Door Openings

The projects that follow show you how to build

door frames and install new doors for your closets.
First you must identify if your wall is load-bearing.
Load-bearing walls carry the structural weight of your
home. In platform-frame houses, load-bearing walls
can be identified by double top plates made from two
layers of framing lumber. Load-bearing walls included all
exterior walls and any interior walls that are aligned above
support beams. If you discover the wall is load-bearing,
consult a building professional to discuss your project.
Nonload-bearing, or partition, walls are interior walls that
do not carry the structural weight of the house. They have
a single top plate and can be perpendicular to floor and
ceiling joists but are not aligned above support beams.
Any interior wall that is parallel to floor and ceiling joists
is a partition wall.
Although different door styles require different frame
openings, the same basic framing techniques are used.
Purchase the doors and hardware in advance, and consult
the hardware manufacturer's instructions for exact
dimensions of the rough opening for the type of door
you select.
BUilt-up Header
1/2" plywood
Construction
adhesive
Door frames have king studs attached to the wall
plates and jack studs that support the header. Cripple
studs transfer the load from above onto the header and
are placed to maintain the stud layout. The dimensions of
the framed opening are called the rough opening.
116 BUILD YOUR OWN CUSTOM CLOSET
Top plate
"
Bottom
plate
Cripple stud
"
Jack stud
Door frames, called rough openings, are sized
according to the dimensions of the door unit. In load-
bearing walls, the weight from above the opening is
borne by the cripple studs, which are supported by a
header that spans the opening. A typical header is made
with two pieces of two 2 x 4s or 2 x 6s set on edge
and glued and nailed together with a strip of W'-thick
plywood in between (see illustration). This creates a rigid
horizontal member to help support the weight of the
doors, which is necessary for large closet openings with
heavy, double bifold or bypass doors. Some builders use
oversized headers, which eliminate the need for cripples.
Frames in non load-bearing walls may have only a single
2 x 4 for a header. Each end of the header is supported
by a jack stud that extends to the bottom plate and is
nailed to a king stud for support.