How to Build a Door Frame
The most basic door frame is simply framed into an existing pattern of two-by-fours and supplemented with some hardware. Building one can actually be quite simple.
Before you get started building a door frame, here’s a list of things you’ll need:
With that, follow the simple steps below and you’ll have a door frame built in no time!
Step #1:
- Measure your door (know what your dimensions are before you start).
- Add an inch or two each way.
Step #2:
- Set up two parallel studs with a width space and cut them for height.
- Add a cross beam to join the parallel studs at the top.
- Add a door jamb (a panel on the hinge side that you will hang your door on).
Step #3:
- Mark where hinges will be installed.
- Mark where the knob/tab mechanism will be installed on the other side of the doorway.
Step #4:
- Use a level to see if your doorway is plumb.
- If it is not plumb, install wooden shims to adjust accordingly.
Step #5:
- Add interior molding to the door frame.
- Leave the edges free so that the door will swing either outward or inward.
Step #6:
- Attach the hinges to your right side of the frame and hang the door.
- Adjust for plumb again, as necessary.
Step #7:
- Attach the knob/tab mechanism.
- Make sure it is set at the right height, so that the retractable tab on the door clicks into place in the setting (attached to the frame) when you close the door.
- If you have a latch mechanism, make sure the door is not dragging or hanging diagonally on the hinges.
You’ve now successfully built a basic door frame!
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* Manufacturers will change product lines periodically and some styles of doors may no longer be available.