DIY Home Improvement Forum banner

Cutting a doorway into existing wall

4K views 16 replies 6 participants last post by  federer 
#1 ·
Hey everyone,

A friend asked if I could help her out with a project she has, but I have a few questions...


Basically, she needs to cut a doorway (no door) into an existing wall (interior). One side goes into a large open area, and the other side would go into a hallway for access to a bathroom. I've done basic drywall stuff before, but nothing quite like this.

Would it just be to cut the drywall out first, then cut any studs (based on the only pics I have, I'm assuming they aren't load-bearing), and then this is where i have questions....

I would think I would have to frame this somehow, or am I wrong on this?

Any help would be great.

Here are the couple pics that I have.

The opening would be cut where the unpainted section is:


This is a pic taken from in the hallway on the other side:


Thanks,
Mike
 
See less See more
2
#2 ·
#3 ·
I don't think it's concrete since it's an interior wall and he's said cut out studs. First you must be sure about load bearing that makes a very big difference. And yes it has to be cut out then re framed to rough opening specs and since you have cut out the studs you need to add a header above the opening. You also need to knock a hole and make sure there is no sparky or plumbing where you want the door. Doable but not an easy job.
 
#6 ·
Thanks for the reply guys...

I haven't actually seen this wall in person yet, but I know its not a concrete wall.

Danny, it is a commercial building, but I couldn't tell you for sure yet if it has metal studs. I've never worked with metal studs. If that's what it has, how would I frame it?
 
#9 ·
I think the drywall was up before they got into the place, so who knows who installed it, but they have told me that the wall definitely isn't block. They had originally hired someone to do this, but that person ended up doing one part of their job and is now MIA. That's why she asked if I could help.
 
#10 ·
I think the drywall was up before they got into the place, so who knows who installed it, but they have told me that the wall definitely isn't block. They had originally hired someone to do this, but that person ended up doing one part of their job and is now MIA.
I wasn't looking to place blame Myst. The only thing is that since it's not how drywall is normally installed, it didn't look like drywall at first.

Assuming it's drywall, and assuming it's metal studs, you can find how to install a doorframe into it. You just have to use metal stud framing and techniques rather than wood framing (e.g. metal screws instead of wood, metal saw blades instead of wood). You'll need to cut out a larger drywall section than the size of the door, then drywall back over it. It looks something like this.

http://www.diyadvice.com/diy/doors-windows/install-door/frame-with-metal-studs/
 
#13 ·
The drywall may not be installed incorrectly, a lot of commercial building are sheet rocked vertically instead of horizontally and it looks in the pic like about 4' between the seams. If this is true you may only have 1 stud to deal with.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top