Man door sizing question

famous187 · Aug 3, 2017

So , my friends and I built a 15x17 room in the corner of my pole barn. Its time for me to hang a man door and these are the frame dimensions:

35 3/8 WIDTH

83 3/8 Height

When looking at doors on Menard's website is lists the following:

32" Door:
Rough opening : 34" x 82 1/2"

34" Door:
Rough opening : 36" x 82 1/2"

Questions:
I'm assuming that a 34" door won't fit, would that be correct?

If I have to use the 32" door, my opening is a bit bigger than the rough opening size specs. Is this ok or will I need to build up the frame first?

Thank You for any help!

The Cobbler · Aug 3, 2017

the 34" door may fit, depending on how plumb your framing is.
32" would fit, and all you need to do is shim up the framing a bit.

tjdux · Aug 3, 2017

Man everytime i frame anything i get the door first just to keep this from being a thing.

That said the gap for a 32 inch door is acceptable and thats what shims and trim us ment for.

If your framing is good and square then you could maybe buy a NOT prehung door thats 36 wide and then rip it to fit and hang directly to framing...

There are probably a 100 or more differnet ways to solve this problem and those just are my thoughts.

Good luck

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ducksface · Aug 3, 2017

Change your opening to fit the widest prehung door you can afford.
Do not let some arbitrary hole in your wall dictate to you.

Then skin it with dry erase board.

Dick in Wisconsin · Aug 3, 2017

ducksface said:
Change your opening to fit the widest prehung door you can afford.
Do not let some arbitrary hole in your wall dictate to you.

Then skin it with dry erase board.

I agree. Great idea!

HoosierMark · Aug 3, 2017

What about a sliding door? Barn style?

MikeinNorthWales · Aug 3, 2017

My first thought- What made you decide on an R.O. size as odd as that?
My second thought- What is the room to be used for? Will you be moving equipment or furniture through it? Would a 36" door (my preference) be a better choice? If so, reframe to the required R.O. and buy the door YOU want, not what will fit. If a 34" will do, I say reframe if needed. 32" is getting kinda small.

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Thumper68 · Aug 3, 2017

I would re-frame to a 36 inch door, the new home we are designing will be all 36 inch doors just in case one of us ends up in a wheel chair, not to mention it is much easier to get things through them. But I like the barn door idea for a room in the shop as well.

Stuart in MN · Aug 3, 2017

Take a trip to your local Menards with your tape measure and measure one of their 34" doors to find out exactly what width it is.

wssix99 · Aug 4, 2017

ducksface said:
Change your opening to fit the widest prehung door you can afford.
Do not let some arbitrary hole in your wall dictate to you.

Then skin it with dry erase board.

Thumper68 said:
I would re-frame to a 36 inch door, the new home we are designing will be all 36 inch doors just in case one of us ends up in a wheel chair, not to mention it is much easier to get things through them. But I like the barn door idea for a room in the shop as well.

+1. I have a 36" door and often wish it was larger as I come and go with stuff. Now is the time to make it right.

yeldogt · Aug 4, 2017

If you want to be able to bring things in and out ........You want a 36" door -- trying to bring things in through a 32 will be a pain. 34 is normally a special order -- silly choice.

My door in NYC is 40" -- the extra space is nice

jetnow1 · Aug 4, 2017

Yes a 36 inch door is nicer to carry things, but it's a garage- It has garage doors if you need to carry things in that are larger. Is the rough opening in the wood or is it what the
concrete guy's left you? Wood is easy to change, concrete is doable but harder. 35 3/8 might fit the 34 but you would have to have a perfect opening as there would be no room for shims etc. By the way I always adjust the framing on the hinge side so I do not need shims on that side before door install, gives you a much nicer solid install and you can replace all the hinge 3/4 inch screws with longer ones into the frame. This reduces the later problems with the door sagging and binding.

yeldogt · Aug 4, 2017

jetnow1 said:
Yes a 36 inch door is nicer to carry things, but it's a garage- It has garage doors if you need to carry things in that are larger. Is the rough opening in the wood or is it what the
concrete guy's left you? Wood is easy to change, concrete is doable but harder. 35 3/8 might fit the 34 but you would have to have a perfect opening as there would be no room for shims etc. By the way I always adjust the framing on the hinge side so I do not need shims on that side before door install, gives you a much nicer solid install and you can replace all the hinge 3/4 inch screws with longer ones into the frame. This reduces the later problems with the door sagging and binding.

He is building a room within the barn. Not clear if the door will be inside the barn or to the outside ... I would think in the barn. It's the only way into the room.

NUTTSGT · Aug 4, 2017

Not sure what you are using the room for, but I would seriously consider reframing it for a 36" door.

The Tool Tyrant · Aug 4, 2017

Hey Famous, you need to be clear on your terminology...when you state "Frame size is" are you referring to the 'rough opening' or you installed a Non- Pre-hung door frame and the dimensions you gave us are of the installed frame. :dunno:

Falcon67 · Aug 4, 2017

X4 or 5 - re-frame for a 36" door rough opening. 32" OK for a broom closet, not for anything else.

