I ordered a new vanity for my bathroom. I’ve got it in the house, but it’s 1/2″ too wide to get through the door!! (I’m SURE this has never happened to anybody) Anyway, I managed to get one side of the door jam off, trim and all, without really messing the walls up. But, I tore up the door jam in the process.
Do they sell one side of a jam already put together, or do I have to build one in place? It’s the side where the door knob goes, not the hinge side of the jam. (And is it jam or jamb?) Or, do I just suck it up and buy a whole new bathroom door, which I really don’t want to do?
Thanks!
Jeannie
Replies
Jeannie,
There are a few different ways the jamb could be assembled. First though, what kind of finish is on it?
If painted, it would be much harder to replace the jamb than it would be to simply repair what you have. Bondo or Minwax two-part wood filler can perform minor miracles.
If natural or stained, repairs could be trickier. Could you post a photo of what you have? It would save a lot of time....
The jamb is painted white. It's torn up, so I have to either get a new one that's already built, if they make such a thing, build one myself, or buy a whole new door. I tried to take the little stop piece off first, and it split. Then, I took the big piece of the jamb off and it split at the bottom. I suppose with lots of caulk and nails, I could get it back together and noone would be the wiser after it's painted.
You do not have any info on your profile...where are you?, maybe one of the people in this forum could help you out. I'm in NE PA and I'd be happy to if you are in the general vicinity.....
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I can't imagine any hardware/lumber store selling one side of a door jam. All dimensions are different even if the floor and the openings are square. If I were you, I would hire someone to fix the problem or you can buy matching wood and install it yourself. A valued carpenter's saying: "measure twice, cut once."
I've been hubby's goffer for 39 years, learned a lot from him and from this site.
I hope some of the guys respond.
The friendly Lowe's here doesn't sell jamb kits, they sell loose jamb pieces. None of them have the stop on them either, they sell 2 or 3 different styles of that. Like someone said, if it's painted, it might be worth repairing rather than replacing.
Hiring it out would be easier, but if you want to do it yourself there are ways.
Most interior doors are either 6'-6" or 6'-8" tall. Most are installed in 4 9/16" walls.
Many lumberyards (the real, old-fashioned kind) assemble their own doors and would be able to provide a single length of jamb stock. Around here even Home Depot sells pre-packaged jamb kits from which one could use a single leg.
Most doors I've worked on are double-rabbetted solid jambs, but in other parts of the country it's not uncommon for the door stop (the 1/2" x 1 1/2" strip) to be installed separately from the rest of the jamb. It's likely that only this strip was damaged.
Another common jamb is the split jamb, where two pieces slip together in a somewhat complicated manner. Although this type usually goes with the least expensive doors, it would be the most difficult to repair or replace.
If you're seeking door jam, you'll need to speak with the door mouse.
M. Hatter