Creating hole in wall to fit new FD door & casing

Hi all

First post - but long time reader.

I am renovating my house. Been doing it for a few years now;

Had an extension built by pros whilst I have been DIYing a loft conversion, digging out ground floor for wet UFH, removing a chimney breast, moving walls, new gas elec and water supplies, the list goes on etc. Dont worry - its all with architects plans, planning permission and building control apps. I can post more details about the project in general another time (if anybody is interested).

For now I have a quick question - my loft conversion requires me to lower all ceilings on first floor to create sufficient head height in attic. Not an issue, have put in steels and removed old ceiling, will be hanging the new joists for attic shortly. As I was lowering ceilings, which also involved lowering some internal brick walls, I decided to replace the old 1960s wonky lintels over the doorways with new ones at a nice level head. I also widened a few of the doorways to have new 762mm doors (they needed changing for FD30 ones as well).

Anyway. I have set the lintels at 2030mm from floorboard level; working on the basis of a 1980mm door plus, say 40mm thick FD door casing, leaving me approx 10mm gap to jiggle around with. However, I didnt leave anything to accomodate the gap for floor covering (carpet and underlay etc).

So, my questions please

1. How thick is carpet and underlay usually?
2. Will I be ok to trim the bottom of the door to accomodate the carpet?
3. What size opening do you usually leave in the brickwork for a doorway? (I did 2030x850)
4. Will I have to also cut down the door casing to fit?
5. Can I get a thinner FD door casing, say 30mm? to create some more space?
6. Apart from probably making a bit more work for myself, have a 'dropped one' here?

Thanks folks

Matt

Read more: //www.diynot.com/diy/threads/c...-fit-new-fd-door-casing.443759/#ixzz3oBfz91YE

1. without details cant say.Whats the height from the threshold to the head of the frame?

2. yes

3. depends on the width x height of the frame plus 20mm to 30mm

4. depends.

5. you can make your own frame.

6. You are doing fine, difficulties will happen. Your lintel appears (to me) low for an external door opening.

Hi Ree, Thanks for the response

The doors are internal not external.

General rule in building is to leave yourself tolerance on the "can do it later" side of things. In the case of a door, if you'd set them at 2100 for example, then it's an hour with the saw and the nail gun to fill in the gap down to e.g. 2060 if that is what you discover you need..

I've the opposite problem.. I left my doors at 2100 dos I'm a big lad, but now I can't find a door that I like to fill the gap, so I'm looking at buying the 1980 doors I like and finding some way to extend them that doesn't look gash. The pros on here are telling me it's impossible, and I believe them, but fortunately they don't have to live in my house and my tolerance for what looks gash is undoubtedly higher than theirs because building isn't my regular trade so things like that just don't bother me so much

I'm sure you'll be fine.. The door advert or specs should tell you how much can be trimmed off. You might even find a laminate or vinyls flooring you love, that means the carpet idea goes, but all in there will be enough adjustment in things to accommodate and in most cases you'd be trimming doors and frames to fit anyway.. Just don't walk through your doors wearing your crash helmet and bike boots if you're 6'5

matta_uk said:

1. How thick is carpet and underlay usually?

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About 20mm. It can be greater when first laid and tends to bunch a wee bit at abutments.

matta_uk said:

2. Will I be ok to trim the bottom of the door to accomodate the carpet?

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Be careful. Fire doors are designed to have a limited amount trimmed from them.

matta_uk said:

3. What size opening do you usually leave in the brickwork for a doorway? (I did 2030x850)?

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A 2040mm gap will accommodate the door height plus carpet. Your 2030mm will be a wee bit lean. We usually set ours to the nearest course of bricks that allows anything above 2040mm. The gap can always be filled after. Width wise you are looking at aboot 850mm. This is what we tend to leave our masonry openings for 762mm wide doors + frame.

matta_uk said:

4. Will I have to also cut down the door casing to fit?

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You really should not trim the casing. They are meaty for a reason.

matta_uk said:

5. Can I get a thinner FD door casing, say 30mm? to create some more space?

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As above.

matta_uk said:

6. Apart from probably making a bit more work for myself, have a 'dropped one' here?

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A decent joiner can re-set any door lips so that none of the weaker core is exposed.

Thanks everybody.

It sounds like my 2030 might be a little tight, but should be ok.

Cheers