If you think about how most doors are mounted to most jambs and visualize the relationship of hinge-to-door and hinge-to-jamb, you may see some room for improvement. Standard butt hinges, heavy-duty or not, have a hole pattern that permits two screws at best to reach the framing trimmer. The thicker the wall finish, the more tenuous is the screw’s anchoring ability. When the doors are light, the holding power of the screws will most probably be adequate. But when the hinges on heavy, solid-core doors are secured to such minimal backing, the hinges can pull away from the jamb over time.
My solution to this problem is to rip a trimmer that equals the width of the king stud plus the thickness of the wall finish. As shown in the drawing, the deep trimmer allows full backing for the hinges. The wall finish abuts the edge of the trimmer, so the casings should be wide enough to conceal the joint between them.
By the way, if you choose to let the trimmer overlap on both sides of the door there are two advantages: the framing is prepared for a door to be hung on either side of the jamb; and the drywallers will be forced to cut their drywall to fit, meaning the drywall won’t extend past the trimmer, which makes it a chore to install the shims.
—M. F. Marti, Ridgway, CO
Edited and illustrated by Charles Miller
From Fine Homebuilding #70
Fine Homebuilding Recommended Products
Fine Homebuilding receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
Magoog Tall Stair Gauges
QuikDrive PRO300s
Protective Eyewear
View Comments
I like it! It has always struck me as a problem that typically only half the screws can go into the framing as you mentioned. Quality solution.
An additional thought regarding exterior doors - this should be done on both jambs. After seeing how easily it was for the police to force the door open on my elderly aunt's house to do a wellness check, I realized that it would be just as easily for a ne'er-do-well to gain entry. The super long HD screws recommended for a deadbolt strike plate would actually have something to anchor into.