prehung door question
 

I 've attempted to install a 48" x 80" double prehung door (made by
Masonite, from Home Depot) into a pre-framed entry way in my house, and it's
turned out to not be as easy as I thought. When I bought the house, the
door way was simply finished with dry wall. I started by pulling off the
dry wall from the inside, to expose the 2x4's all around the inside of the
door way. After pulling off the dry wall, the exact width of the doorway is
48". I figured since it was 48", then I needed a 48" x 80" prehung door,
which they sold at HD. Little did I realize, that 48" was the interior
measurement of the prehung door frame and that the width from stud to study
would need to be an inch or two more. What's the right way to proceed on
this? Should I even think about trying to pull out one of the 2x4s on one
of the sides to give me an extra 1.5" - 2" or so? Is there another size of
a prehung doors that would better fit my dimensions? Or do I just need to
hire a carpenter to build a custom frame and doors? Any advice appreciated.
Thanks.

Steve

"Cleetus Awreetus" wrote in message
news:K8eAe.1011$ao6.523@trnddc05...
I 've attempted to install a 48" x 80" double prehung door (made by
Masonite, from Home Depot) into a pre-framed entry way in my house, and
it's turned out to not be as easy as I thought. When I bought the house,
the door way was simply finished with dry wall. I started by pulling off
the dry wall from the inside, to expose the 2x4's all around the inside of
the door way. After pulling off the dry wall, the exact width of the
doorway is 48". I figured since it was 48", then I needed a 48" x 80"
prehung door, which they sold at HD. Little did I realize, that 48" was
the interior measurement of the prehung door frame and that the width from
stud to study would need to be an inch or two more. What's the right way
to proceed on this? Should I even think about trying to pull out one of
the 2x4s on one of the sides to give me an extra 1.5" - 2" or so? Is there
another size of a prehung doors that would better fit my dimensions? Or do
I just need to hire a carpenter to build a custom frame and doors? Any
advice appreciated. Thanks.

Steve



Return the door to the borg and order the right one. You can pretty much
custom order everything, generally takes about 2 weeks.

Stud to stud and header to floor measurents are the rough opening which is
what you'll need to get the right one.

-Brian

"Brian V" wrote in message
...

"Cleetus Awreetus" wrote in
message news:K8eAe.1011$ao6.523@trnddc05...
I 've attempted to install a 48" x 80" double prehung
door (made by Masonite, from Home Depot) into a
pre-framed entry way in my house, and it's turned out
to not be as easy as I thought. When I bought the
house, the door way was simply finished with dry
wall. I started by pulling off the dry wall from the
inside, to expose the 2x4's all around the inside of
the door way. After pulling off the dry wall, the
exact width of the doorway is 48". I figured since
it was 48", then I needed a 48" x 80" prehung door,
which they sold at HD. Little did I realize, that
48" was the interior measurement of the prehung door
frame and that the width from stud to study would
need to be an inch or two more. What's the right way
to proceed on this? Should I even think about trying
to pull out one of the 2x4s on one of the sides to
give me an extra 1.5" - 2" or so? Is there another
size of a prehung doors that would better fit my
dimensions? Or do I just need to hire a carpenter to
build a custom frame and doors? Any advice
appreciated. Thanks.

Steve



Return the door to the borg and order the right one.
You can pretty much custom order everything,
generally takes about 2 weeks.

Stud to stud and header to floor measurents are the
rough opening which is what you'll need to get the
right one.

-Brian


Brian's advice is decent, but it almost sounds like
you could set the rough-in to what is required. The
paperwork somewhere should indicate the rough-in
required for the door. Failing that, google is always
good for that sort of thing. I wish I could state what
you need, but it's best to get it from the "horses
mouth" so to speak, because there are a couple of
different ways of looking at such thngs.

