New doors and jambs for plaster walls.
Hey all, I am a long time reader. I am looking to replace my doors and jambs in my 1941 bungalow. The reason I want to replace the jambs is there is about 1000 coats of paint on them. This house was a rental.
The prehung doors at the big box stores, the jambs are too narrow for my plaster walls. If I make my own jambs, what kind of wood should I use, and what is the best way to do it? Or does someone sell prehung doors for plaster walls?
Thanks for any input.
Replies
You can either go with the stock doors/jambs and add extension jambs to them, make your own, for which i'd probably use poplar (if you're painting) oak(if you're staining).
Finally the most expensive option would be to order all your jambs at the proper width. Its really not that much more money, it just takes a little time for the doors to come in.
I did a job some years ago, where the walls where all over the place as far as thicknesses...what I did was ordered all standard width jambs, and hung all the doors so that the knuckle side of the jamb was flush with the finished wall, then removed the door stops all around, and replaced them with rips of 1/2 " MDF, that was scribed to the opposit wall finish...casing was glued and nailed to the 1/2 inch goods....painted up, it looked very elegant...of course, they were MDF doors, and it was a painted house...
I've never seen this done, but it sounds like a unique look. Might have to try it next time. Mike
Trust in God, but row away from the rocks.
You should be able to order the pre-hungs with jambs of the proper width. A slight bit more expensive....but a few less headaches.
If you decide to use the standard jambs, hang the hinge side flush to the plaster and add extension jambs to the opposite sides.
I don't care for pre-hungs myself....I always make my own jambs out of poplar for paint grade work.
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Edited 12/10/2006 2:49 pm ET by JDRHI
I am going to assume that there are also a lot of knicks and gouges in these, or that some are out of plumb. The reason is that it would be a whole lot easier t6o use a heat gun and scraper to strip these in place than to replace then by building new ones.
Either way, if they work, I doubt I would do either for a rental, unless this is a very high rent district.
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This house used to be a rental. I have lived in it for 8 years now. I want to change all the doors so they are not mismatched. Most are out of square, so I would like to make a fresh start.
I am going to repaint the jambs and doors. When you guys say to install extensions on the prehungs, do you mean to rip a piece of wood and then nail and glue it to the jamb? Would the seam show even after I painted it?
I really appreciate the help you guys have giving.
Sorry, I missed the past tense on the rental comment.I don't know about your area, but I can order solid pine jambs in a door and jamb thickness that would be large enopugh for the largest of my walls, knocked down, for less than a hundred bucks each from either of two lumberyards.
Then I can rip them on a tablesaw to fit the openning.
That is with one sided or two sided jambs.I could also get them in standard 4-9/16" one sided and add extensions backed to size matching the dadoed side of the jamb to make it less noticeable. Standard sizes would be cheaper.of course, you will have to set all your own hinges if you are using the same doors over. You should check the doors to see if they are still square first, too. A house this old has normally done some settling and has had some doors shaved. You'll want to correct that as you rework things.
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Leave a reveal when attaching the extensions....trying to keep them flush will make them most noticable.
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They used to make a split jamb for plaster walls a long time ago, I doubt if you can still get them , but the split was under the door stop to cover the seam.
You can also buy adjustable jambs
I'm in the "make 'em" camp with MSA1. The reno guys I work with like to use a ply backer and real wood for the jamb, but HD particle board works too. Some of this will depend on the plaster job and what's behind the existing jambs, and watch out for the backer for the plaster matrix being nailed to the old jamb.
There'll be a significant cost savings if the new doors can all be in stock sizes.
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Not sure where you live, but, I can get pre-hungs in a 5 1/4" split jamb that will go from 4 5/8 to 5 1/4". That would be the easiest. Call around to a good independent lumber/ millwork operation. Usually can get any door style and or casing style.