Door frame installation

The door frame decides whether a door closes smoothly for years or starts catching the floor after the first winter. You can adjust the door leaf, but no amount of adjustment saves a frame that went in crooked. That is why fitting the frame is the most important part of installing an interior door.

Types of frame and what they mean

• a fixed rebated frame needs an accurate opening and usually leaves a strip of wall to make good;
• an adjustable frame wraps the wall on both sides and hides uneven masonry within a range of wall thicknesses;
• an overlay frame for a steel door frame, common in Polish blocks of flats, fits over the old frame without breaking out plaster.

The handyman checks the wall thickness, the width of the opening and whether the final floor is down. The frame is set to the finished floor level, because laminate laid later can jam the door.

How fitting goes

The frame is assembled, placed in the opening and set plumb and level on wedges. It is then braced with spreaders so the expanding foam cannot bow the jambs, and only then is the gap filled with low-expansion foam. Once the foam has cured, the handyman trims it, hangs the door, fits the lock and handle and adjusts the hinges.

What to prepare

• a frame and door leaf from the same maker, the same size and the same opening direction;
• an opening cleared of the old frame, if it was taken out;
• details of the flooring going into the room and its thickness;
• a photo of the opening with a tape measure in the job, so tradespeople can choose the fitting method.

Common questions