Catadj78 · Aug 4, 2017

I agree, re frame to a 36".

I have 5 man doors in my 40x40. 4/5 are 36" the other is just a small closet. I even went with a 36" in the bathroom in case I had to pull the shower enclosure out

shelteredV · Aug 4, 2017

I would reframe for a 3'0" x 84" door. The R.O. will vary depending on who makes the door, jamb size, ect. Always try to make the opening bigger rather than smaller, it's much easier to shrink an opening than enlarging it.

benjamintmiller · Aug 4, 2017

To answer the question that you asked, a Menards 34" prehung door is usually about 33 1/2" wide to allow for some shimming on each side. It would not fit or would be really tight in a 33 3/8" opening.

I would install a 32" door, using some 1x or 2x material as shims, and be done with it. 36" wide doors are really wide and look strange indoors, IMO.

NUTTSGT · Aug 4, 2017

Catadj78 said:
I agree, re frame to a 36".

I have 5 man doors in my 40x40. 4/5 are 36" the other is just a small closet. I even went with a 36" in the bathroom in case I had to pull the shower enclosure out

Or you fall in the shower and break a hip. It's a lot easier for the EMS crews to get a cot through the door or carry you out on a (no offense) mega-mover. :wtf:

TractorJeff · Aug 4, 2017

Its a room in a Pole Barn!
Rough it out to fit a 36 inch door!
My brother's previous owner built a room for a Cabinet/Carpenter Shop in the Pole Barn. One wall had a doorway at 36 inches and the other wall had a double door to get projects in and out. The 3rd wall had windows so he could see the house and driveway, reserving the 4th wall for hanging tools on!
Didn't look GOOFY!

6768rogues · Aug 4, 2017

Who the heck framed it with an oddball sized opening? I would at the least reframe it so a 36x80 door would fit so things can be moved in and out. I would rather frame it so a double door unit would fit so I could use a pallet jack to move pallets of stuff in and out.

Stuart in MN · Aug 4, 2017

benjamintmiller said:
To answer the question that you asked, a Menards 34" prehung door is usually about 33 1/2" wide to allow for some shimming on each side. It would not fit or would be really tight in a 33 3/8" opening.

The OP said his framed opening is 35 3/8", not 33 3/8"...

The dimensions quoted from Menards are for the recommended rough opening size, which is a little larger than the actual door frame size to allow for shimming. The actual width of his framed opening is only 5/8" more than the recommended width, so a 34" door and frame may still fit. That's why I said earlier to go to the store and actually measure the door frame in person.

The Cobbler · Aug 4, 2017

so the OP asks a question basically whether a rough opening will fit a certain door size.
most replies are telling him to redo his framing so a 36" door will fit.
not knowing the purpose of the room, weather he actually has the space to enlarge the door or any other factor.

TractorJeff · Aug 4, 2017

The Cobbler said:
so the OP asks a question basically whether a rough opening will fit a certain door size.
most replies are telling him to redo his framing so a 36" door will fit.
not knowing the purpose of the room, weather he actually has the space to enlarge the door or any other factor.

WELL?

Because he asked in the INTERNET that's why! :beer:

Worse even more so he asked on GARAGE JOURNAL where its got to be BIG or the BEST whether it fits or not! :lol_hitti

As far as the door fitting, surely he owns a table saw, he can stop sweating details and cut it to fit! :lol:

ducksface · Aug 4, 2017

The Cobbler said:
so the OP asks a question basically whether a rough opening will fit a certain door size.
most replies are telling him to redo his framing so a 36" door will fit.
not knowing the purpose of the room, weather he actually has the space to enlarge the door or any other factor.

Because ANYONE could have bothered to take the three seconds to get 1,000,000 Google answers to his question. So unless he just couldn't type in
What door fits a *** opening,
he was looking for opinions not answers.

The guy who said he wanted a riding mower to take his infant for frequent rides didn't ask an opinion either.
But just as in this thread, we would be remiss if we didn't present what are appearing to be unknown facts to the unknowing.

Fact is
Is a special order size(per some here) and a less than ideal idea and installation as per most here.

Sawdustmaker · Aug 4, 2017

HoosierMark said:
What about a sliding door? Barn style?

This is a good idea as long as the door does not go to the exterior. You can build your own door (like I did) and make it any size you want. For ease of movement reframe the opening, go with a sliding door (if not to the exterior and you have the room) and make it 42". You won't regret it. FYI I built two 42 " and a 36" door for my sliding barn door project (interior). Check for track and trolleys on Amazon. With a sliding door your track needs to be at least twice the door width. So 42" door = at least 84" track.

Catadj78 · Aug 4, 2017

NUTTSGT said:
Or you fall in the shower and break a hip. It's a lot easier for the EMS crews to get a cot through the door or carry you out on a (no offense) mega-mover.

I've not actually taken a shower in it yet (plumbing) but I really believe I purchased the very smallest shower they make. I'm 6'2 215, I don't believe I could actually fall all the down in the shower. But I can get it through the door.

