DO YOU
LIVE IN A
BARN?
stain better. Second, it makes
the color of the wood—which
|can amber a little over time—
more uniform. Third, working the
edges eliminates saw marks
from ripping. Note: You may want
these saw marks. They add a
nice rustic touch. The take-away
here is that they’re hard to see in
bare wood, but if you add stain,
they really jump out. This is also
good to know if you ever make
your own floor thresholds—sand
‘em before you stain ‘em.
I used a cove bit to rout all
four edges. Then, I pre-stained
the backer and let it dry so I
didn’t have to fuss with it on
the wall.
Sand the edges to remove saw
marks, if desired.
Cut the parts to length.
Note: While the stain was drying, I ripped and sanded the
pieces for the door’s Z-brace
(also 6 inches wide), then sanded, stained and set them aside.
Once the backer is dry, lay
the steel rail flat on top of the
backer and mark the hole locations for the rail fasteners along
the centerline of the wood, then
remove.
On the wall, locate and mark
the studs. Test that your marks
are accurate by driving an awl or
screw through the drywall to
make sure you hit lumber; this
