I've got a dead space under my stairs. I want to build a little storage area in there. I'm going to buy a couple of old kitchen cabinet doors for it. Let's just say that that 2 doors are 10" wide by 14" high. I don't just cut a hole that's 20x14, I imagine I have to have some extra space around them. What size should I cut my hole to? I 'm not doing anything fancy, just some hinges, probably a magnet inside to hold the doors closed and probably some trim on the outside to make it match the surroundings.
Framing for a new door
- Thread starter Tangwhich
- Start date
first off, you will likely find wall studs there, they are likely on 16" centers, so that will give you about "14 between the studs. removing part of the one wall stud should not be an issue, its probably not load bearing, however you need to determine that before you cut them out. If it is load bearing you need to add a header to carry the weight and will add will make the job more difficult .
having said all of that, back to your original Question. Normally you would make the 'rough' opening 2" larger than the finished opening, thereby allowing you to plumb & level your opening with a jamb made of 3/4" or 5/8" material.
Hope this helps
having said all of that, back to your original Question. Normally you would make the 'rough' opening 2" larger than the finished opening, thereby allowing you to plumb & level your opening with a jamb made of 3/4" or 5/8" material.
Hope this helps
Thanks Ben.. the stud issue isn't an issue.. I saw the space before the drywall went on so no concern there. So using what you said, in my example I'd make an opening of 22x16, is that correct? It seems a bit large but I assume you're talking about making it a bit fancy on the inside. I have no intention of that. I'm just going to attach the hinges to the studs.. as long as it looks nice with the doors closed that's good enough.
Will the doors fit inside the opening, or simply close on it similar to kitchen cabinet doors? If so, you should choose hinges, buy them, and see how much clearance you'll need for them; European style fit inside the opening, old style fit outside. You only need about 1/4 between the doors, but this is somewhat determined by the thickness of the doors, ie opening 1 door without it binding on the other door.
Good luck.
Good luck.
I'm not all sure you should be allowed to touch a saw. Hire a professional who knows what he is doing, or get your wife or somebody to do it.
Gee thanks Odd sox.. I'm actually quite handy, I just never framed a door before.. I'm perfectly capable of doing it but everything has a first time and needs some guidance.
A genuine thanks to the others who posted.
Sorry but no. You're talking about cutting a random hole in the drywall, buying used kitchen cabinet doors, and fitting them flush by attaching the hinges to the existing studs, but you're not sure about what kind of hinges to use. And you want to know how big the hole should be? WTF?
This is the sorta thing I do, and you're going about it the hard way. Don't just buy the cabinet doors, buy the cabinet too. Keeping your eyes open for what people put at the curb can get you the best price. Cut the hole to ft the cabinet you 'buy' and slide it in. Violets!
Now I trusted your judgement that there were no studs of any importance, but best if you cuts as few as you can in any case, and slide the cabinet right beside one of them. You'll want to add a new one on the other side to anchor the floppy drywall edge, and then bridge across between the two at the top. Best to make that opening a tad larger than the cabinet, tad being a precise measurement of how accurately you can cut and and how plumb and level (we trust you own squares, levels, and such) you build Do not imagine a 24" box will ever slide into a 24" hole; I'd want a half inch. After you have inserted the cabinet, shim it level and plumb and screw it sideways into the studs thru the shims, then trim the raw edges as you please. There's an edging for drywall to let it butt on the cabinet if you don't want moulding.
Didn't want the cabinet closing you out of that space under the stairs? Keep about 6", and saw the rest of it off just before slide it in for the last time (making sure there's some fasteners to hold what's left together) What you're actually asking above is how to build that 'cabinet' on which the door is hung, and which dresses the rough opening—it's called the jamb assembly. If you really have those skills go ahead and build one, just use 1x3 to 1x6 instead of cabinet width panels.
Unless you've followed all this and visualized only Robertson screws, you are not ready. If you have, go for it; drywall can be patched.
