consult your local building official
for acceptable methods.
POINT OF NO RETURN
Once the rough opening was
constructed I used the Rotozip to
cut away the sheathing and
Styrofoam insulation from the
entryway. I then used the same
tool to cut the outline of the door
frame through the metal siding at
the top and bottom.
My next move was made from
the outside of the house, where I
marked plumb lines on the sides
of the door frame, connecting my
top and bottom cuts. I followed
my cutlines with a lightweight
18-volt Makita circ saw, using a
homemade edge guide that I
built a couple of years ago. The
thin kerf of the blade made short
work of the siding, and as I
A door header must be the same thickness as the framing members.
However, because a 2x4 stud is actually 1-1/2 by 3-1/2 inches, doubling
two 2x boards only measures 3 inches. One solution is to install 1/2-inch
rigid foam insulation between the header boards, which achieves the
desired thickness but provides a thermal break over the door.
