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standard exterior door rough opening

by Cleora Gibson Jr. Published 3 years ago Updated 3 years ago

Standard Sizes
Standard door heights are 6/6 (78”) and 6/8 (80”). In addition, special sizes can sometimes be custom ordered. A 36” x 80” pre-hung single door will use a rough opening of approximately 38-1/2” x 82-1/4” to fit.
May 7, 2018

Full Answer

What is the standard rough opening for a door?

The rough opening should be one inch wider than the frame and 3/4 of an inch higher than the door. A pre-hung door has a frame attached to it. Many carpenters prefer to use pre-hung doors to save installation time.

What is the rough opening size for an exterior door?

The rough opening size is the construction size with the side lumber (studs) and header. For the 36 x 80 exterior doors, this rough opening will need to be 38 ¼ inches by 82 1/8 inches. As you can see, the standard exterior door size rough opening is a full 2 ¼ inches wider than 36 inches and 2 1/8 inches higher than 80 inches. Keep this in mind.

What is the rough opening for an interior door?

What is the standard rough opening for an interior door? The height of common doors is 6 feet 8 inches. The standard height of the rough opening for a door is the door height plus 2 5/8 inches. The additional room allows for a 3/4-inch top jamb, a shim space above the door jamb and the thickness of underlayment and finish flooring.

What is rough opening of interior doors?

The general rule of thumb being, the rough opening for a normal interior or exterior door, is two inches wider than the stated door size. This has been the industry standard for many years. What is the rough opening for an interior door? Standard door heights are 6/6 (78”) and 6/8 (80”).

What's the rough opening for a 36 exterior door?

A pre-hung single door that measures at 36" x 80" will require a rough opening of about 38.5" x 82.25" for a precise fit. Make sure to align and square up your door before nailing the frame in place so it will close properly.

What is the rough in for a 36 inch door?

Rough opening should be 2″ wider than the door width measured between the left and right edges. So, in a 36 inches wide door, the rough opening will be 38 inches wide. The distance between the floor and the rough header should be one and a half inches (2-1/2″) taller than your new door's height.

What size rough opening do I need for a 32 inch door?

A Rough Cut for a 32-Inch Door A two-foot-eight-inch (32") by six-foot-eight-inch-high (80") prehung door, for example, would necessitate a rough opening width of 34 inches and a height of 82 inches.

How do you frame the rough opening for an exterior door?

1:294:05How To Frame A Door Opening - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipStart by cutting two header boards three inches longer than your rough opening size then cut a pieceMoreStart by cutting two header boards three inches longer than your rough opening size then cut a piece of OSB or plywood to sandwich between the two header boards.

How do you frame a 36 inch exterior door?

0:5312:20Installing an Exterior Door | How To - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThis is a 36 inch door so typically you do two inches wider rough opening than the width of yourMoreThis is a 36 inch door so typically you do two inches wider rough opening than the width of your door. So I've got it already. I put in blocks. So I had a nice solid piece to put the door up against.

What is the rough opening for a 3 foot exterior door?

For example, a 3 foot by 6-foot 8-inch door is a common size. This door panel can have a frame that measures 3 foot 11/2 inches by 6 foot93/4 inches with a rough opening of 3 foot 21/4 inches by x 6 foot 101/4 inches.

How do you frame a 32 door?

0:193:40ACCURATE DOOR FRAMING FOR PREHUNG INTERIOR DOOR (CC)YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou always frame 6 foot 10 along side of your opening for the door. You're always going to have twoMoreYou always frame 6 foot 10 along side of your opening for the door. You're always going to have two studs. This stud here that's an inch and a half away from the opening. We call it the king stud.

What is the rough opening on a 30 inch door?

32-1/2 inches32-1/2 inches. The rough framing should be 2-1/2 inches wider than the door itself. That leaves room for the 3/4 inch finish frame on each side of the door, and then 1/2 inch on each side for the shims between the finish frame and the rough frame.

How big should a door rough opening be?

Framing rough opening sizes are really quite simple. Just add 2″ to the width of the actual door size. You should add 2-1/2″ to the height of the actual door. This will give you room to space the door frame off of the sub-floor.

What is the standard exterior door size?

Standard entry door measurements: Height: 80 inches (6 feet 8 inches) Thickness: 1 3/4 inches. Width: 36 inches standard (30 and 32inches also available)

What is the standard door opening size?

As you can see, the standard exterior door size rough opening is a full 2 ¼ inches wider than 36 inches and 2 1/8 inches higher than 80 inches. Keep this in mind. If you are using brick mold openings the dimensions would be 40 inches by 82 7/8 inches.

How wide is a standard exterior door?

So the best standard exterior door sizes are in width from 36 inches to 42 inches and for double doors they are from 72 inches to 84 inches. The height of these entryways are typically 80 inches but can be as much as 84 inches to even 96 inches.

