Door Jamb

The vertical portion of a door frame is called a door jamb.Most door jambs are made from wood; others are from tough plastic and steel.  This where the door is secured and bears the weight of the door through its hinges. It is also where the door locks, dead bolts and latches are secured. The “true” (leveling) and strength of the door jamb is important for the security and functional durability of a door.

Fitting the Door Jamb

In most cases you can buy a pre-hung door complete with door jambs in any DIY stores and hardware. But if you need to make a door jamb from scratch, the best way to do it is to assemble the door jamb first before sliding it into the opening.  Take the measurement of the opening and cut the pieces accordingly. One good advice if you are using brittle wood it to drill holes first. After you have assembled the door frame, you can now slide it in the gap and shim the frame if needed, use a level to make sure that the top and sides are correct. Make sure to check for flush with the wall and if your frame is wider than the wall, you can either plane it, or easily hide it with the moldings later. Another good tip is that to leave a small gap between the frame and floor before you secure it. This will allow for some lines to go through the door if needed.

Securing the Frame

The old way to secure the door jambs to the wall is to pound a nail though it. A much better way is to use long screws. This would allow for easy adjustment in case you make a mistake, another advantage is that it will allow you to let off pressure and apply glue to the shims before tightening it back.

Using the Shims on the Jambs

When using shims, I prefer using the engineered wood composite shims.They’re less likely to split and break and they’re not going to break down over time. It also does not warp or swell in humidity. An important note when using shims is to never pack in too much that the door jamb would bow in for obvious reasons that the door would not close properly.

Hinges and Door Locks

If you are using a pre-hung door then there is no need for this step. But if you are hanging the door by now it’s just as simple as marking of where the hinges and door locks should be and cutting the groves into the door jamb. A tip, it’s better to use at least three hinges as opposed to just using two, and when measuring the hinges it should be already attached to the door.

Door Jamb Extensions

In some cases the wall would come out further than the door jamb, and it is for these situation that you would use extension jambs. This is commonly the case with pre-hung doors. Extension jambs are commonly installed on one side of the wall. There might be some discrepancies to the flush and the fit of the extension jamb, this can be fixed by either plane the extension or use shims. After this you can install the door trimming for the finishing touch.

That’s the essentials about door jambs. Make sure that before you take on the project, it’s always safety first. Door jambs can be tricky when lifted and an assistant is always welcome.

A door jamb is the vertical portion of the door frame on both hinge and strike side. These jams are used when mounting the door frame from the wall. Most jambs at home are made from wood and after installing the door trim, jambs are no longer visible. In some cases, the existing jams have proper thickness that matches the wall’s depth, which surrounds the door. However, there are times when there is a slight discrepancy as the wall comes out further than the jamb. In these cases, extension jambs might be necessary to bring out the proper thickness that would match the wall.

Measuring and Cutting of the Extension Door Jamb

The measurement of the extension jamb is important; its depth should be the difference between the depth of the outside face of your wall that surrounds the door and of the existing jamb. You have to carefully measure this, as the depth may slightly differ between both sides of the existing jamb. The extension jamb can be a cut of lumber or from the spare of your existing jamb. For door trims that are to be painted, using pine is the best for extension jamb. However, if you are to use a clear or a stain finish, your best option would be a maple, oak or poplar wood. The extension jamb should be cut with the same width as the measurements taken from the wall surface and the existing jamb. A piece of wood needs to be cut as well in order to extend the head piece from the top. Remember that safety precautions should be taken when working with extension jambs. Wearing safety goggles might be necessary and you should get an extra help to ease the manipulation of the door, especially if it is heavy.

Installing the Extension Door Jamb

The door has to be installed evenly on one side of the wall while on the other side; you will be installing the extension jambs to level the existing jamb with the wall surface. Extension jambs should be installed on one side of the door frame, opposite the hinges, to prevent any trouble when trying to open the door. When attaching the extension jamb, you may use finish nails or staples and make sure that the depth of the extension jamb is even with the wall surface. The installation should be started with the top piece first. When in place, it should perfectly fit against the existing head piece and the outer edge should be flushed with the wall. Once you are sure that it perfectly fits, that is the only time when you can start nailing it into place. Avoid sinking the nails immediately so that you can remove it easily if there are any adjustments needed. The same procedure should be done for the vertical pieces of the extension jamb. If you found any uneven areas, you may use a shim to adjust the extension door jamb. Once you have placed all the pieces, check and measure it using a level to determine that it is properly leveled. Once you have determined that everything perfectly fits and that you are not having trouble opening the door that is the only time when you can sink the nails and fill the holes and proceed to the painting and finishing and the installation of the door trim.