How to Build a Z Bar Door

The simple board and batten door guards suburban sheds and rural chicken coops. Also called a ledger or Z-bar door, it may be a rustic collection of boards and clinched nails or a finely built tongue and grooved face backed with battens set into the back with a router. The Z-bar board and batten door consists of upright boards which make the front of the door, horizontal battens across the back of the door and the diagonal braces, which form the backward “Z.”

Lapped or beadboard, 1-by-4 or 1-by-6 inch boards
1-by-4 inch battens and braces
4 woodworker's or C-clamps
60 or more 1 3/4-inch galvanized wood screws
Drill
Screwdriver
Circular or jig saw
Sandpaper
Varnish
Paint or other finish

Instructions

- 1
  Assemble bead board or lapped 1-by-4 or 1-by-6 inch boards to fill the width of your door. Cut boards a few inches longer than the door -- you can trim and sand the door edges after assembly. Lay the boards out on the floor.
- 2
  Lay a 1-by-4 across the top and bottom of the door and mark them to cut so that the battens will be 4 inches shorter than the door is wide. This allows 2 inches of ease on both sides so that the door can be trimmed and clearance for a door jamb, if present.
- 3
  Clamp a batten to each side of the door 4 inches from the top of the door and another 4 inches from the bottom. Attach the battens with 1 3/4-inch galvanized screws, using two screws per door board.
- 4
  Lay a 1-by-4 across the battens to make the “Z” brace. The top of the “Z” should face outward on the latch side and the bottom turn should be closest to the hinge side of the door.
- 5
  Mark the ends of the brace on either side where the battens intersect, draw a line between the marks and cut the angled ends of the brace. Attach the brace with two galvanized screws for each door board.
- 6
  Trim your door to size with a circular saw to fit the doorway. Seal the ends of the boards and battens with varnish before painting and hanging the door.

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