DIY Wall Framing for a New Door

Both doors and windows are framed using the same basic procedure. The diagrams in this article illustrate the proper structure for both. For ease of installation and to save time and money use a pre–hung door or window when making a new installation.

The framing for a new door or window will support the structural load of a wall when the existing studs have been removed. The cripple studs, which are the remainder after cutting the original studs, transfer the load from the top plate to the header. The header is supported by the jack and king studs. These studs transfer the wall load to the sole plate and the sole plate transfers the load to the floor joists and foundation.

To start any new opening in a wall first remove the plaster or drywall in the location for the new framing. See Remodeling a Wall for more. Leave as much of the original wall material in place as possible when doing "demo" work to avoid extensive wall repairs later. See Drywall and Plaster for help with necessary wall repair.

With the existing framing exposed, determine which studs will be cut to allow for the new opening. When installing a new door or window, build the frame 1 inch wider and ½ inch higher than the size of the jamb. This extra space will allow for adjusting the position of the new installation for a plumb fit. See Installing Doors and Windows for help with installation.

There are two methods that can be used for removing and installing framing when opening a wall for a new door or window. The existing wall studs that fall within the new opening can be cut to form the required cripple studs or all existing framing can be removed and new cripple studs installed.

Saving the studs may be an easier approach but both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. Removing the studs completely will mean an easier cutting job, while using the existing studs to form the cripple studs, can make repairing the wall finish easier. Both methods are discussed here.

There are minor differences in the framing of doors and windows. These differences are covered in Framing Windows on page 4 of this article.

Framing a Wall for a New Door

Choose an existing stud to serve as one of the king studs for the new frame and determine if it is necessary to install a new one on the opposite side or if an existing stud can be shimmed to do the job. To find the location for the second king stud add the measurement of the jamb width (included in the packaging for pre-hung doors) plus 3 inches for jack studs and 1 inch for wiggle room. Mark this point on the sole plate measuring from inside the first king stud. Also use this same measurement to build the header for your frame.

If the perfect second king stud doesn't exist, locate the nearest stud outside the frame measurement. If one is within a couple of inches of the mark on the sole plate, it may be shimmed out and used as the second king stud. If the nearest stud is several inches or more away, a new 2 by 4 must be installed. Measure and cut a 2x4 to fit between the sole and top plates of the wall.

Measure from the wall stud to the mark on the sole plate. Subtract 1½ inch for the thickness of the new king stud and cut 2 or 3 pieces of 2x4 to this length. Use these short 2x4's as spacers between the new king stud and the existing stud to add stability to the new framing.

Installing a New King Stud

Install the new framing members by driving screws or nails at an angle and into the existing framing. This "toe-nailing" can be done inside the wall cavity. It will be nearly impossible to drive nails with a hammer in the small space between walls but a pneumatic nail gun may work if it is small enough to squeeze into this space. Using 3 inch screws and a drill/driver equipped with an extra long phillips screw driver bit is a better choice for toe–nailing here and screws have the added advantage of being removable in case of error in placement.

Using a drill/driver fasten the spacers to the existing stud at regular intervals, toe-nailing them in place. Start the screws in the spacers before holding them in place and squeezing the drill/driver between the walls to finish driving the screws.

Start the top screw in the new king stud. Set it in place so it is square and plumb and drive a screw thru the stud and into each one of the spacers. Make sure the stud is aligned with the mark and toe–nail it to the sole plate. Squeeze the driver between the walls to drive the top screw into the top plate. Add another screw to each joint to stabilize the new stud.

To continue the new framing go to the Cutting Studs and Building the Header, Installing Jack Studs and Cutting a Sole Plate and Framing a Window pages of this article.