How Do I Make My Rough Opening Bigger?

The easiest way to make the rough opening bigger is to remove the jack studs. According to The International Residential Code on page 151, it is possible to replace the jack studs with approved framing anchors for instances requiring only one jack stud. There is a maximum of 3″ to be gained by this.

How do you widen a cased opening?

Split the inches of enlargement between the door sides as preferred. It's easiest to cut one side only, as you can then use the existing wall framing for one side of the new doorway. Add 2 1/4 inches to the inches of enlargement for every side that is enlarged, however, to determine how far back to cut the wall.

What if my rough opening is too small?

A rough opening too small for the window or door to fit presents a problem with a limited number of options to fix. Explore them and choose the best way. The options are: replace the window or door with one that will fit, remove the jack studs and make them smaller, or rebuild the opening.