Doors and Windows - Measuring
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jaykelp
04-27-03, 05:48 PM
I have a wall that I am framing. I want to put a RO door that measures 72x80. The slab is 126" long. Right now the wall is framed with a 2x4 to start and a 4x4 post at the end. The height measures 84 3/4" to a 10" header. How do I frame this door out? And, is there going to be enough strength?
Tn...Andy
04-27-03, 09:25 PM
First, lets get on the same page as to terms, because I don't have a clue what you are describing.
We'll assume we're dealing with a standard 2x4 wall.
The 2x4 laid flat on the subfloor or slab is the shoe plate.
Is that the 2x4 you are refering too ?
The verticle 2x4's coming off the shoe plate are studs. The full length studs ( called King studs in some locations) run from the shoe plate to the under side of the first top plate, another 2x4 running horizontally at the top of the wall, laying flat like the shoe plate. The top plate is generally doubled, with the joints overlapped so the two plates don't 'break' at the same point if your wall is long enough to near a joint. At 126", your wall could be top plated with two solid 12' 2x4s. For a standard 8' wall, pre-cut studs of 93" are used.
Studs that run under a header are called Jack studs or cripples. For your door, IF you need an 80" opening height, ( and you better check that to be sure ), I would cut the jack stud 78 3/4" long. When you set the jack on your bottom plate, that will make your header set at 80 1/4" off the subfloor/slab...the extra 1/4" giving you some clearance to actually get the door in....you can always shim the door top, but if it's too tight, you have a REAL problem. You need 2 jacks on each side of an opening this size.
Your header.....If you subtract 80 1/4 from 93 stud length, you get 12 3/4"......that means you COULD use up to a 2x12 ( which actually measure about 11 1/4" ) and an extra 2x4 laid flat on the bottom of the header build up, giving you 12 3/4"......A double 2x12 with 1/2 plywood sandwiched in between with that 2x4 laid flat on the bottom will hold about anything you put on the top of this wall for this size opening. IF all you're putting on top the wall is a roof ( no second floor ), then you could go 2x10s and built up however much extra material that works out to be for filler.....Even a pair of 2x8s with plywood and little short 2x4 "studs" on top the header under the top plate will work fine with a light roof.
On the ends of the wall, where I think you have a 4x4, generally a built up "corner post" is used.......2 full length studs with about 3 short pcs of 2x4 scrap, all nailed together laying flat. This gives you a post that is 3 1/2 x 4 1/2....when you run the other outside wall, this leaves 1" of 2x4 on the inside corner to nail sheetrock, etc on the inside......that is the only reason for this corner post. With your 4x4, you'll have to scab something else on for a nailer, since they measure 3 1/2 each way, as does the width of the other outside wall.
I normally assemble the whole mess laying on the subfloor/sab, square the wall by measuring the diagonals, then install the outside sheathing....then stand the whole wall up, nail or bolt to the slab and you're in business.
Armed with that info, now what do you need to know ?
We'll assume we're dealing with a standard 2x4 wall.
The 2x4 laid flat on the subfloor or slab is the shoe plate.
Is that the 2x4 you are refering too ?
The verticle 2x4's coming off the shoe plate are studs. The full length studs ( called King studs in some locations) run from the shoe plate to the under side of the first top plate, another 2x4 running horizontally at the top of the wall, laying flat like the shoe plate. The top plate is generally doubled, with the joints overlapped so the two plates don't 'break' at the same point if your wall is long enough to near a joint. At 126", your wall could be top plated with two solid 12' 2x4s. For a standard 8' wall, pre-cut studs of 93" are used.
Studs that run under a header are called Jack studs or cripples. For your door, IF you need an 80" opening height, ( and you better check that to be sure ), I would cut the jack stud 78 3/4" long. When you set the jack on your bottom plate, that will make your header set at 80 1/4" off the subfloor/slab...the extra 1/4" giving you some clearance to actually get the door in....you can always shim the door top, but if it's too tight, you have a REAL problem. You need 2 jacks on each side of an opening this size.
Your header.....If you subtract 80 1/4 from 93 stud length, you get 12 3/4"......that means you COULD use up to a 2x12 ( which actually measure about 11 1/4" ) and an extra 2x4 laid flat on the bottom of the header build up, giving you 12 3/4"......A double 2x12 with 1/2 plywood sandwiched in between with that 2x4 laid flat on the bottom will hold about anything you put on the top of this wall for this size opening. IF all you're putting on top the wall is a roof ( no second floor ), then you could go 2x10s and built up however much extra material that works out to be for filler.....Even a pair of 2x8s with plywood and little short 2x4 "studs" on top the header under the top plate will work fine with a light roof.
On the ends of the wall, where I think you have a 4x4, generally a built up "corner post" is used.......2 full length studs with about 3 short pcs of 2x4 scrap, all nailed together laying flat. This gives you a post that is 3 1/2 x 4 1/2....when you run the other outside wall, this leaves 1" of 2x4 on the inside corner to nail sheetrock, etc on the inside......that is the only reason for this corner post. With your 4x4, you'll have to scab something else on for a nailer, since they measure 3 1/2 each way, as does the width of the other outside wall.
I normally assemble the whole mess laying on the subfloor/sab, square the wall by measuring the diagonals, then install the outside sheathing....then stand the whole wall up, nail or bolt to the slab and you're in business.
Armed with that info, now what do you need to know ?