How to replace 32" exterior door with 36" door with brick surround?

Question

Do I remove bricks, or cut bricks with a saw and reframe and install prehung 36" door?

Answer 1

i might suggest you read woodtick's post, and assume that everything's 10 times harder than he said.

if you were to just remove one side of the door, and move it back 4", the top of the door would fall in.

and the bricks that are over that would fall in.

and then you'd be calling a contractor and paying 5x more just to put it back the way it originally was.

in general, i think this is a really bad idea.

if you're asking, i think it's fair to assume that you don't understand how bad it can get.

if you really want it done, you should hire a LICENSED contractor.

one who needs to protect his license, and won't mess up.

Answer 2

This is a structural change to your home & requires a permit.  Check with you local code enforcement before you attempt this project.  If it goes south on you & you didn't pull a permit, your homeowners insurance may not cover you.

Save yourself the aggravation of something you dont know how to do, and hire someone who does.

Answer 3

This is a pretty major operation.  You are better off removing the bricks if you can.  You will need to make a new "return" in the bricks surrounding the door.  The lentil over the door will need to be replaced to support the brick over the door.

The wall will need to be reframed inside the house to accommodate the larger door. This means removing the drywall, cutting out the studs and header, inserting new studs and a new header.  You may need to build a temporary wall to support the ceiling joists while you frame the opening.  Cut a header that is 41" wide, and then cut new shoulders and king studs to support the header.  

If any of this sounds confusing, you may want to hire a remodeling contractor to install this for you.  It may save you headaches in the long run.  Hope this helps.