My question is very similar to "How can I fit a door in a frame that is too small?" except my house is made of concrete block. I bought a used patio French door to replace my sliding door. The sliding door measured 71 1/2 x 80. The French doors measured the same. After taking out the frame for the sliders, I need at least 1/2 inch on the top and sides. Help!
Doors – How to fit patio French doors in a frame that is too small
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Ok Kenny, here is the plan. You can remove one Jack stud and door header with a sawzall(cutting between the studs to cut the nails) and some work. You can then replace the jack stud with a 3/4" board cut to 3 1/2" width and the new 3/4" higher height. Put a 3/4" block on top of the remaining jack stud and reinstall the header 2X4. It will still fit between the outside studs and be supported 3/4" higher then before. Obviously, you will have to trim some drywall away to do this, but that can be pieced in and patched fairly easily and if you're careful cutting it before the demo begins. The drywall seam may be covered by the door trim. The result will be a finished opening 3/4 inches wider and taller than you started with. Your new door should slide right in! Good Luck.
For high priced custom doors, you deserve to get it right.
The king studs are the primary support on the sides of the door (they go all the way up to the top plate. However, the jack studs are supporting the header over the door and that is supporting the cripple studs over the header. If this is a load bearing wall, these are all supporting members.
If the jack studs are cut down, they probably need to be cut more than 3/4 inch total to accomodate shims to square the door in the opening. If you take out only 1/2 inch on each side, you have reduced the jack stud by 33%. If this is done in place, you are also stressing the remaining structure of studs, header, etc. in sawing out the excess.
It could be that the overall framing is overengineered enough to survive this assualt, but it is risky, violates most building codes and is a bad way to start a good project.
I would insist that they measure thrice (three times instead of the recommended two) and bring a correctly sized door.
P.S. I had a similar problem with a custom tempered glass shower door that I had waited eight weeks for. They played with cludging it for about a minute and then took it back for a correctly sized piece. It hurts but it is worth it.
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Best Answer
It depends on the construction of the door, but if it's a wood door, you should be able to take off 1/4" from the top and bottom without any problem.