Falcon67 · Aug 4, 2017

Catadj78 said:
I've not actually taken a shower in it yet (plumbing) but I really believe I purchased the very smallest shower they make. I'm 6'2 215, I don't believe I could actually fall all the down in the shower. But I can get it through the door.

you could do what we did at the old house - buy a complete one piece 32" shower unit, then get home and realize the door on the bath is 30". 30" was a lot in 1924 apparently.

kbs2244 · Aug 4, 2017

It looks like the consensus is to remove and reframe
IMHO, I would advise the same.

Now is the time to do it.
I would even look into surplus sites for a removed 40 inch commercial door.
For sure this is a time when bigger is better.

6768rogues · Aug 4, 2017

Falcon67 said:
you could do what we did at the old house - buy a complete one piece 32" shower unit, then get home and realize the door on the bath is 30". 30" was a lot in 1924 apparently.

Most of the old houses around here have at least one 36" door because they used to have funerals in the dead guy's home and they had to get the casket through the door.

lakeroadster · Aug 4, 2017

famous187 said:
Questions:
I'm assuming that a 34" door won't fit, would that be correct?

If I have to use the 32" door, my opening is a bit bigger than the rough opening size specs. Is this ok or will I need to build up the frame first?

Thank You for any help!

The first reply is your best answer. The GJ is turning into the H.A.M.B. WTF? :headscrat

The Cobbler said:
the 34" door may fit, depending on how plumb your framing is.
32" would fit, and all you need to do is shim up the framing a bit.

rayra · Aug 4, 2017

Change your framing. 2 studs and a new header. Instead of putting a tiny / narrow door in. Go 36".

First time you try to carry something in and bash your knuckles you ought to feel like an idiot.

famous187 · Aug 4, 2017

wow. thanks for all the replies.

just for some info, since lots of different opinions came up,
i like to work on cars, trucks , boats and firearms. i dont know much about framing or any of that and don't really care to. i had a buddy help me frame the 15x17 room a few months ago and i'm just getting around to the door. i told him to just match the opening for the 36" man door leading into the barn, but for whatever reason, he didn't. so that's how i ended up with the oddball size. since I dont know much about this, my question was just simply, if a 34" door would fit that opening and if not, would a 32" fit without too much work.

the room has a 10' countertop work bench that i reload ammo on and work on guns, a 60' led tv, a couple cabinets for storing stuff , a couch and a barbers chair. just a place for me to relax and hang out with some friends. all that stuff will fit through a 32" door.

i went and bought a 32" prehung door from menards tonight. the 34" were special order so I couldnt measure one. looks like the 32" will fit with just a little work.

the 32" door will be fine for what i use the room for. thanks for all the insightful AND entertaining responses.

wssix99 · Aug 4, 2017

famous187 said:
i like to work on cars, trucks , boats and firearms.

famous187 said:
i reload ammo on and work on guns

famous187 said:
i had a buddy help me frame the 15x17 room... i told him to just match the opening for the 36" man door leading into the barn, but for whatever reason, he didn't.

For all the thoughts that went through my mind of shooting the "helpers" who screwed up stuff on my house (many "features" of which I am still fixing...), this guy should have been more careful working on this particular room.

Speedster29 · Aug 4, 2017

famous187 said:
a 60' led tv

Super Bowl party at famous187's garage!

NUTTSGT · Aug 4, 2017

famous187 said:
i went and bought a 32" prehung door from menards tonight. the 34" were special order so I couldnt measure one. looks like the 32" will fit with just a little work.

the 32" door will be fine for what i use the room for. thanks for all the insightful AND entertaining responses.

Please tell me that you didn't buy one those $50-some dollar white press-board doors. I put one on the garage bathroom which was fine but the door separating each side of the garage was a mistake. Any time I shut that door, I kick myself in the ***.

rockettgpw · Aug 5, 2017

Falcon67 said:
you could do what we did at the old house - buy a complete one piece 32" shower unit, then get home and realize the door on the bath is 30". 30" was a lot in 1924 apparently.

Ha! same on this side of the pond, the original bathroom door on my 1926 bungalow was 30" when all the rest were 32". Relocated the door to the new en-suite where the size looks right. The en-suite has french doors to outside which made it really easy to get the cast iron bath in.

MikeinNorthWales · Aug 5, 2017

The Cobbler said:
so the OP asks a question basically whether a rough opening will fit a certain door size.
most replies are telling him to redo his framing so a 36" door will fit.
not knowing the purpose of the room, weather he actually has the space to enlarge the door or any other factor.

I tried, very early in this thread. Apparently I'm invisible on this forum. Whatever...

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MikeF2316 · Aug 5, 2017

MikeinNorthWales said:
I tried, very early in this thread. Apparently I'm invisible on this forum. Whatever...

Don't feel special. Nobody reads anybody elses posts. That's why there are answers to questions not asked, and suggestions for solutions when the solution is already posted. :lol_hitti

Man door sizing question

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