How To Make An Exterior Door Frame Larger

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How to make an exterior door frame larger.

Cut through the nails at the foot of the studs. Step 1 remove the existing door from the frame by unscrewing the screws on the hinges and lifting the door away. Cut 1 2 inch plywood spacers. Step 6 build wall reinforcement to create a header beam for the new door if needed.

Measure and mark the exterior siding to widen the opening the difference between the old and new doors. Working on the floor stack the pieces with the crowns facing the same direction see next step and use a square to make sure they are aligned. To fit a specific door use the rough framing measurements the width of the door plus 2 1 2 inches to allow for shims and jambs. Wedge shims behind both side jambs at the top bottom and middle.

Pull the studs from the existing doorway. With the same 38 inch wide opening and a door or set of doors 48. To make the door header the top of the door frame cut two 2x4s to the same length as the width of the original opening and nail them securely together. Stand the new prehung door in the opening and nail the exterior trim at one top corner.

Cut the door header. If you re narrowing the frame by more than an inch remove the hinge side. You will need to add 1 2 of plywood between the 2x4 s to get the right wall thickness of 3 1 2. This is the actual thickness of a 2x4.

Chisel bricks carefully and use a pry bar or reciprocating saw to take off siding making sure you re not cutting through any plumbing or electrical wiring. Cut through the nails that secure the doorjamb to the rest of the framing with a reciprocating saw. To make a door frame wider the do it yourself should also ensure that the planned construction does not cut into any existing electrical or heating and air conditioning equipment. Pull the framing from the existing doorway.

Ask this old house general contractor tom silva trims a front door that s getting caught on a homeowner s entry rug. Remove bricks or house siding on the entryway exterior to make room for the bigger door system.