Now I trusted your judgement that there were no studs of any importance, but best if you cuts as few as you can in any case, and slide the cabinet right beside one of them. You'll want to add a new one on the other side to anchor the floppy drywall edge, and then bridge across between the two at the top. Best to make that opening a tad larger than the cabinet, tad being a precise measurement of how accurately you can cut and and how plumb and level (we trust you own squares, levels, and such) you build Do not imagine a 24" box will ever slide into a 24" hole; I'd want a half inch. After you have inserted the cabinet, shim it level and plumb and screw it sideways into the studs thru the shims, then trim the raw edges as you please. There's an edging for drywall to let it butt on the cabinet if you don't want moulding.
Didn't want the cabinet closing you out of that space under the stairs? Keep about 6", and saw the rest of it off just before slide it in for the last time (making sure there's some fasteners to hold what's left together) What you're actually asking above is how to build that 'cabinet' on which the door is hung, and which dresses the rough opening—it's called the jamb assembly. If you really have those skills go ahead and build one, just use 1x3 to 1x6 instead of cabinet width panels.
Unless you've followed all this and visualized only Robertson screws, you are not ready. If you have, go for it; drywall can be patched.
No, it's not random. I know exactly where I want it. I know how it's framed currently. I work in construction but I am not a carpenter and I'm the first to admit that I'm not the least bit knowledgable about it. I have no idea how to install a door. But I do know how to do many other things. I'm sorry that my basic questions offend you but the stuff that I'm now an expert at at one time were a complete mystery to me. With some basic guidance I can do this myself.
That's a good idea Oldjones.. unfortunately due to the slope inside the cavity it's not going to work. I can get a couple of plain white doors for really cheap.. that's the easy part...
I've done a bit of research and have a slightly better understanding now of hinges and I see the issue.. those types of doors are no designed to be hinged that way. I may have to give this a bit of a rethink..
I've done a bit of research and have a slightly better understanding now of hinges and I see the issue.. those types of doors are no designed to be hinged that way. I may have to give this a bit of a rethink..
you will need some framing around the rough opening to mount your hinges into 2X3 or 2X4 work best. Make sure that you have a solid base, ie run them from the floor so that they are resting on something solid as opposed to hanging off drywall. Frame around your opening with teh stud material , just screw through the dry wall into the studs iy the doors you are using are light weight that will work fine. Mount hte doors and screw the hinges into the studs. If you want a flush mount put the stud material even with the edge of the rough opening so the door closes into teh opening.
Just remember this.
You are not building this to be strong enough to support the cabinents, your building this to be strong enough to support the cabinets plus whatever you put into it.
Hard to say without seeing the space, but if your going to go through all this trouble, I'd just make my own cabinets, that way I can customize the size and shape, and not have any doors, but put a nice picture on a hinge on front of it.
You are not building this to be strong enough to support the cabinents, your building this to be strong enough to support the cabinets plus whatever you put into it.
Hard to say without seeing the space, but if your going to go through all this trouble, I'd just make my own cabinets, that way I can customize the size and shape, and not have any doors, but put a nice picture on a hinge on front of it.
The slope under the stairs is only a limitation if you're trying to put your door jambs (that 'cabinet' you must either buy or build) under the stairs. If you can't find one that'll fit, then you'll have to build one. You say you have the doors, and presumably they do fit, so you have your sizes. Build away.
You will still have to install/reposition studs as landscaper's saying, but by installing the doors to jambs you don't have to be so fussy about plumbing and levelingbig wood, in the dark behind the drywall.
Good luck, but if I may say so, I think you may be wading in deeper than you should. Spend lotsa design time, and save yourself building pain. Use store-bought stuff wherever possible. Oversize doors that slide outside a weird shaped hole behind them is good thinking, as long as you're happy with the track and have the room at the side.
There's no need for a cabinet, that would waste a lot of space and you don't care what it looks like inside. If the doors have special hinges they can easily be changed for something more basic.
The important thing is to get your framed opening square.
The important thing is to get your framed opening square.
