How To Measure A Door Jamb? – A Complete Guide for DIY

The door jamb refers to the vertical frames, which are a part of your complete door frame. When you take the door frame, it will have the head jamb, side jambs, and mulls. In this article, you will learn how to measure a door jamb so you can try measuring it yourself.

The stability of both the frame and the door will depend on the door jamb. Using the hinges, you might have seen that the door is connected to the door jamb. Suppose you make a new door; then, you will have to obtain the necessary measurements.

If you don’t know how to measure the door jamb, you don’t have to worry as you get the necessary information on how to measure a door jamb. If you are doing this task for the first time, it might not seem very easy, so before stepping into the process, it is better to have a clear understanding.

When constructing a house or doing a renovation, it is often essential to know that you must be patient when taking measurements as they contribute to perfect finishing. Sometimes you will be customizing the door according to your preference, so when taking the frame measurements, you must be very accurate.

Most commonly, you will see the rectangular door frame in almost all houses. In contrast, some people use angular doors that they can place under the staircase to utilize the space. Hence, the vertical door jambs will be in different measurements for such a door frame. In this article, you will learn how to measure a door jamb according to most people’s traditional door frame.

Aligning the door properly is essential as this will help you to smoothly open and close the door, so the primary step is to get an accurate measurement of the frame. Continue reading to know in detail about the procedure to measure the door jamb.

How To Measure A Door Jamb? To measure a door jamb, use a tape measure to determine the width of the jamb from one side to the other, including the casing. Measure the height from the floor to the top of the jamb. For more detailed instructions and tips on measuring for a door replacement or installation, read on to ensure accurate measurements and a perfect fit.

Why It Is Important To Get The Accurate Reading?

The door frame will have two door jambs vertically positioned on either side. You will have a lot of doors in your house, but every frame might not be with the same measurement; hence when you are planning to get a new door, spend some time obtaining the most accurate measurement.

If you don’t take the measurements properly, the new door will not fit perfectly on the frame as this may lead to problems like rough opening, or you will not be able to open the door completely. Suppose your door jamb is larger than required, then you will have to trim to the correct measurement, or you must change the hinge.

Sometimes you might have experienced tight sealing of the door, difficulties in closing or opening the door, and several other issues due to incorrect measurements. It is better to measure the door jamb correctly to avoid such inconvenience. Accurate measurement of the door jamb will also help to choose the appropriate hinge that will be suitable.

How To Measure A Door Jamb?

The only item that is necessary for this task is the measuring tape. Also, you must know how to get the reading using this tape. Most often, people know to obtain the reading using a tape measure.

In case you don’t know, let’s look at it briefly. This tape will be similar to the ruler. Still, you can obtain the measurement in inches (“) and in the foot (‘). The marking in the large font, like 2″ gives the reading in inches in between two consecutive inches. You will see 1/2”, ¼”, 1/8″, and so on, giving the decimal measurement.

Suppose the reading is beyond 4″ and exact on the ¼”, then you must read 4 ¼ inches. Now by following the steps below, let’s measure the door jamb using the tape measure.

• Measuring The Door Jamb

Sometimes you might be confused about where to start the measuring process, especially if this is your first time measuring the door jamb. Without making the process complicated, you can start to measure from the door frame.

Excluding trim of the wall, you only need to measure the door frame using tape. Also, when taking the measurement, get the reading from the eye level as this will help to obtain the most accurate reading preventing parallax errors.

Although most people know to get the reading using a measuring often, they check the reading at the wrong place without the eye level, which will slightly differ from the actual reading, leading to parallax errors. Hence you must also be considerate to avoid those errors when measuring using the measuring tape.

• Measuring The Width Of The Jamb

To obtain the measurement of the door jamb width, you will need to open the door, place the measuring tape on the hinge to the opposite side, and get the reading. For the reading you obtained, it is necessary to add one and a half inches which will allow the thickness of the jamb. The final reading will give you the width of your door jamb. Note this measurement.

• Measuring The Casing

Next, you can start to measure the casing, which will help to decide on the size of trim to place the door. To avoid error, measuring the casing from both the interior and exterior is best.

What Are The Mistakes To Avoid When Installing A Door?

Now you might have an understanding of measuring the door jamb. Most of you will need to obtain the measurement of the door jamb and the frame when you plan to install a new door or try to replace one. By reading the article, you might have an idea why it is essential to get an accurate measurement of the door jamb; hence it is crucial to avoid getting incorrect measurements.

It is also necessary to know the correct item that you must get according to the measurement. For example, the hinge you choose will change according to the door jamb measurement. Do not use any wrong screw when installing the door, and avoid over-trimming the frame if you need to alter the measurement.

If you obtain the measurements accurately, you will not have to trim the frame. Another important thing is you must think twice before doing the process yourself as sometimes this may lead to more errors. In case you feel complicated, it is better to get the help of a professional.

We hope this article on how to measure a door jamb was helpful.

Here’s an Interesting Video To Watch,

VIDEO CREDITS: US Door & More Inc YouTube Channel

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