I’m installing all the trim in our new house. The framing and the sheet rock were installed by sub contractors, sometimes with less than ideal end results. I hope there is a trim carpenter out there who can give me some advice on what to do to efficiently eliminate the occasional gap that appears between a door jamb, and the surrounding trim boards. The gap is a result of the sheet rock protruding beyond the door jamb. I’m not concerned about a small gap as I will caulk them. I have a few situations where the gap could be up to 1/4 inch, too large for a neat caulk job.
Replies
Smash and bash!
I set the casing where it will go and make a mark on the back side and then beat the sheetrock into submission. Some time all you have to do is lightly beat the rock at the ends, depends on what your using for casing. The wider the casing the more you have to "finagle".
If it's real bad I cut the rock out so that my casing will sit down in the void.
Doug
that is the common cure...another option may be to rip strips of wood to the thickness you need and nail them in between the trim and the jamb...with very small brads you can also nail the strips to the backside of the trim, and then install the trim to the door...
just be sure you dont caulk one door and then use the strips on the door beside it...
What Doug said. If I find I have to beat more than a few doors or windows, I'll score the paper with a utility knife (within the limits of the casing) and peel the paper back. Sometimes that's enough, other times it lets the gyp board crumble out of your way. BUT.........
Are the doors set properly? Did you stringline the jambs to make sure they're in plane?
It looks like there is a theme developing here, so I'll try the "beat to submission" strategy. I also like your suggestion about cutting the paper. That seems like a good way to get a sureform rasp to work at the gypsum. Which makes me wonder, why hasn't someone invented a round rasp device that fits in a drill and functions like a flush trim router bit. You could angle it to tapper the sheet rock to match the door jamb.
I have a couple of spots where I need to build the jamb out by using strips of wood, and yes the jambs are plumb and in plane.
Which makes me wonder, why hasn't someone invented a round rasp device that fits in a drill and functions like a flush trim router bit.
They alreay have them.
Just beat the drywall flat till the trim lies close enough.
blue
Thanks for the tips everyone.
I ended up scoring the paper and removing it, and then I used a Stanley sureform plane and I was able to taper the gypsum between the jamb and the score line. Since the score line was just under the trim board, it left very little gap at either the jamb or the finished wall surface.
This seamed to be the best option as I had put the final coat of paint on the walls prior to putting the pre-painted trims on. The only thing left to do now is fill the air nailer holes.
I'll try the hammer method on some of the less problematic situations.
yeah, more often than not its the framing that is out of plumb...
I would just use Great Stuff foam to fill in the gaps. Then when it dries, trim it with a sharp razor blade. Then spackle over it. It will probably need to be spackled several times... just like a regular drywall tape job. Credit for this idea goes to an episode of This Old House. I use this idea quite frequently. It is quite useful too for those gaps around electrical outlet and wall switch boxes. Let the foam find its way to the edge of the gap and kind of weld it in. It will expand three times or so as it dries. No need to fill in everything behind the hole. Hope this helps.
Handyman, painter, wood floor refinisher, property maintenance in Tulsa, OK
Sounds like a real mess. What if it's stain-grade? They actually did that on national TV??
I actually misinterpreted the question here. I didn't realize the OP was talking about gaps between the trim and the wall that way. I though he meant gaps like you know... gaps where there was a black hole behind it. I take back this suggestion in this particular situation. So please disregard it as Great Stuff would get on stain grade and mess it up. The time to do this is around outlet boxes... which is what This Old House's Tom Silva did. I have since found it effective in other situations too... I was a bit hasty in suggesting it for this one.Handyman, painter, wood floor refinisher, property maintenance in Tulsa, OK
Studs are rarely straight and hanging doors in those spaces is somewhat of a challenge. the important thing is that the closed door sits flush at all points on the inside of the jamb. This may result in the jamb protruding outside of the drywall on one side and the opposite on the other. An even margin or gap around the closed door is next on the list. After all that is done you get to funk the trim. Flatten the drywall with a hammer if possible, or cut if its really bad. If the jamb is protruding the drywall, it can be tilted back. Miters on a protruding jamb are tricky if you can't flush them with a block plane.
May neighbors respect You, and troubles neglect You.
Gord
This is every day stuff...
Prior to the "beat into submission" step nail the drywall down with 2" roofing nails to make sure it is pulled down all the way to the framing. The larger heads work a little better than regular drywall fasteners. Just make sure you place the roofing nails where they will be covered by the casing. In extreme cases strips will need to be ripped to extend the jambs.
I don't know what you are using for trim, but if it's common millwork ie colonial,clamshell, etc. you can cope out the back by running it at an angle accross a table saw. We had to do this at my house because the platerers applied the plater way to thick around the windows. This method eliminates ripping individual extention jambs for each window. The doors were slit jambs so they did't factor in. Hope this helps.
... I have a couple of spots where I need to build the jamb out by using strips of wood ...
For that one piece of the puzzle I'll pass on what we do for paint-grade jambs and trim.
The most "proper" fix is to glue the jamb extension to the jamb, fill, sand, etc. and the casing will fit and look like any other door. This does require more work, but looks the best and is what I'll typically do.
If the jamb extension is needed on the hinge/latch side of the jamb it would be a great deal more work to add the jamb extension there since the hinges and strike plate would also have to be moved. In that case simply grab a scrap of wood and a large enough hammer to move the jamb so the gap is on the non-hinge/strike plate side.
If for some reason it's just not practical or visually correct to extend the jamb then the jamb extension is glued to the casing. If the glueup is careful and the extension just barely extends past the edge of the casing it's easy to sand it down flush with the edge of casing and no filler is needed.
The third and least desireable method is to install the thin jamb extension with a reveal, then add the casing with another reveal. It's better than nothing, but doesn't ever look right.
To reduce the thickness and akward look of the jamb extensions, whatever route you take, beat down the drywall as much as possible and even plane the back of the casing so it will be closer and fit more evenly to the jamb. Jamb extensions are always much easier if it's a consistant width around the entire door, or for as much as possible.
At work I'll run the jamb exensions through the planer to smoothen up the visible side prior to glueing it to the jamb or casing since saw marks are very visible and hard to cover smoothly.
There are situations when the spray foam does make a good gap filler and I use it on drywall patches from time to time. However on wood, especially a casing that will get a lot of knocks over the lifetime of the house I'd probably stick with wood on wood. If too much foam is used it's more work to clean up the hardned residue than it would have been to add a nice smooth extension.
Good luck!
wood,
as a trim carpentry subcontactor where we get paid piecework, the smash and bash method is favored. but I usually try to make sure the rock is nailed off first. sometimes I'll cut the paper and rasp. All are messy. when working with wide trim (1 x 4 for example) i run the trim through the table saw on edge with the blade on a slight bevel cutting out a shallow "V" on the back as a relief, then I nail it to the jamb first then push it tight to the rock and nail the outside. Hand nails do wonders for pulling things tight. One here or there does wonders. Good luck.
Jay
i have trimmed out condos and apartments as piecework quite extensively as well, and the hammer method is usually the fix for sure...but u know what's even more fun?
trying to fix these problems with steel stud framing, where handnailing the outside is not even an option...arghhh...