Build Your Own Interior Door Frame

Before you purchase a new door be sure to get accurate measurements.

Build your own interior door frame.

If you re not using premade jamb material or if your walls are a nonstandard thickness you can buy 5 or 6 inch wide lumber and rip cut it to the width of the wall using a table saw. Building your own interior doors gives you the opportunity to customize them and to put the stamp of your personality on your home. Follow along as he walks you through the mechanics and the magic of creating your own hidden gem. The first step in making a door is taking measurements.

In newer homes it s increasingly common to have doors as high as 8 feet. When building a door jamb to fit a standard wall with a two by four frame and 1 2 inch drywall on each side the width of the jamb board typically is 4 9 16 inches. Decide whether to buy a frame or build one. The most common door size is 3 feet wide 6 8 feet high.

You don t have to be a professional to build a custom door jamb. Doors should generally be around 1 8 to 3 16 smaller than the frame. It s as simple as picking up a 4 ft 1 2 m x 8 ft 2 4 m sheet of 1 2 in 1 3 cm plywood and cutting it to correct dimensions. Building your own jambs is cost effective because you can purchase slab.

Building your own door frame can save some money provided you have the time skills and tools to do the job correctly. If you build without allowing for it you may find yourself with a cracked or sticking door. If you like you can use your scrap plywood to cut stiles a center panel or other accents to give your handcrafted door a little extra visual appeal. Tom used butler door hardware and chamfered notches to make a swinging door that disappears seamlessly into its surroundings when it s closed.

You can do it with your own hands using ordinary tools. Because doors are large objects wood movement needs to be taken into account. There s a lot of lumber and a lot of weight plus they re bigger. Masonite smooth flush hardwood solid core interior slab door about 65.

How to build a door. In part two we ll build the interior panel and and finish it. Try making your own door. If you are uncertain it is usually much easier to buy a pre made door frame assembly or prehung door unit.