What is the width of a prehung door?

The proper exterior pre-hung door is based on even more factors. The standard jamb width is 4 5/8 inches. However, there are times when the jamb is wider and you will need to order a jamb extension for your standard pre-hung door.

What does it mean when a door swings left or right?

In addition, you will need to know the swing and handing. This means is the door going to be a left or right in-swing and this determines where the door handles should be placed. Then there is the insulation factor of the material used for the door. This means is it wood or vinyl or composite or even steel clad.

How wide is a 36 inch door with two 14 inch sidelights?

Sidelights typically come in 12 inches or 14 inches in width. So a single 36-inch door with two 14 inch sidelights is a nominal 64-inch width. The height is the same as with a single door.

Doors: Measuring Rough Openings

When you’re ready to purchase a new door, you’ll need to have an idea of what size door you’ll need. Therefore, measuring rough openings for doors prior to purchasing is an important step in your home remodeling.

Doors: Measuring Rough Openings

We’ve included two charts showing approximate openings for doors. The first is for exterior doors and the second chart is for interior doors. Also, if you’re planning on doing it yourself, these rough measurements should help to make the installation a bit easier.

Standard Sizes

Door widths which are considered standard usually come in sizes of 2/6 (30”), 2/8 (32”) and 3/0 (36”). Standard door heights are 6/6 (78”) and 6/8 (80”). In addition, special sizes can sometimes be custom ordered. A 36” x 80” pre-hung single door will use a rough opening of approximately 38-1/2” x 82-1/4” to fit.

How to size rough opening?

Door widths vary, but an easy way to size the rough opening is to use the door width plus 5 in. as the distance between the king studs. There are three simple rules to framing rough openings efficiently: Minimize layout marks; maintain a simple, consistent nailing pattern; and avoid toenailing when possible. 1. Mark all the plates at once.

How to measure king studs?

1. Mark all the plates at once. Measure the distance between the king studs (door width plus 5 in.). For efficiency, I mark only the inside edge of the king studs on the bottom and top plates. To the inside of the marks, I write T for trimmer. To the outside, I mark an X to indicate the king stud.

Can you cut a 2x4 door?

A pro carpenter teaches you his 3 simple rules for framing door rough openings efficiently. If you can cut a 2×4 and drive a nail, then you have all the skills you need to frame door rough openings. As with most home-building tasks, however, there’s a fine line between getting it done and doing it efficiently, without causing headaches down ...

What is the rough opening of a 24 x 80 door?

For example, if you have a door that is 24 inches by 80 inches, your rough opening will be 26 inches by 82 ½ inches. Standard door sizes vary in width, from 24 to 36 inches, but most are typically 80” high. If you have a 28” x 80” door, your rough opening will be 30” x 82 ½”.

How tall is an exterior door?

By IRC building codes, exterior doors are required to be a minimum height of 80 inches. The standard exterior door size is typically 3 feet wide and 80 inches high. Examples of an exterior door include an entry door, back door, garage entry door, or fire/security door. In newer homes, exterior doors can be even taller, with a door height of 96 inches. Stock exterior doors can be readily found in widths of 30 inches and 32 inches, and the standard exterior door thickness is 1 ¾ inches.

How wide is a closet door?

The average closet door has a width of 30 inches and a height of 96 inches, though sizes can vary widely. Bi-fold doors are common closet door types, which have two panels for a single door and four panels for double doors. Bi-fold doors are available in a range of sizes to fit your needs.

How wide is a sliding glass door?

For a sliding door or sliding glass door, the standard width and height can vary. You’ll find that these doors have an average height of 80 inches and an average width of 6 feet—but there is a wide range of door width sizes available to fit your needs, from 60 inches to 96 inches.

What is the average door width?

Door widths vary more frequently, but you can find an average exterior standard door width of 36 inches, and an average interior standard door width of between 28 and 32 inches.

What do you need to know when replacing a door?

When you are replacing or adding a door, the size of the door opening will help determine the door width and door height. You also need to consider the door jamb, the door frame, and any building codes before deciding on a replacement door or making any changes to your current door frame and door size.

How to measure a door for replacement?

Remember that the measurement of a door only includes the door panel, not the frame or opening. Measure your door from top to bottom to get your door height, from left to right to get your door width, and then measure the depth of the door to determine how thick your replacement needs to be.

What is rough opening for windows?

For standard wood framed construction the rough openings for doors and windows is typically the actual unit size plus 2-1/2 inches in height and width.

What is the height of a 6/8 window?

The 6/8 stands for 6′-8″ tall and the 3/0 stands for 3′-0″ wide. Therefore the rough opening would be 82-1/2″ tall by 38-1/2″ wide. 82-1/2 inches also happens to be the standard “header height” for windows and doors. If you’re a novice framer then this is the height of the BOTTOM of the window and door headers.

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