JPG
 
 
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