Thinner door frame for replacing a 34" door with a 36" front door

8/14/2012 at 8:32:38 AM

If you order a 36" door with a frame thickness equal to your wall minus the brick measure from the back side of the brick to the front of the drywall inside.

Clean up the inside face of the brick so the frame sits as flush as possible and caulk the joint just before you install the frame, so you have a very good seal. You will end up with a 1/4" overhang on each side. However you will see the complete side of the brick, and unless it was made to be visiable, it might not look that good.

8/14/2012 at 9:08:24 AM

Hi Arshad,

Standard door sizes come in 2" increments, so the next door size up from your 34" door is a 36" door.

If you are getting a typical steel insulated unit with or with without glass these cannot be cut down in width however a wood door can.

If you cut down a 36" wood door to 35" the jam assembly would no longer work. An exterior door assembly typically comes with pre-cut jams and assembled. The lower sill is most often an aluminum extrusion which would also have to be disassembled and cut down and then reassembled. Also if the door is pre-mortised for the latch assembly, ripping a 1/2" of each side is going to require you fill the latch mortise and redrill it for the latch assembly offset.

All of this is regarding the actual door sizing. As for the opening, typically the jam stock is "1 by" material (or 3/4" thick), so without any room to maneuver the door unit into place you would be shy by 1/2". You can plane the material down to 1/2" from 3/4" on the side jams.

If you do widen the opening of the brick, you MUST ensure that the metal lintel (angle iron) has enough bearing on either side before removing the 1/2" from either side. It appears as though the internal framing is already more than wide enough and would not need to be touched.

Having said all of this, it is a lot of work and expense to gain 1", not to mention cutting down a brand new (and expensive) wood door...but it can be done.

Good luck

8/14/2012 at 12:27:01 PM

Hi Arshad,

You order your door to the size you want and install it behind the brick. However, in my opinion I don't think you will ultimately not look the aesthetic appearance. By setting the frame behind the brick fascia will expose the steel liIntel above which will have to be painted. If the brick under the frame is pristine it may be unsightly. Also, you will have to fill the gaps to maintain the insulating seal.

Perhaps to achieve to desired look find a good mason and cut the brick and install an appropriate fame and door. I believe in the end you will like it better.

I hope this helps.

Neil