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If you don’t know which door sweep to buy, look into getting a strip or bristle sweep. They’re easy to find at the store, work well for most doors, and the simple installation is DIYable. Before buying one, measure your door width and make sure the one you want is long enough. Most door sweeps are 36 inches long, and you can cut them down to size with a hacksaw.

For most doors, you can use a 1-inch chisel to create the mortise for the strike plate. In addition, you can use a 3/4-inch chisel for more refined cuts and to clean up the edges of your mortise. The smaller tool is handy when squaring off the edges around the hole for your latch.

Standard door sizes aren’t one-size-fits-all, but there are common go-to dimensions. For exterior doors—like your front door—36 inches wide by 80 inches tall is typical, though you’ll see 30- or 32-inch widths too, especially in older homes. Interior doors vary more. Bedrooms and bathrooms often use 30- to 32-inch widths, and closet doors can be anything from slim singles to wide bi-folds. Height is usually 80 inches across the board; however, always measure your actual opening. “Standard” only works if it matches what’s already in place.

Yes, barn doors can be too heavy, although the limitation is usually imposed by the mounting hardware you buy and not your home’s framing, unless you’re building an unusually wide door. To keep the weight down, you can opt for 1-by material rather than 2-by material, and choose a softwood like pine rather than a hardwood like maple or oak. Check the weight limits on your mounting hardware, and always attach your door track to studs rather than to drywall anchors.