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What is my jamb size?
The size of the jamb of your door is one of the more important things you need to know. If the
jamb you have is too large, it will have to be trimmed to fit the wall. If it is too small, then
the framing lumber will be exposed, making a rather unattractive looking doorway.
With exterior doors, the size of the jamb is especially important. If the jamb is not properly sized,
there is a good chance that it will not open fully, or will be lacking in strength or draft
protection.
In most cases, your door will be going into either a 2x4 wall or a 2x6 wall. In either case, most
door manufacturers make a jamb that will fit into that wall, after it has been sheetrocked, without
any problem.
What to do:
By and large, if the door is on an interior wall, you will most likely have walls that are made of
2x4's. There are a few applications where there might be a thicker wall made of 2x6's, or a thinner
wall made of 2x3's, but they are rare.
Exterior doors can be a little trickier. Some homes were made using 2x4 construction, and so should
have the standard jamb. Some homes are built with thicker walls, made of 2x6's. A quick trip with
a tape measure should give you a good idea of which size wall you have. If it is closer to 4 1/2" than
to 6 1/2" thick, then you have a 2x4 wall.
When you order a jamb, there are certain regular sizes available. These sizes are made to accommodate
the framing lumber, along with the correct thicknesses of 1/2" wallboard and plaster (where applicable).
This is why doors are ordered with a 4 9/16" or a 6 9/16" jamb.
There are other sizes, of course, as there are a few other sorts of walls. A drywall jamb is often
5 1/4" thick, and there are also even larger jambs to accommodate walls that are made of 2x8's. These,
as well as custom sizes are available by special order.
What if my home is older?
There are still plenty of homes that were built in the age of full sized lumber. These are the
ones that are fun to fix-up. Just about everything will need to be custom fit, mainly because the
manufacturers stick to where the greater demand is - modern dimensional
lumber.
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