When you are building your dream house or renovating your home, you will need to determine the correct measurement of all the sizes of the doors and windows properly. Because small things like the rough opening size of the doors and windows matter the most as you will need to have proper roam or space for opening your doors and windows.
Therefore, in this article, we are going to give you a proper idea about the rough opening size for doors. Stick to the last word of this article in order to know have a clear idea.
Rough opening size for doors
The rough opening size for doors needs to have a proper measurement. Rough opening size for doors depends on various factors like framing, proper space for doors, etc. However, the average rough opening size for doors in height and width can be two inches and two and a half inches of the door.
Table of Contents
If you want to purchase new doors for your house then you might need to have a clear idea about the rough opening size for doors. Basically, there are different types of doors available in the market such as bifold doors, bypass doors, overhead doors, pocket doors, prehung doors, etc.
Among these doors, the prehung doors will need framing which is why the measurement can be different for the rough opening of the prehung doors. In addition, you might need to measure the exact rough opening size for the prehung door in your preferred area before you install the door.
However, all the other types of doors can have the general rough opening size although it will be best if you measure the exact rough opening size before you install the doors.
To have a clearer idea about the rough opening size of different types of doors below we have discussed the rough opening size for all types of doors:
Bifold doors:
For bi-fold doors, the rough opening size is calculated through standard measurement which is why you will get those bi-fold doors manufactured based on the standard sizes. However, you can still choose the rough opening size for the bi-fold doors and the standard measurement in case of length and width is 2-½ inches and 1-½ inches.
Double doors:
For double doors, you have to measure the width of each part of the door and to acquire the total width of the door you have to multiply it by 2. For having the rough opening size for the door, you will need to add extra two inches to the total width of the door. In the case of the height, you will need to find out the total height and then add extra two inches to the height.
Bypass doors:
For having the rough opening size for bypass doors you will need to add two inches to the total width of the door. Also, in the case of the height, you will need to add extra two inches to the total height of the door.
Overhead doors:
When it comes to measuring the overhead doors, the header of the overhead doors should be more than 8 inches. And when you are measuring the rough opening of the overhead doors the measurement should be more than two and a half inches than the actual diameter of the door.
Pocket doors:
You will need to measure the total width of the pocket doors and then you have to multiply it by 2 times. Then you have to add an extra one inch to the width of the door. For instance, if the width of the door is 20 inches, then the rough opening of the door will need to be 41 inches.
Garage doors:
In the case of the garage doors the rough opening should be more than two inches and less than three inches than the total width of the door. You have to make sure that, you have measured the width in both the right and left edges as well as you have to add extra inches in both right and left edges.
Exterior doors:
The exterior doors need to have one and a half inches added to the total height and width of the door. For example, if the width of the door is 30 inches, then the rough opening size for the door should be 31.5 inches.
Prehung interior doors:
For the case of prehung interior doors, you will need to add at least 2 inches to the actual diameter of the door. For the width and length of the door, you will need to add two inches to the width and one inch to the height of the door.
Sliding glass doors:
The sliding glass doors need to have at least one inch added to the total width and height of the doors. Make sure that you have properly measured the height and width of the doors.
What is the standard rough door opening sizes?
The standard rough door opening sizes depends on the variety of the door. Every variety of doors has different rough opening sizes and sometimes the total width and height decide the rough opening size of the doors. Below we have discussed all the rough opening sizes for the different sizes of the doors:
24 inch door:
For 24 inch door, you will need to have two inches added to the width of the door and two and a half inches to the actual height of the door.
28 inch door:
If you are installing 28 inch wide door then you have to add two inches to the width portion of the door. And another two and a half inches to the total height of the door.
30 inch door:
The width of the door needs to be increased by two inches if a 30 inch door is being installed. Additionally, the door’s overall height will increase by another 2.5 inches.
32 inch door:
For a door that is 32 inches wide, two additional inches must be added to the width and two and a half additional inches must be added to the door’s actual height.
34 inch door:
Adding two more inches to the width and two and a half more inches to the door’s actual height is required for a door that is 34 inches wide.
36 inch door:
Installing a door that is 36 inches wide requires you to increase the door’s width by two inches and add an additional 2.5 inches to the door’s overall height.
48 inch door:
For a 48 inch door the rough opening needs to be increased by one inch and one and a half inches to the width and height of the door.
72 inch door:
It is necessary to add 1.5 inches to the width and height of the rough opening for a door that is 72 inches wide.
3 factors that affect the rough opening size for doors
There are many factors that affect the rough opening size for doors. The factors are mentioned below:
The door size:
The door plays an important role in deciding the rough opening size of the doors. Therefore, before you install your door you should measure the height and the width of the door and then determine the rough opening size of the door depending on the size of the door.
The door frame:
Measure the diameter of the door frame before you determine the size of the rough opening. The depth of the frame will also help you to determine the depth of the wall. After measuring the door frame then you have to add it to the total diameter of the door and then add the extra rough opening size to the door.
Measure the brick opening:
The brick aperture, which takes into account the outside border or framing, is determined from the building’s outside. This distance is measured between the home’s outside paneling and brickwork. In the event that the brick opening gets bigger or shorter than that, you should think about using a brick mold or cutting the piece that is not the normal size but will correctly fit the aperture and frame the door.
How do you frame a rough door opening?
Framing a rough door opening is pretty much a complicated task. However, we have explained it below in simple steps so that you can understand it very easily:
Measure and mark all the plates:
The first step is to measure the distance between the king studs and mark them to the inside and the outside.
Connect all the parts and even the edges:
The next step is to make sure that the edges of the door remain even. You will need to use all your senses so that you can keep all the edges even while nailing through the wood.
Nail all the other parts:
The final step is to nail the cripples and the header to the king stud. You have to make sure that you have added the cripples before you connect the top plate. Lastly, make sure that the nails remain too close to the stud in the bottom plate of the stud.
Final Thoughts:
The rough opening size of the doors depends on various factors. The factors include a variety of doors, framing, door measurement, brick opening, etc. However, the standard rough opening size for the doors can be two inches and two and a half inches in width and height.