Door Jamb dilemma

SpartanEpoxies
Advertise with us
shop deals on amazon
House Repair Talk

Help Support House Repair Talk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Lancer525

Lancer525

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2021
Messages
54
Reaction score
9
Location
Eastern Central Georgia, USA
Boy, have I got a doozy... And I'm 90% sure that I am going to get answers I don't want... ;)

Just bought a house, and the utility room off the carport has a damaged door jamb. We bought it to fix it up to live in, so I knew it was like this, just sayin'

utildoor-01.jpg

What would be a good fix for this, that doesn't involve replacing the entire door and frame? I specifically don't want to have to replace the entire frame, just repair the damaged area in the jamb so that the locking mechanisms work more effectively.

I'm hoping to get some ideas that again, don't involve replacing the entire thing. I'd rather spend that couple of hundred dollars on getting the electrician that I'm going to need.
 
I would cut out the bad section of the jamb and replace with wood screwed and glued directly to the stud but I may have tools you don't have.
 
Eddie_T said:
I would cut out the bad section of the jamb and replace with wood screwed and glued directly to the stud but I may have tools you don't have.
Click to expand...

That's about what I expected I'd have to do, but I literally have no idea where or how to begin... Can you elaborate on this?

You're almost exactly spot on saying "you may have tools I don't have" as that's almost a certainty. I have a circular saw, a jigsaw, and a couple of hand saws. I'd guarantee you have tools I don't. Then again, this may be an opportunity for me to get The Accountant to let me get a couple of new tools!
 
oldognewtrick said:
For only $29.00, why would you want to spend funds on something that will never be secure?
Fix-A-Jamb Door Jamb Security Reinforcement and Frame Repair Kit for Interiors – White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PM908V...abc_2NE38ZW0FJ80F1Z6FKMT?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Click to expand...

I had absolutely no idea anything like this even existed! The Rocket Scientists at the blue and the orange big box stores both told me to replace the whole door and frame for $239.00 (averaged) And that's a job I neither want to have to do, or think I could do.

There's only two things wrong with this that I can see, so hopefully you'll be able to help me resolve those things. First, it's Amazon. I don't buy anything from Amazon. Bezos has enough money without me giving him any. Second, it says "interior" and this is an outside door.

This concept seems like it would be the absolute best thing ever!
 
Lancer525 said:
That's about what I expected I'd have to do, but I literally have no idea where or how to begin... Can you elaborate on this?

You're almost exactly spot on saying "you may have tools I don't have" as that's almost a certainty. I have a circular saw, a jigsaw, and a couple of hand saws. I'd guarantee you have tools I don't. Then again, this may be an opportunity for me to get The Accountant to let me get a couple of new tools!
Click to expand...
It's hard to say w/o being there You might just chisel out the bad portion just to the edge of the stop and replace with a piece of wood chosen (glued-up, sawed. planed or sanded) to just fit from the stud to the original surface and screwed directly to the stud. I first said glued and screwed but that would be overkill and not be removable. Wood filler to fill any gaps in workmanship and paint to match.

Rather than trying to follow what I might cobble up it would be best to view some youtube videos on installation and/or repair of door jambs then determine the simplest fix for your situation (and what you are comfortable doing). Basically its just a jamb and a stop (a board and a molding or strip).
 
Snoonyb said:
The quickest, in turn around time, is OLDOGS, & EDDIE_T's will result in the recreation of the aesthetics, eventually.

Any of these will make removing the damage cleaner; Oscillating Multi-Tools - Harbor Freight Tools

A strike option; Defiant Satin Nickel Security Latch Strike-70292 - The Home Depot
Click to expand...

I've been wanting one of those oscillating tools for a while now. She might let me get it at that price!

I looked up the original suggested part, and I don't have enough space to put it in. I have about a dime's thickness of space to play with, and this thing says I have to have more than two quarter's thickness of space.

Thanks for your kind assistance!
 
Eddie_T said:
It's hard to say w/o being there You might just chisel out the bad portion just to the edge of the stop and replace with a piece of wood chosen (glued-up, sawed. planed or sanded) to just fit from the stud to the original surface and screwed directly to the stud. I first said glued and screwed but that would be overkill and not be removable. Wood filler to fill any gaps in workmanship and paint to match.

Rather than trying to follow what I might cobble up it would be best to view some youtube videos on installation and/or repair of door jambs then determine the simplest fix for your situation (and what you are comfortable doing). Basically its just a jamb and a stop (a board and a molding or strip).
Click to expand...

Very kind of you not to assume that I am remotely skilled as a carpenter. I mean that honestly and sincerely. Over on another forum where I lurk, the denizens there seem to get off on slamming those who ask basic things, and they make sport of responding to questions that weren't even asked. Glad that doesn't happen here!

