| Before we get started,
here are some general door framing tips for DIYers:
- Buy prehung doors - These are doors that are already mounted
in the frame. It will save you headaches later.
- Normal 'room size' doors are 30" or 32". If you
need extra space, such as an entry to a storage area, go with
a 36" door.
- When you design your basement, pay attention to which way
the door will open. Will it open in? Or out? Left-handed or
right-handed? The doors will be labeled with a diagram- make
sure you get the correct one.
- Normally the rough opening for the door is 2" taller
and wider than the door. Therefore, the rough opening for a
32" x 80" (height is pretty standard) door would be
34" x 82".
- Solid-core doors will keep the sound in (and out) much better
than hollow-core doors. If noise is a consideration, go with
solid.
Enough of that, let's get started! For this example, I'll be
creating the rough opening for a 32" door into the office.
Mark the top and bottom plates
1. Begin by marking the top and bottom plates, similar to the
way you do when framing a wall.
You'll mark for studs every 16" O.C. (on center). You'll
skip one or two of the studs that end up in the doorway.
Door framing tip: Cut 1/2 way through the bottom
of the bottom plate as shown above. This will make it easier to
cut away the opening after the framed section is in place.
Cutting the studs
2. Next cut the appropriate number of studs (6 if you're making
an 8' section). Measure from the floor to ceiling and subtract
3 1/2 inches as you did in the section on how
to frame a wall.
3. Begin nailing the frame together using 12D nails. Use two
nails on both the top and bottom. You should have a full length
stud at each of the "X's" on the diagram above.
4. Cut two 80 1/2" studs (don't forget the 1 1/2" for the
bottom plate) to use for the trim (or jack) studs. These will
be nailed where the "O's" are in the above diagram.
5. Cut a stud 3" wider than the rough opening (in our case
we need a 35" stud. This is the header of the door. It should
fit snugly atop the jack studs.
6. Measure and cut one (or two depending on the width of your
door) studs to fit between the top of the door opening and the
top plate. This is a cripple stud.
Diagram of a door opening
Your door opening should now look similar to the diagram below.
It may vary depending on the lenght of the wall section, and the
width of the door.
|
If
you've done everything correctly, your frame will look similar
to the picture on the left. Next you're ready to