[mpoland33]

Good morning!

I am installing french doors in my basement and I'm wondering how much space the door frame takes. Right now I have it studded out with 2x4's. Will the frame take up one of those 2x4's? How much does door trim take up?

My issue is I have JUST enough room to put the french doors and then insert a fish tank viewing window in the wall. The problem is I'm afraid the trim work is going to butt against each other which my wife does not want. THanks!

 

[Nealtw]

Some more info would help like the length of header you have and size of door.
A single door, you add 2" for the jam, a double door you need close to 3" bigger than the doors. A double door needs 2 jack studs under the header on each side.

We always try to get 3 studs between windows and door as a min.

Have you thought about ordering a bigger unit that would include the window in the door unit like a side light.

 

[3onthetree]

Sounds like you are making an interior office or something and you want a window to look into it to see the tank?

An interior french door only needs the same extra 2" for the rough opening size, but it should have a king+jack stud even if it does not have a bearing header. The casing interference depends on what you use, you have 2 1/4", then 3 1/4" on up wider. You could do a different, simpler, smaller style of trim for the window than what you use for the door. Could you inset the tank into the wall, so it is flush with the outside wall face and overhangs into the room, so eliminates the "window" altogether?

 

[mpoland33]

Thanks for the replies.

I am indeed doing an interior office. The tank would actually be in my office and the viewing window would be for the viewing pleasures of those in the rest of the basement.I'm not sure what a king plus jack stud is but my left side of the frame is (2) 2x4's thick and the right side is (3)- long story. The right side is where the tank is and after the 3rd 2x4 it has a couple inches.

 

[Nealtw]

Thanks for the replies.

I am indeed doing an interior office. The tank would actually be in my office and the viewing window would be for the viewing pleasures of those in the rest of the basement.I'm not sure what a king plus jack stud is but my left side of the frame is (2) 2x4's thick and the right side is (3)- long story. The right side is where the tank is and after the 3rd 2x4 it has a couple inches.

Can we assume it is a non bearing wall . You would always like to have at least 2 studs beside a door and window, to help with stiffness and trim backing.

If you are tight to a cross wall on one side you would like to have 2 2x4s between the jam and the other wall to have room for trim on both sides of the door.

 

[3onthetree]

The king stud goes from the bottom plate to the top plate. The jack stud is inside that, and goes from bottom plate up to the header (which may be only a "ladder frame" rather than a "beam").

With french doors, that means the door slabs have lites in them, so can you see the tank through them? And if you are $$ short for soundproofing (other thread), how do you plan on doing the separate window (rather than have the tank "be the window") if the tank is against the wall?