Attic Access exterior door

[dennisoates]

I want to cut a hole in the gable end for a acces to the attic, the max size is 30in x 30in. what do I do for a door any ideas would be appreciated.

 

[WWIIjeep]

You can buy pre-hung doors in small sizes intended for attic and crawl-space access doors. It's a lot faster and easier than building one from scratch.

The last time I framed an access door like that from scratch, I cut down a used slab-side solid-core exterior door of the appropriate width and milled a piece of old-style angled window sill molding for the bottom of the frame instead of using a standard door threshold.

If you have prevailing winds, you should put the door on the side opposite the wind direction. Even the best weatherstripping may leak slightly if exposed to constant wind-driven rain.

 

[2oolhound]

Is the framing on 32" centres? Is it 2x4? What kind of siding? You need to put in horizontal headers/footers top and bottom between existing studs and cut out the opening in the siding. Then add pre hung or build a simple jamb and door. You can even use the old siding on the outer surface.