door trim and drywall offset

[Nimonic]

I've got about a 1/4" offset between my door frame and my drywall. I'd like to trim this out but need to figure out what to do about the gap the offset will create under the door trim. I pulled all the screws holding the door frame in and whacked it with a mallet (real hard too) a few times but it's not moving. Any other trim techniques to deal with that offset and not have it look like ****?

Thanks

 

[OccupantRJ]

Rip a strip and install it with a small reveal(offset), then install trim on top of it with another reveal. This is called a jamb extension. Jamb, 1/4 shim on top, then trim.

 

[The Cobbler]

cut furring strips and install to build up the jamb to be flush with the drywall, then install your casing . you can step it back a bit so it looks like it's part of the casing or jamb. latex caulk the gaps & pait

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

That may be a bit much for the following, but you can use a hammer and break down the drywall so that the trim is on a slight angle. In this case I would probably do as the previous posters suggest. You might find that doorstop will be the right thickness, just rip it half.

Richard

 

[1500hd]

Shave the drywall down flush to the jamb. Do this just under the width of your casing trim. This will allow the trim so sit almost flat.

 

[shoot summ]

Add a 1/4" strip to the door frame, any other solution(shaving dry wall) is hacking...

 

[djjsr]

You can use screen molding to extend the frame. It's 1/4" thick.

 

[Architorture]

What's the other side look like?

 

[Nimonic]

You can use screen molding to extend the frame. It's 1/4" thick.

That's pretty much what I did, thanks!

 

[Nimonic]

What's the other side look like?

Brick facade butts up against door frame.

 

[ADSR]

How thick is your trim? 1/2 3/4? i either shave the drywall down, or shave the back side of the trim down leaving the piece that nails to the door full.

 

[larry4406]

Post #4 is the easy solution. Take hammer and smash the drywall adjacent the door so that the trim bridges from drywall to door jamb. Happens all the time in production homes. Beat to fit and paint to match.

 

[metal1313]

when i put up trim, esp for other people, i always have several pieces of clear pine, popular or mdf on hand for just this purpose. a quick rip on the table saw and good to go. i also apply fast drying painters caulk to the trim to fill any gaps before fastening it, just a small bead and it makes finishing it out much faster

 

[67carl]

I pulled all the screws holding the door frame in and whacked it with a mallet (real hard too) a few times but it's not moving.

Thanks

Don't have any suggestions other than what others have recommended but wanted to note that if you haven't done so, check the hinge screws. The screws that come in pre-hung doors are short but are often substituted for long ones that go through the frame and into the jamb (I do this).

 

[Crazy68Dart]

Don't have any suggestions other than what others have recommended but wanted to note that if you haven't done so, check the hinge screws. The screws that come in pre-hung doors are short but are often substituted for long ones that go through the frame and into the jamb (I do this).

Yes. I have went through most entry doors in our house an replaced the short with long.

 

[ADSR]

I'm surprised no one just said be a chemical carpenter and caulk it.

 

[blackdart66]

The shim added to the jamb is best if the offset is consistent. Usually it is not and if you add to the jamb, you will be over a 1/4 inch where the drywall is flush.

I have used all the above suggestions with pretty good results but the best looking in my experience is shaving the drywall down. I still like the outside edge of the trim to sit on top of the drywall tho. Keep in mind that depending how close you are to the miter that you may have to back cut it so the miter looks good also.

 

[Nimonic]

I had some areas where the offset was as bad as ~5/16 so shaving the drywall would have put the door trim at an obvious angle.

Part of the problem was framing and door installation sloppiness and the other issue was changing from 1/2" drywall to 5/8" Type-X. That added another 1/8".

It's all good now though.

 

[Doozer75]

Post #4 is the easy solution. Take hammer and smash the drywall adjacent the door so that the trim bridges from drywall to door jamb. Happens all the time in production homes. Beat to fit and paint to match.

Beat to fit? Really? Were you abused as a child? Good Lord!


--Doozer

 

[Norcal]

I'm surprised no one just said be a chemical carpenter and caulk it.

1/4" is a bit much to caulk in, a jamb extension is the way to go then caulk it.

 

[Dennis93]

I have a similar problem, except the house walls are crooked, and only giving me a 1/4 inch gap on one side, the other side is flush. Would caulk and paint be the way to go there?

 

[The Cobbler]

I have a similar problem, except the house walls are crooked, and only giving me a 1/4 inch gap on one side, the other side is flush. Would caulk and paint be the way to go there?

what I read is 1 side the jamb is flush, the other side the jamb is 1/4 shy of the drywall...if it was me, in my house I would extend both sides of the jamb equally so each side looks the same... then on the side that was flush(now proud of the drywall) build up the backside of the casing so it lays flat. caulk the seams, paint & no one will notice . On the top along the head shim it where you nail and caulk the gap .Or, ask Mike Holmes & he will tear down your house.

 

[6768rogues]

That is why the door should be ordered with the jamb to fit the wall thickness. Usually they take the outside casing off and extend the jamb on the outside so the door latch does not drag on the trim before hitting the striker. Without taking the whole frame out to extend the outside of the jamb, you have to put a jamb extension on the inside. I like the screen bead idea, the rounded edge and setting it back a little might help the latch problem.

 

[Dennis93]

Thanks for the suggestion cobbler, sometimes we literally have to do two wrongs to make it right

 

[Daedalus]

I see you found a solution, but for future reference when I had that problem, I ran the door trim through my router table and routed out a pocket along the backside of the trim. The trim sat angled, and created tiny gaps under the wide edge on the drywall, which were easy to caulk. I was happy with how well it came out--can't even tell.