How to Make Basement Access Doors

Examine your home for the best place to create the access. Look at basement ductwork, pipes and meeting points of walls to find the most appropriate place to cut an access opening from the outside. Take into consideration how the access door design will look from the yard, too. Get a building permit before starting construction.

Select the design of the door based on the home’s exterior. Consult local building codes for the size of the door, especially if you will add living space in the basement. Choose a 36-inch steel door with a small window in the top, for example. Other possibilities are double steel doors, double French doors or a sliding door. Take into consideration the ages of your children before choosing glass doors, for practical safety reasons.

Hire an expert to provide advice on cutting and framing the door opening to ensure structural integrity of the house. Don’t rely solely on your own carpentry and building skills, due to the fact that the basement wall is load bearing.

Measure the door opening on both the basement interior and exterior. Snap a chalk line and cut concrete blocks with a rented concrete saw. Make the cuts from each side, because it will be impossible for the blade to cut all the way through from one side. Hire a professional to cut a solid concrete wall, which will likely be at least 10 inches thick and filled with rebar.

Cut a fairly even edge around the door perimeter with a hammer and chisel. Install a concrete lintel or wooden beam, made of two 2-by-10-inch boards, above the door under the guidance of an expert concrete mason. Cut out the pocket to fit the header while bracing up the wall components with 2-by-10-inch studs.

Install the door jamb kit that came with the steel door or sliding doors. Level the door jamb by installing wooden shims and checking all sides with a 4-foot carpenter's level. Push fiberglass insulation between the doorway framing and concrete blocks to fill the gaps.

Secure the steel threshold section according to manufacturer's directions. Check the door with a carpenter’s level before tightening screws for hinges to the door jamb material with a screwdriver. Paint the outside of the door with metal enamel paint to match the home’s exterior, and the inside of the door to match the interior.

Plan the top of the porch, deck or gravel area outside of the door to be 1 to 2 inches lower than the door to prevent rain from coming inside the basement. Install a drainage system on the basement exterior, using perforated PVC drain pipes covered with gravel, to channel all rainwater away from the door area. Work with a shovel and spade to dig down 18 inches to install the drain pipes and cover with gravel. If appropriate, tie in to the home's existing drainage system. Backfill with dirt and smooth off before installing grass, wood decking or concrete outside the doorway.