Here are a couple links to get you started: There are
lots of them on google.
http://www.ehow.com/how_15280_install-prehung-door.html
http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/d...ehung/pre.html
http://www.hometime.com/Howto/projects/window/win_3.htm

HTH,

Pop

Cleetus Awreetus wrote:
I 've attempted to install a 48" x 80" double prehung door (made by
Masonite, from Home Depot) into a pre-framed entry way in my house, and it's
turned out to not be as easy as I thought. When I bought the house, the
door way was simply finished with dry wall. I started by pulling off the
dry wall from the inside, to expose the 2x4's all around the inside of the
door way. After pulling off the dry wall, the exact width of the doorway is
48". I figured since it was 48", then I needed a 48" x 80" prehung door,
which they sold at HD. Little did I realize, that 48" was the interior
measurement of the prehung door frame and that the width from stud to study
would need to be an inch or two more. What's the right way to proceed on
this? Should I even think about trying to pull out one of the 2x4s on one
of the sides to give me an extra 1.5" - 2" or so? Is there another size of
a prehung doors that would better fit my dimensions? Or do I just need to
hire a carpenter to build a custom frame and doors? Any advice appreciated.
Thanks.

Steve



The advice so far is flawed, just reframe the opening to the spec's
for that door. It's right on the door somewhere. If you go and
special order a door it will cost you twice as much. Tearing out a
few 2x4 is a few dollars. If you don't know what your doing have a
pro do it. For all you know you are dealing with a bearing wall and
if it's not done right it could cost you thousands in the end. Do
you know what a jack stud and cripple stud are?? If not then you
should not be doing this project, PERIOD !!!!

Rich

--
"You can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK"
Linux user #291570
Remove "nospam" to email

Evodawg wrote:
Cleetus Awreetus wrote:
I 've attempted to install a 48" x 80" double prehung door (made by
Masonite, from Home Depot) into a pre-framed entry way in my house, and it's
turned out to not be as easy as I thought. When I bought the house, the
door way was simply finished with dry wall. I started by pulling off the
dry wall from the inside, to expose the 2x4's all around the inside of the
door way. After pulling off the dry wall, the exact width of the doorway is
48". I figured since it was 48", then I needed a 48" x 80" prehung door,
which they sold at HD. Little did I realize, that 48" was the interior
measurement of the prehung door frame and that the width from stud to study
would need to be an inch or two more. What's the right way to proceed on
this? Should I even think about trying to pull out one of the 2x4s on one
of the sides to give me an extra 1.5" - 2" or so? Is there another size of
a prehung doors that would better fit my dimensions? Or do I just need to
hire a carpenter to build a custom frame and doors? Any advice appreciated.
Thanks.

The advice so far is flawed, just reframe the opening to the spec's
for that door. It's right on the door somewhere. If you go and
special order a door it will cost you twice as much. Tearing out a
few 2x4 is a few dollars. If you don't know what your doing have a
pro do it. For all you know you are dealing with a bearing wall and
if it's not done right it could cost you thousands in the end. Do
you know what a jack stud and cripple stud are?? If not then you
should not be doing this project, PERIOD !!!!

So your advice is to have an obvious newbie "just reframe the opening"
instead of ordering a door...? Then you scare the dude with "could
cost you thousands" if he doesn't know what a jack stud is??

WTF is wrong with just ordering a pre-hung sized to fit? I AM a pro
and I wouldn't reframe for that. Why mess with the drywall and
everything else. You must not value your time at all.

R

I am the OP and definitely a newbie. I would not attempt to tear out
any 2x4's and reframe by myself. I don't know if it's a load bearing
wall...so my skill level is pretty obvious. If I can order a prehung
door that fits my specs, even if it costs more, I will do that. If the
prehung door fits, I do know enough to install it. Thanks for the
advice.

Steve

RicodJour wrote:
wrote:
Just knock out the studs on one side of the door, install a new header
and replace the 2x4s on that side, but 2 inches further.
Why is this a problem?

