Wood Doors & Iron Doors

Friday, July 13, 2007

 

Solving Out-of-Plumb Problem

Is it better to set the frame flush with an out-of-plumb wall or to set the frame plumb? The best strategy depends on whether the unit has casings. If so, set it flush with the wall, because there's no way to shave the miters without pulling off the casings. If a unit doesn't have casings, set the frame plumb (nonflush), knowing that you'll have to fudge the miters. To guide the setting of a no flush jamb, preattach a shim to the hinge-side stud and make a mark on it. This mark is plumbed up (or down) from the face of the wall wherever it leans out the most.

The worst case scenario is when one side is more out of the plumb than the other, which is called a cross-legged opening. First, try to bump the entire wall at the bottom with a sledgehammer, using a thick board as a cushion to avoid damaging the drywall. You can also try moving the jambs away from the wall until they're parallel. Moving both jambs a little on opposite sides is less conspicuous than moving one jamb a lot, but it can cause difficulty later when installing the trim. You can offset the jambs from the wall no more than i/4 in. before it starts to be obvious. With single doors, you can cheat a little by setting the jambs in a somewhat cross legged condition and then resetting the stop on the strike jamb so it meets the door.

1 . Place the unit in the opening. If a floor shim has been set, make sure its under the jamb. Then, open the door about 90 degrees. The weight of the door will make the top of the jamb tip away from the opening unless it is supported. If the door is light, you can simply hold the jamb in position while you nail through the jamb next to the top hinge. If the door is heavy,
it's better to place shims or blocks under the opened door until the jamb is in position.

2. Nail through the jamb next to the top hinge to hold the door in place, then nail next to the bottom hinge with 8d finish nails. Close the door and check the margin between the door and the head jamb. If the gap over the door narrows.

posted by Great Doors & nbsp;# 6:12 PM  0 Comments  Links to this post