How to Cut Into a Bearing Wall to Install a Doorway

A load-bearing or supporting wall is an important part of your home's structural integrity. The drywall or sheet rock that covers the framing of the wall is decorative and does not support the load of the house. Therefore, as long as you have space between the studs in the wall, you can cut an opening for a doorway. The opening you cut into the wall is called a "rough opening" and the size depends on the door you plan to install.

Stud finder
Tape measure
Pencil
Keyhole saw

Instructions

- 1
  Locate the positioning of the studs on your wall with an electric stud finder. Mark each stud so you know where they are. Determine the best place to install the door between studs. If possible, choose a central location on the wall where you do not have any electrical outlets or fixtures installed.
- 2
  Measure the height of your door with a tape measure and then add 2 inches to the measurement. Measure the width of your door and then add 2 inches to that measurement.
- 3
  Transfer the measurements to the wall with a pencil. Draw a rectangle on the wall between the studs that first the measurements taken in Step 2.
- 4
  Turn off the electrical power to the house to prevent electrical shock if you happen to cut through an electrical wire buried in the wall. Do not forget this step.
- 5
  Remove the floor molding from each side of the wall by prying the molding off with a prybar.
- 6
  Shove the keyhole saw into the drywall at the base of the floor and cut upward with the saw. Follow the line you scribed until you complete the first vertical cut, the horizontal cut at the top of the opening and then down the second vertical cut to complete the second side of the opening. Cut shallow to avoid wires in the wall.
- 7
  Repeat the process with the drywall on the other side of the wall.

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