Is it a bearing wall? He didn't mention anything that would let you
determine that for sure, but a drywalled opening is usually a pass
through between rooms and frequently is in bearing walls.

Just knock out the studs...? When do you think it would be a good time
to tell the guy about determining if it is a bearing wall and if so,
jacking up the structure above before he knocks anything out?

YES, you ALWAYS measure the INSIDE of the frame.

Inside of the framed opening.

To the OP - get a new door like someone else said. It'll save you a
lot of headaches you don't need. Give the guy you order it from, the
height and width of the framed opening, and the thcikness of the wall.
If you can get it as a split-jamb unit, you'll find it faster but it
may not match your existing trim.

R

RicodJour wrote:
Evodawg wrote:

Cleetus Awreetus wrote:

I 've attempted to install a 48" x 80" double prehung door (made by
Masonite, from Home Depot) into a pre-framed entry way in my house, and it's
turned out to not be as easy as I thought. When I bought the house, the
door way was simply finished with dry wall. I started by pulling off the
dry wall from the inside, to expose the 2x4's all around the inside of the
door way. After pulling off the dry wall, the exact width of the doorway is
48". I figured since it was 48", then I needed a 48" x 80" prehung door,
which they sold at HD. Little did I realize, that 48" was the interior
measurement of the prehung door frame and that the width from stud to study
would need to be an inch or two more. What's the right way to proceed on
this? Should I even think about trying to pull out one of the 2x4s on one
of the sides to give me an extra 1.5" - 2" or so? Is there another size of
a prehung doors that would better fit my dimensions? Or do I just need to
hire a carpenter to build a custom frame and doors? Any advice appreciated.
Thanks.

The advice so far is flawed, just reframe the opening to the spec's
for that door. It's right on the door somewhere. If you go and
special order a door it will cost you twice as much. Tearing out a
few 2x4 is a few dollars. If you don't know what your doing have a
pro do it. For all you know you are dealing with a bearing wall and
if it's not done right it could cost you thousands in the end. Do
you know what a jack stud and cripple stud are?? If not then you
should not be doing this project, PERIOD !!!!


So your advice is to have an obvious newbie "just reframe the opening"
instead of ordering a door...? Then you scare the dude with "could
cost you thousands" if he doesn't know what a jack stud is??

WTF is wrong with just ordering a pre-hung sized to fit? I AM a pro
and I wouldn't reframe for that. Why mess with the drywall and
everything else. You must not value your time at all.

R



It was my understanding he had taken out the drywall already. But
when I reread the post it would be easier and probably less money
for him to reorder the door to the existing rough opening. You are
right RicodJour.

Rich

--
"You can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK"
Linux user #291570
Remove "nospam" to email

Cleetus Awreetus wrote:
I 've attempted to install a 48" x 80" double prehung door (made by
Masonite, from Home Depot) into a pre-framed entry way in my house, and it's
turned out to not be as easy as I thought. When I bought the house, the
door way was simply finished with dry wall. I started by pulling off the
dry wall from the inside, to expose the 2x4's all around the inside of the
door way. After pulling off the dry wall, the exact width of the doorway is
48". I figured since it was 48", then I needed a 48" x 80" prehung door,
which they sold at HD. Little did I realize, that 48" was the interior
measurement of the prehung door frame and that the width from stud to study
would need to be an inch or two more. What's the right way to proceed on
this? Should I even think about trying to pull out one of the 2x4s on one
of the sides to give me an extra 1.5" - 2" or so? Is there another size of
a prehung doors that would better fit my dimensions? Or do I just need to
hire a carpenter to build a custom frame and doors? Any advice appreciated.
Thanks.

Steve



If it's a non-bearing wall, pull the 1-1/2" trimmers and replace with
1/2" ply on each side. You need 50" rough.

but, you mentioned entryway door, so it's likely load bearing. Easiest
way is to custom order a door. won't be cheap, but then are in position
to properly remove wall finish (interior and exterior) and then replace
it if you reframe the opening?