Door Widening
Door Widening
(OP)
Hi guys,
I am beginning my very first engineering job next week and I have a couple questions.
I was told that I will be working on a project where a home owner wishes to widen their door way in Ottawa, Canada. I will be visiting the site, inspecting the structure, then performing calculations and writing a report to offer suggestions to the client.
My question is: What calculations will likely be required for this project? What things in particular should I be keeping an eye out for on the site? And are there any other suggestions you can offer?
Thanks!!
I am beginning my very first engineering job next week and I have a couple questions.
I was told that I will be working on a project where a home owner wishes to widen their door way in Ottawa, Canada. I will be visiting the site, inspecting the structure, then performing calculations and writing a report to offer suggestions to the client.
My question is: What calculations will likely be required for this project? What things in particular should I be keeping an eye out for on the site? And are there any other suggestions you can offer?
Thanks!!






RE: Door Widening
In terms of lateral resistance, usually interior wall isn't sheathed, or the home is relying on all the walls with gypsum sheathing and stucco on the exterior for lateral resistance. If they go crazy adding windows and widening doors, take a look at your loss in seismic/wind resistance.
RE: Door Widening
Take a lot of pictures, and maybe try to key them into a plan sketch you make of the home. Take measurments of surrounding areas as needed. electrical and HVAC stuff running in the wall may be an issue you would also be worried about with relation to what your new structure may do.
There are many issues that are not strictly structural that you may encounter, especially if this is an exterior wall. You may inquire if a senior engineer could accompany you being your first field visit, so you can get a hands on view of what is important to observe.
RE: Door Widening
RE: Door Widening
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
RE: Door Widening
Get yourself a Simpson Strong-Tie catalog and get to know their products. I use their catalog almost daily. If you have questions, call their offices and ask for the engineering department. They're a big help with tricky connections, and sometimes there are uses for parts that they have tested but don't publish for whatever reason. New door openings can seem simple until you get deeper into it.
Welcome to Eng-Tips. I hope you find this site as helpful as I have. (As a side note: we're not all guys.)
RE: Door Widening
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
RE: Door Widening
RE: Door Widening
Study some books on rough framing, and wood construction, how are door openings usually framed? So, you have some idea what is probably back there, if you can’t actually see it. How does that framing vary as the opening gets wider? What about the header’s make-up and how does that change? Where do ALL the loads on that header come from, and where do they go, all the way down to the ftgs. Any concentrated loads over the new opening? Do you need vertical grain blocking within floor framing depths to get the new jamb loads through the floor system, and maybe onto a center steel beam or a foundation wall? Or, should that jamb be a column member going all the way to the foundation? What’s the floor framing where the new jambs will be, and how do you rest on that or get around it?