Category Construction Glossary
One of the most important parts of framing walls is getting the rough openings
right. Items that determine what the height of your opening will be are floor
finishes and the use of under layment. Door widths will stay constant with the
size of a standard door.
In new construction most doors are hung after the floors are installed. This
allows flooring contractors (tile, hardwood, vinyl, laminate) to lay their flooring
products without making tricky cuts around door jambs. It also makes for a neat
and clean door installation. Exceptions to this are carpeted floors. Doors are
hung before the carpeting is laid. When doors are hung in carpeted areas, its a
good idea to shim them up 1/2", putting a shim under each jamb leg. This
eliminates the need to cut the doors down after the carpet is installed.
For a 6' 8" high door (80 inches) I like to frame my rough opening heighth at 82
3/4". This allows room for all the situations mentioned above. If your header
material is a double 2x12, holding it to the top plate will give you that heighth.
Rough openings for door widths are pretty much standard. The rough opening
width is 2 inches wider than the door itself. This allows room for the door jambs
which are usually 3/4" thick. This gives you approximately 1/2" of play and shim
room when installing a prehung door. For a 36" door (3' 0") the rough openig
width would be 38". Here are the most common door sizes and their rough
openings.
Door Size Rough Opening Size
2' 0" X 6'8" -26" X 82 3/4"
2' 2" X 6'8" -28" X 82 3/4"
2' 4" X 6'8" -30" X 82 3/4"
2' 6" X 6'8" -32" X 82 3/4"
2' 8" X 6'8" -34" X 82 3/4"
2' 10" X 6'8" -36" X 82 3/4"
3' 0" X 6'8" -38" X 82 3/4"
To figure the rough opening for double doors or french doors, take the door size
times 2 and add 2". The most common sizes for exterior doors are the 2'8" and
the 3'0" doors. The 2'8" is usually used for the back door and the access door
from the garage. That size door for exterior use is being used less these days
because of the size of appliances and furniture. Exterior doors with sidelights
and sliding patio doors rough openings vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.
These should be verified and gotten from the supplier.
Getting the rough openings right the first time keeps the sawzall in its carrying
case and having to change the opening after the walls are drywalled and
painted.
right. Items that determine what the height of your opening will be are floor
finishes and the use of under layment. Door widths will stay constant with the
size of a standard door.
In new construction most doors are hung after the floors are installed. This
allows flooring contractors (tile, hardwood, vinyl, laminate) to lay their flooring
products without making tricky cuts around door jambs. It also makes for a neat
and clean door installation. Exceptions to this are carpeted floors. Doors are
hung before the carpeting is laid. When doors are hung in carpeted areas, its a
good idea to shim them up 1/2", putting a shim under each jamb leg. This
eliminates the need to cut the doors down after the carpet is installed.
For a 6' 8" high door (80 inches) I like to frame my rough opening heighth at 82
3/4". This allows room for all the situations mentioned above. If your header
material is a double 2x12, holding it to the top plate will give you that heighth.
Rough openings for door widths are pretty much standard. The rough opening
width is 2 inches wider than the door itself. This allows room for the door jambs
which are usually 3/4" thick. This gives you approximately 1/2" of play and shim
room when installing a prehung door. For a 36" door (3' 0") the rough openig
width would be 38". Here are the most common door sizes and their rough
openings.
Door Size Rough Opening Size
2' 0" X 6'8" -26" X 82 3/4"
2' 2" X 6'8" -28" X 82 3/4"
2' 4" X 6'8" -30" X 82 3/4"
2' 6" X 6'8" -32" X 82 3/4"
2' 8" X 6'8" -34" X 82 3/4"
2' 10" X 6'8" -36" X 82 3/4"
3' 0" X 6'8" -38" X 82 3/4"
To figure the rough opening for double doors or french doors, take the door size
times 2 and add 2". The most common sizes for exterior doors are the 2'8" and
the 3'0" doors. The 2'8" is usually used for the back door and the access door
from the garage. That size door for exterior use is being used less these days
because of the size of appliances and furniture. Exterior doors with sidelights
and sliding patio doors rough openings vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.
These should be verified and gotten from the supplier.
Getting the rough openings right the first time keeps the sawzall in its carrying
case and having to change the opening after the walls are drywalled and
painted.
Framing Door Rough Opening