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- 1). Locate the wall by measuring equal distances from an existing wall and snapping a chalk line on the floor. Plumb up from this line on both walls to the ceiling, and snap a line between these two points. If the ceiling joists run perpendicular to this line, attach the top of the wall to them. If they are parallel, remove drywall as needed to install blocks between the joists to nail to.
- 2). Remove existing tile or wood floor where the wall is to be built; carpet can be left in place.
- 3). Cut the two long 2-by-4s to fit between the walls. Mark the opening for the door. The rough opening is usually 2 inches wider than the door, in this case 6 feet 2 inches. For a door that is 6 feet, 8 inches tall, the header should be at about 6 feet, 10 inches. Stand the two 2-by-4s flat on the floor and measure to the ceiling. This measurement is the stud length. Mark the boards every 16 inches for the studs.
- 4). Cut the studs to length and nail the wall together. If you have the space, it is usually preferable to nail the wall together on the floor and stand it up. If not, attach one long 2-by-4 to the floor and the other to the ceiling and fill in the layout. Do not put any nails in the 2-by-4 on the floor in the door opening.
- 5). Level the door jambs with a level, and fasten them securely when they are plumb. Cut out the 2-by-4 in the door opening. Since a French door consists of two doors in one jamb, it is critical that the jamb legs are both plumb and in alignment with each other. One way to check this is to run a string line diagonally from the top corners to the bottom corners of the jamb. If the strings touch in the middle, the jamb is flat.
- 6). Hang the drywall either horizontally, with the tapered seam between the top and bottom sheets, or vertically, with a tapered seam every 4 feet. Finish the drywall and tape it into the existing ceiling and walls.
- 7). Attach the casing to the door, and butt the baseboard to the casing. Cope or otherwise fit the new baseboard to the existing baseboard.
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