No planer, never going to be a possibility, but what's thrown me is that I had it somehow in my head that I had to make it look like it sort of belonged there. Don't want it to be too obvious that it's a patch job, but I'm not trying to restore the Mona Lisa either.

I'll look into your suggested videos, and when I get stuck after I screw it up, I'll come back with peektures!
 
After viewing some videos you may decide it's easier just to replace the whole piece of jamb.
 
Eddie_T said:
After viewing some videos you may decide it's easier just to replace the whole piece of jamb.
Click to expand...

After reviewing some videos, I've decided to do just that. Thanks for pointing me in that direction! I both have an idea of exactly where to start, and what steps must occur to complete the job.

I'll keep everyone posted on the progress, but it will be the weekend before I attempt it.
 
Well, I can't believe it was so easy! I started the job just before 3:30 this afternoon, and finished at 5pm on the dot. It wasn't nearly as complex or difficult as I thought it was going to be, and I managed to get a new oscillating saw tool out of the Accountant!

Here's what I did:

Removed the stop molding, which was a piece of cake, as I had one of those little bitty pry bars, a good putty knife, and a good screwdriver. Then, I fired up the new oscillating tool and cut out the jamb plate 12" above and below the damaged area. Made the cut on a 45 degree angle, as I had seen a couple of guys do on YouTube. I was going to have to rip a piece of wood to the right width, until my lovely spouse remembered seeing some odd lumber in the garden shed, so we went out to look. Lo and behold, there were two pieces of the exact same lumber that was used to make the jamb plate. Same thickness and everything. Problem was, neither was long enough, so I used both. Cut off the end of one to match the 45, and screwed/glued it in place. That left me with about 6" or so of the other piece to cut and fit. Apparently I didn't cut that top cut at exactly 45 degrees, because there's about 1/16" gap at the edge, but it's inside the Utility room and nobody can see it unless they have the door open. Glued and screwed it into place. Measured out where the holes for the deadbolt and it's strike plate, and the doorknob and it's strike plate to go. Drilled them out, used the handy-dandy oscillating tool to cut out the bed for them to sit in, and screwed them into place. The door closed, and locked perfectly on the first attempt. All that is remaining to do to it is to give it a coat of paint when it warms up a bit.

Here are some photos. Please be kind, as I am by no means a carpenter!

150512.jpg
152046.jpg
163658.jpg
170006.jpg
170021.jpg

Nobody was more surprised than I was that it worked the first time.

Thank you, one and all, for your kind advice and help. Much appreciated!
 
Those multitools are great, you will find yourself using it more than you ever expected.
They make some impossible jobs possible.
Always get the variable speed one, still very cheap.
They make their money on the blades, which are often only good for a few minutes of cutting in hard material.

Your jamb repair came out purdy darn good!
I don’t see any point to those 45 degree cuts, it just makes it trickier to piece in the new stuff.
Cutting 90 degree butt joints with a square, or with anything laying around to trace a right angle, is easy.

You might want to put some paintable caulk in the gaps, and anywhere else water can get in, before you paint it.
For looks, and for longevity.

Put some long screws into the strike plate for the dead bolt, making it harder for baddies to kick in the door.
 
Your new saw will be your friend from now on. A very useful tool that I wish I had when I was working.
 
Jeff Handy said:
Those multitools are great, you will find yourself using it more than you ever expected.
They make some impossible jobs possible.
Always get the variable speed one, still very cheap.
They make their money on the blades, which are often only good for a few minutes of cutting in hard material.

Your jamb repair came out purdy darn good!
I don’t see any point to those 45 degree cuts, it just makes it trickier to piece in the new stuff.
Cutting 90 degree butt joints with a square, or with anything laying around to trace a right angle, is easy.

You might want to put some paintable caulk in the gaps, and anywhere else water can get in, before you paint it.
For looks, and for longevity.

Put some long screws into the strike plate for the dead bolt, making it harder for baddies to kick in the door.
Click to expand...

I did get a variable speed one, and a couple of extra blades. They were only about $6 each extra.

I saw three videos that did those 45 degree cuts, and figured if they did it, so could I. Worked out okay. I thought.

I do intend to caulk before I paint, which will probably be later in the week when it warms up enough.

Thanks for the compliments!
 
Any project worth doing, is worth a new tool. Enjoy. I bought probably 8 years ago and have found it immensely useful.
 
I also bought a mulit-tool needed for a single job and have used it on all kinds of projects since.
I resisted buying cordless drill/driver for decades because stretching an extension cord doesn't take much time - HUGE MISTAKE.
Recently retired (more time, less money) but I finally learned my lesson and bought an 18ga battery nailer to install some baseboard - job went MUCH faster and easier.
Do yourself a favor and buy quality, time saving tools. The time and effort saved will exceed the cost sooner than you think and then continue to pay dividends.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top