How to Build a Jamb and Brick Mold Entrance Door

Door jambs on brick houses require special trim called brick mold.

Entrance doors are typically heavier than their interior cousins. Many new homes will have 2-by-6 outside walls, so the jamb is wider; be sure to check. They also may be made from 1 1/2-inch stock versus the 3/4-inch typical of interior jambs. To make the job as simple as possible, start with a prefab jamb kit, which comes with door stop molding attached and the side jambs notched to receive the header. Brick mold can be bought in pre-cut kits to fit the width and height of your door for all 80-inch tall doors.

Things You'll Need

• Door jamb kit
• Brick mold
• Nails
• Hammer
• Door
• Hinges
• Chisel
• Shims
• Treated deck screws
• Drill

Instructions

1. Cut the jamb header to length, 1/4-inch wider than your door, using a power miter saw. Assemble the three pieces of the jamb frame by gluing and nailing the horizontal jamb header into the notches in the vertical side jambs using 16d framing nails.

2. Attach the three pieces of your pre-cut brick mold to the outside face of the jamb frame. The two vertical side pieces should be set with the 45 degree miters at the top. Fit the top piece, which is mitered at both ends, between them to align the verticals for placement on the jamb. Nail the mold in place with 2-inch finish nails spaced every 12 to 16 inches.

3. Measure the inside dimension of the jamb directly below the header and adjust the jamb legs so that the distance between their bottom ends matches it. Attach the prefab jamb threshold to the bottom of the side jambs using 1 5/8-inch treated deck screws.

4. Lay the door inside the jamb with its top edge 1/4-inch below the bottom face of the jamb header.
   Mark hinge positions 1 foot down from the top and up from the bottom and in the center of the door on the face of the door and in the same position on the edge of the jamb. Remove the door from the frame.

5. Separate the hinges by removing the pins. Tap a screwdriver up through the bottom to knock them loose. Place a hinge plate in each position and mark its outline on the edge of the door and on the face of the jamb. Use a wood chisel to remove the material inside each outline to a depth of 1/8-inch.

6. Attach a half hinge to each of the three positions in the jamb and the opposite half of the hinge in the corresponding position on the edge of the door using 3/4-inch wood screws. Set the door back into the frame, aligning the hinges and drive the pins back into them with a hammer from the top of each hinge.

7. Stand the door centered in the opening, brick mold to the outside. Drive one nail through the top brick mold into the frame to hold the door upright.

8. Place a level on the edge of the hinge side jamb. Adjust the bottom of the jamb in or out to level it. Wedge shims behind the leveled jamb behind the top and bottom corners and the middle, just above the center hinge. Nail through the jamb and shims into the frame. Repeat the leveling, shimming and nailing on the knob side jamb.

References

• "Replacing and Installing Doors and Windows": T Jeff Williams; Sally W Smith; Ron Hildebrand; Rhonda Hildebrand; Ortho Books, 1987
• "Windows and Doors: Installing, Repairing, Replacing": Various Authors; Taunton Books, 2006