Before your new door installation, you’ll need to know how to frame a door to make sure your new door will fit properly and to make the installation easier. Framing a door is an easy DIY job, and our door experts will help you learn how:
To create the right door frame, you’ll need to know the measurements of the door you’re going to install.
- With a measuring tape, measure the width and the height of your new door.
- Then, add two inches to the width and 1 ½ inches to the height. These will be the measurements you use to create your door frame.
Creating the Door Frame
- Start by using a saw or circular saw to cut a top plate as wide as the rough door opening.
- Nail it into the ceiling joists.
- Then, cut a sole plate that’s also as big as the rough door opening.
- Nail it into the floor joists, however, don’t nail it down between the width of the door because you’re going to remove part of it later.
- Cut four pieces of wood the entire height between the top plate and the sole plate. These will be your king studs.
- Nail two king studs against the sides of the rough opening and between the plates.
- Install two more at a width that’s the new door’s width plus five inches.
- Next, cut two pieces of wood for your jack studs. Make sure these are the height of the new door plus 1 ½ inches.
- Nail the jack studs to the two inner king studs.
- After that, create a header by cutting two pieces of wood to the same width as the jack studs and nailing them together. Then, nail the header to the jack studs.
- Next, you’ll need to cut one or two cripple studs that are the width between the header and the top plate.
- Nail your cripple studs in place.
- Use a saw to cut out the sole plate in between the jack studs. Now, you can install your new door.