Replacing an interior door jamb. What's the best way?

[m1ke_a]

I want to put a new door on our bathroom and use three hinges as the room gets very wet and humid. The existing jamb isn't great and the two hinge recesses are oversized, hence a new jamb.

A whole new frame is probably the best bet but knowing my luck and abilities, this will probably turn into a 3 day job which won't win me any brownie points.

As you can see the jamb is 4" wide without the architrave and the walls are brick / block. I'm guessing that's a single width of timber?

I'm presuming it should just be a case of removing the stops, cutting in just under the head and prising the hinge jamb away?

 

[Jacob]

I'd fill the hinge pockets (wood, not filler!) and hang the door as if to new frame.

 

[m1ke_a]

I'd fill the hinge pockets (wood, not filler!) and hang the door as if to new frame.

I presume you'd then have the hinges at different points? This door's hinges are at 6" and 8" (no me neither)

 

[Setch]

Ditto. Make a repair piece, scribe around it and chisel a tight rebate for it, just as you would for a hinge. Glue and pin, then once it's dry chop out former hinges. A whole new lining is overkill.

Fit new hinges at 6" from top, 10" from bottom and one halfway between.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

6" and 9" here we go again. Seriously, sometimes there is enough room behind the lining to stick a piece of scrap in behind the hinge rebate which will give a better fixing as well - it much depends whether you've a reason to take the architrave off.

 

[Jacob]

I'd fill the hinge pockets (wood, not filler!) and hang the door as if to new frame.

I presume you'd then have the hinges at different points? This door's hinges are at 6" and 8" (no me neither)

Have them wherever you want. Why three hinges?

 

[Jacob]

Ditto. Make a repair piece, scribe around it and chisel a tight rebate for it, just as you would for a hinge. Glue and pin, then once it's dry chop out former hinges. A whole new lining is overkill.

Fit new hinges at 6" from top, 10" from bottom and one halfway between.

Yes.
I'd make the repair pieces just slightly bigger than the pockets so that you have to cut clean sharp edges to fit them. But well over size in thickness then you can wedge them in tight without pins whilst the glue is going off, then chisel/plane them back to the level.

 

[novocaine]

tilled floor? bet the hinges were set at 6 and 9 (as it pretty much should be) then an inch of floor has been added.

everything else has been covered by others above. if you are concerned about filling the old hinge holes glue them then drill out and fit dowel through to completely lock them in. completely overkill though.

 

[m1ke_a]

Thanks guys.

I had to put some dowels in behind the top hinge a while ago as the screws weren't holding the hinge in place and I think its twisted a bit. They're also old rising butt hinges and I want to replace them with some decent SS ball bearing ones. Our bathroom gets VERY wet with condensate hence 3 hinges.

@ phil p Re the 6/9 'rule' :wink: :lol: ; four of our doors are at 6" and 10" :?: . V late Victorian and I'm reasonably sure they're the original frames.

 

[Jacob]

How does 3 hinges help with condensation?

BTW re-hanging doors and repairing hinge pockets is common - you can come across door frames where it's been done several times. Replacing a jamb is not a good idea mainly because you'd have a job getting a good joint with the head and the new jamb would probably work itself loose. If you can't repair it- better to do the whole frame - and probably easier in the long run.

 

[Limey Lurker]

>Fit new hinges at 6" from top, 10" from bottom and one halfway between.

10"? I bet that you're one of those people who bash their boiled egg at the big end, too!

 

[RobinBHM]

As all above, I would fill the hinge cut outs, flush then chop out for the new hinges.

A new jamb is not a good idea, if you go down this route a complete new liner is best, but that means replacing liner, archs, stop beads and re hanging the door.

Taking a liner out from old brickwork can be interesting, they are held in with cut nails which seem to wedge into the brickwork really tight. You are likely to end up with chunks of brick and plaster coming off with the liner and archs.

If you fit ball race stainless hinges its best to fit them first with std screws, like gold first.

 

[katellwood]

to tidy up that jamb without too much stress, especially if fitting a new door, why not just use a bigger hinge say 4"

 

[deema]

If your sticking with the old door, the advise given is a great way to go. If your replacing the door, then I would first check the door frame is plumb and not twisted.

To check for twist, the easiest way is to lay two strings secured to the frame at opposite corners and the string should meet in the middle, if it doesn't the frame is twisted.

If you don't replace the frame and fix either / both the plumb and twist a new door will not fit properly and frankly look awful. If you can get the door linings off without doing too much damage to the plaster surrounding (cut the plaster around the edge of the architrave before taking off) replacing the frame is relatively easy and straight forward. For me, when ever I'm replacing an internal door, I always, always recommend having the frame replaced as well if it shows any signs on being tampered with or is not plumb / twisted - which a lot are. (Assuming it's not ornate / listed etc etc)

 

[m1ke_a]

Taking a liner out from old brickwork can be interesting, they are held in with cut nails which seem to wedge into the brickwork really tight. You are likely to end up with chunks of brick and plaster coming off with the liner and archs.

That's exactly the sort of issues I would encounter so thanks everyone for recommending the patching route.

Deema
To check for twist, do you attach the two strings in the corner recesses of the door stops or on the outer lip of the linings? I was going to cut a test piece of 4 X 2 to check the width of the door opening as well.

Jacob
The replacement engineered doors I've looked at have said to use three hinges, probably due to the weight though I had it in my mind that a 3rd might help keep the door straight in the damp. I guess two 4" hinges would spread the load

 

[Dee J]

I want to put a new door on our bathroom and use three hinges as the room gets very wet and humid.

Maybe some attention to reducing the humidity a bit would help too. Remember if you have an extract fan there needs to be somewhere for the air to enter the room - so if the door is a good fits well you may need some sort of intake vent in the door or wall. A really good fix is heat recovery ventilation. I fitted one of these:
http://www.vent-axia.com/range/hr100rrs.html
Available as Vent Axia and Manrose - but both seem to be the same unit.
Keeps the bathroom and the adjacent bedroom dry fresh and aired without cold drafts and too much loss of heat.
Dee

 

[Jacob]

Or Passivent. A lot cheaper to install and zero running costs.

 

[deema]

'To check for twist, do you attach the two strings in the corner recesses of the door stops or on the outer lip of the linings? I was going to cut a test piece of 4 X 2 to check the width of the door opening as well.'

The first check would be to the corner recess of the door stops, these are often just nailed on and can be adjusted. If the stops are out I would then, before I'd did anything, check the linings to work out which part was in twist.

 

[Jacob]

No point in correcting for twist until you have tried the door (unless it's obviously extreme).
If you fit the door into the hole this will show up any twist. They might both be twisted to the same degree and fit like a glove!
A bit of twist is OK as long as the catch keeps the door shut without it looking like a bad fit

 

[m1ke_a]

Apols for late reply but have been struck down with the lurgy.

The humidity could be an easy fix but I don't think Mr's A would go for it! :wink: :shock: A friend recommended one of the Kartcher hand vacs which does a good job with the worst of the condensate

Bathroom has a flat roof with two exterior walls. Not a lot of scope to improve the ventilation though soo thanks Dee J, I will look at other extract options