Building An Exterior Door Frame

Start by laying the top and bottom plates side by side and measure starting from one end.

Building an exterior door frame.

Measure the right side of the door frame with your tape measure. Cut the head jamb to length so it equals the door width plus the thickness of both side jambs plus about 1 8 inch for door clearance between the side jambs. It can be made double with thermal insulation in between the two layers just as in the wall framework. Make the opening the width of the door plus 2 inches 5 1 cm and if additional studs are needed a space for these as.

Measure from the floor or base of the frame to. Measure your door carefully and cut the opening to fit using a reciprocating saw. Pry away the studs and pull. How to do it determine door location.

Use a stud finder to determine the locations of your studs and plan the opening. Cut one stud to the width of the. Place the two side doorjamb boards into the frame one on each side of the frame. Use a helper to hold them in.

Then mark the location for the door opening. Measure the height and width of the door using the tape measure. If your rough opening measures 82 1 2 inches tall cut the side jambs to length at about 81 inches depending on how much clearance you want below the door. How to build install an exterior door jamb step 1.

Use a level to draw. Cut two studs to the height that you measured using the electric saw. Once you ve determined the location for a new entry door check for obstacles in the wall. Here s what to do.

Wind bracing the diagonal batten running from top corner to the bottom one will make your doors firmer. Mark both plates simultaneously every 16 inches along their length for the studs. Set them upright on each side of the door opening.