How do I add a new exterior door to a room?

Question

I have a room where I would like to add a door to the outside.

The house siding is cedar shingles and the room is not insulated (which I am going to add).

I believe it should be relatively simple to do (I'm not looking for anything fancy but do want the door to seal properly).

I think all I have to do is cut out the rectangular region for the door, properly sized, then frame up the entryway using 2x4's and secure it properly to the rest of the framing.

The main issue I am concerned about is with the shingles as it will be difficult to fix if a mistake is made.

Any tips or concerns I need to keep in mind?

Answer 1

There are lots of concerns I can think of (this is a much bigger project than simply cutting a rectangle in the wall):

• Exterior walls are load bearing, so you need to construct a header, king, and jack studs, to properly transfer the load over the door. During construction of this, it's a good idea to install temporary bracing.

• Any utility lines in the wall will need to be moved (electrical, plumbing, hvac, etc).

• The door needs to be installed so the exterior house wrap properly overlaps it so any water that gets behind the singles doesn't come into the door.

• You need a threshold and possibly some flashing to keep any water or drafts from getting under the door.

• You need to properly trim around the door, particularly outside, to keep it weather tight.

• It's critical that the door is level and plumb so it doesn't open or close accidentally.