Build an Entrance Door Jamb
Whenever you are building an entrance door jamb, you must take note the size of your door\’s entrance and also the opening for the door itself because the materials used for building is different depending on its width. Besides that, the most important is the thickness of your walls because this measurement determines the width of the door jamb material that you should be using.
What you need:
- 2 pieces lumber, 1-by-6-by-96-inches
- 1 piece lumber, 1-by-6-by-48-inches
- Table saw
- Electric miter saw
- Carpenter\’s square
- Door stop material
- Phillips head screw tip
- Hammer
- 4d finish nails
- 3-inch drywall screws
- Nail set
Method:
- First of all, determine the wall\’s width at the door opening. This also includes the inside and outside wall material. Cut the three pieces of lumber (1-by-6) according to the width and if the wall thickness is more than 5½-inch, use a 1-by-8 piece of lumber instead as it will be easier.
- Measure the door opening\’s width beginning with the top. Mark the 1-by-6-by-48-inch lumber according to the width and cut it by using your electric miter saw.
- Mark the two 96-inch pieces of lumber at 80 inches and cut them accordingly. Then, measure down from the door\’s top to the top of the top hinge. Take another measurement from the top of the door\’s side where the door will hinge before adding a 1/8-inch and make a mark. Place the related hinge onto the mark and trace around the shape of the hinge using a pencil.
- Measure from the bottom of the top hinge to the top of the center hinge and mark the door jamb before placing the related onto the mark and trace around the shape of the hinge using a pencil.
- Next, place the related hinge on the mark and trace it before you start to measure from the bottom of the center hinge to the top of the bottom hinge and don\’t forget to mark it also.
- Cut the hinge shapes and ensure it matches the thickness of the hinge before installing the hinge plates inside the cutouts.
- Then, mark the top piece of the entrance door jamb\’s centre area. After measuring the width of the door, add ¼ inch more to the measurement. Divide the measurements by two and start measuring from the center mark in both directions and mark it. This is to secure the side pieces of the door jamb to the top piece. Position the carpenter\’s square on the marks and draw lines across the width of the material.
- Measure the door\’s thickness and add 1/8-inch. Mark the three entrance door jamb pieces from the inside edge of the jamb accordingly where the door-stop material will be secured. Before applying glue to the back of the door stop material for the top piece, place it on the line and secure it with the 2d finish nails.
- Using 4d finish nails, secure the sides of the door jamb to the top of the door jamb. Set the door jamb in the hole for the entrance door and place door shims between the jamb and the studs and secure the hinge side first before securing the jamb to the entrance door opening.
Additional Reading:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5206530_build-entrance-door-jamb.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5007744_build-install-exterior-door-jamb.html
Image Credit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ezioman/1172718229/
