# Door Jamb width jam



## Haggis (Sep 24, 2012)

Will be replacing entry door with pre-hung unit. 32x80. Current door has a jamb that measures ~6". This is wider than the standard 4 9/16" but slightly narrower than the 6 9/16. Exterior wall is; drywall, 2x4 stud, exterior board, old stucco, 1/4 backing/insulation and then low quality vinyl siding. I will be re-installing a screen door so require the 'brick moulding' next to the jamb (milled timber in photos). I'm not going to special order a non-standard jamb width so I reckon my options are: 
1) 4 9/16 with jamb extender kit (but I don't have the 2x6 timber behind the jamb, more like a gap beyond the 4' stud) 
2) 6 9/16 jamb and saw off 9/16 from the jamb width to replicate current door frame (tricky long cut?)
3) install the 6 9/16 door jamb and expand the 'brick mould' to give me the 1" required for screen door fame anchoring.(screen door may appear to protrude from building side)
Hopefully the photos make my query clear. Any suggestions? Thanks. I'm in Calgary.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Something's really off there.
No way should you be seeing the shim from the outside.
Shims look way to thick.
Sure that was not a 34" door that was in there before?
No way would I want just a 32" door as an entry door.
36 would have been a whole lot better.
The way it is now there's nothing to attach the brick mold to and there's going to be huge air gaps and the J moldings not going to fit tight. There should have been sheathing up to the edge of the door and house wrap ran from the wall to inside the rough opening.
Simple enough to make your own jamb extensions, nothing but clear pine ripped to width.


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## Haggis (Sep 24, 2012)

Those blocks of wood are attached to the exterior wall over the black house wrap (photo added) as anchor points for the timber brick mould. Yes, leaving a a void between wall, jam and brickmould. The new photo shows the door, jamb and wall (~33.5 " rough opening. The jamb has been remodelled (I think) to have the exposed part covered in white Al flashing and the non-flashed part is hidden by the brickmould. You can see the old stucco/backing/siding as well - the J-channel rest against the brickmould when in place. The new interior shot shows the the size of the door (32" jamb to jamb), shims and drywall on stud.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

It should have been something like strips of plywood not, not spacers!
Before the door went in there should have been 6" wide window and door tape installed under where the threshold is going to be and up the sides of the jambs and over the top in that order. 
All this is to seal out water and wind.
It's far more important to have the jambs even with the outside sheathing then being even with the sheetrock on the inside.
Jamb extensions are easy to do.


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## Haggis (Sep 24, 2012)

Thanks J,
I'll go with the regular 4 9/16 frame and build out to meet the J-channel.


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