Jamb depths, also known as the throat, is the measurement that dictates how the door frame will be placed against the walls. The jamb depth are the distance that the door frame have to span to ensure that the frame sits flush against both walls of the finished wall structure. If the jamb depth are incorrect, the door casing will not be able to sit flat against the drywall.
Additionally, if the jamb depth is incorrect, the door frame will end up sitting too far forward from the wall and will not be able to plane flat against the wall structure. It is essential to understand this measurement because the jamb depth will dictate whether the installation of the door is successful or if it will require excessive shimming to achieve proper installations. The majority of walls in a moddern home are constructed with either two-by-four studs or two-by-six studs.
How to Measure Door Jamb Depth
The studs provides the thickness of the wall structure, but the thickness of the drywall that is applied to each side of the studs will add to the total thickness of the studs. Because of the thickness of the drywall on each side of the studs, the thickness of the studs must be accounted for in the calculation of the depth of the door frame. Because of how walls in a home can vary in thickness due to the drywall thickness, stock door jamb are manufactured in various depths to accommodate for these differences.
The total thickness of a wall is formed by a variety of different construction materials. The studs form the framework of the wall, but the drywall, cement board, tile, and any other form of paneling will add to the thickness of the stud frame. For example, a bathroom door may require deeper studs than a bedroom door due to the placement of tile on both side of the door.
Additionally, exterior walls will often require deeper studs than interior walls because the studs for those walls will be two-by-six studs to allow for additional insulation. Additionally, builders will install sheathing and siding on those walls. Thus, the thickness of exterior studs will be greater than the thickness of interior studs.
Many individuals will make a mistake when measuring the thickness of the studs due to the tendency of individuals to measure from the rough framing of the studs rather than from the finished drywall on each side of the studs. If the individual measure the studs from the rough framing, the jamb may end up being too short if drywall is installed on each side of the studs or too long if tile is installed on each side of the studs. To properly measure studs, the individual must measure from one side of the drywall to the other drywall on each side of the studs.
Additionally, if there are any other finishes that will be placed on the studs in the future, such as wallpaper, these must also be accounted for in the measurement of the studs. The studs should also be measured at three different points along the height of the door opening to ensure that the thickness of the studs is even throughout the door opening. In the case that the standard door jambs will not provide the thickness necessary to even the studs of the wall, extensions will be used for the jambs.
Some contractors will use a table saw to cut the wider jamb stock to the exact width required to even the studs of the opening. Other contractors will use clip-on extensions or glue-on extensions to even studs if the difference between the door jamb and studs is small. In either case, the jamb should be ordered to be slightly deeper than the measurement of the studs.
By ordering a jamb that is deeper than the studs, the installer can plane the jamb down to the thickness of the studs. However, if the jamb is too narrow, it will not be able to be planed to the studs. Different types of doors will have different requirement regarding the depth of the studs.
Pocket doors will require that the studs are deep enough to allow the pocket doors to be installed into the frame. Thus, pocket doors will require specific dimension for the studs. Barn doors will require that there is clearance between the face of the barn doors and the studs to allow the barn door’s hardware to move.
French and bifold doors will have the same requirements for the depth of the studs as single doors. Additionally, sliding patio doors are usually sold as complete unit, so the manufacturer has accounted for the depth of studs in the sliding door’s frame. The depth of the studs will impact the way that the door casing will sit against the walls of the stud frame.
If the studs are slightly wider than the studs of the stud frame, the casing will lie flat against the drywall. However, if the studs are too deep, the casing will not be able to sit flush against the studs and will leave a gap between the casing and studs. While it is easy to focus on the different styles of doors or the different hardware available for these doors, the depth of the studs will impact whether the casing installation is complete or if the installation will require adjustment to the door.
To ensure that the installation of the door is successful, there are a few steps that can be followed. First, the depth of the studs should be measured from the finished drywall. Additionally, the thickness of any materials that will be added to the studs should be accounted for.
Finally, the installer should order the depth of the jambs to be slightly deeper than the studs. In either case, by following these steps, the installation of the door will be successful and the door will operate smooth for a long period of time. Youll find that doing this correctly makes alot of difference.
You should of measured carefully to avoid extra work.