Repair a Door Jamb
A door jamb and a door frame go hand in hand. A door jamb works as the main support for a door frame. A door frame comes with two jambs whereby one is located on the side where the hinges are and the other can be found on the side where the locking mechanism is. The door jambs are basically to secure the frame into the wall better. These two jambs are connected through the head.
A door jamb is made by several materials, but overall it has to be determined where the door jamb will be used, and the door matters as well. The door jamb is basically hidden by either a casing or a trim. There are different types of door jambs and the most common one used is the hollow metal door jamb. These hollow metal door jambs are mostly made of cold-rolled steel that are mainly used for interior applications.
When you have been using your door jamb for a long time, it tends to become damaged and it needs to be replaced. Although it is a simple task to do, it requires a little bit understanding of carpentry skills and also knowledge.
What you need:
- Putty knife
- Hacksaw
- Hand or power saw
- Raw jamb
- Wood spacers
- Wood Screws
- Level
- Carpenter Square
- Wood Shims
- Power Drill
Method:
- Firstly, you need to repair the door jamb by fixing the door jamb back together and if there are any gaps, fill it with wood filler.
- Remember to sand the wood filler when it dries and also sand the rest of the jamb so that it will be smooth. After that, paint the door jamb or you can even stain it to match the color of your floor.
- If the need arises for you to replace the door jamb, you have to firstly break the paint seal between the door moldings and the moldings. You might also have to break the seal between the wall and the moldings and this can be done using a putty knife.
- The moldings on either side of the door jamb need to be pried out for you to repair it.
- Use a power saw or a hand saw to cut horizontally across the jamb which is located on the side jamb until you are just a few inches of the top jamb. Then, use a chisel to pry the side of the jamb from the wall.
- Next, try to repair the door jamb by using a specific piece of wood which is suitable for door jambs where you can purchase from any lumber yard or hardware stores.
- Then, you need to measure and cut the replacement door jamb as required and secure it using a suitable nails.
- Finally, press on the top jamb and nail it into place as you repair the door jamb. If your door is not even, insert spacers to handle the situation. You must also install the replacement door stop on the new door jamb before you start to install the lock strike.
Additional Reading:
http://www.ehow.com/how_4453962_repair-door-jamb.html
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/990607c.cfm
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-replace-a-door-jamb
http://www.ehow.com/how_4580942_repair-rotten-door-jams.html
Image Credit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kikisdad/33775150/
