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I'm trying to figure out how to do this the right way. I'm planning to put a door in an already existing wall down stairs. I have a few questions about the details:

  • Do I need a header if it is not a loadbearing wall or not?
  • The dimensions of the door are 80"x28". Do I have to add inches to the opening that I cut?
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Add 2 inches to the door width to get your RO (rough opening) width. Add 2 inches to your height, to allow for a gap at the floor. (You probably won't need all of it, but sometimes level on the floor doesn't cooperate.)

If you absolutely know that the wall isn't load-bearing, then technically, you don't need a header. However, it's not hard to build a simple header, so I'd suggest you do it.

If your wall is load-bearing, you'll want support while you've cut stuff away.

Other random tips: Try really hard to get your hinge side studs perfect. If it's right, you can easily screw the hinge side of the jamb directly to the stud. Cut an entire sheet of drywall away on each side, so you have lots of room to work on the framing. This also means that the new sheet you put in will have no seams around the door, which will help with cracking.

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  • "Support" when modifying a loadbearing wall consists essentially of framing a temporary wall to take the weight while you have the load bearing wall partially removed. That requires knowing where to put that temporary framing so it in turn will be adequately supported. Getting a structural engineer's advice is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED before altering a loadbearing wall... or any wall you aren't certain of. In old houses load may have redistributed itself.
    – keshlam
    Commented May 9, 2015 at 18:09
  • ... something appropriate about Defenestrate advising on fenestration....
    – keshlam
    Commented May 9, 2015 at 18:11
  • If you or a good contractor can reverse engineer the framing enough to know if it is a load bearing wall, then you or that good contractor can figure a header size that will handle the load. Gravity loads in houses are easy if you know what you are doing. A structural engineer is overkill for most all residential gravity load situations in 1-2 story dwellings unless they are extremely cut up. Especially with free structural analysis programs.
    – Damon
    Commented May 9, 2015 at 22:42

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