A damaged door frame can be a quick fix, but if you don’t know what you’re doing it’s likely to be one of those tasks that gets postponed until you can get around to it.
Don’t let the prospect of fixing a door frame intimidate you. It can actually be quite simple, though it does involve many steps as well as proper tools and materials.
Here we outline detailed procedures for fixing door frames with different kinds and degrees of damage, and how to have it done professionally if you choose to go that route.
Table of Contents
- Can a Door Frame Be Repaired?
- What Can I Use To Repair a Door Frame?
- How To Fix a Door Frame: Preparation and Step-by-Step Instructions for Different Door Frame Repairs
- How Much Does It Cost To Fix a Door Frame?
- Two Brothers Painting: Portland’s Skilled and Experienced Wood Repair Experts
Can a Door Frame Be Repaired?
A door frame can often be repaired, depending on the degree and kind of damage. Structural damage usually requires the replacement of sections of the frame or maybe even the whole frame. If the structural damage is not too extensive or the damage is only cosmetic, there is no need to replace the entire frame.
Damage to a door frame is not only an unattractive nuisance. It can also lead to problems in your home that make prompt repair, perhaps professional repair, necessary.
First, without a proper seal around your door, your home may become less energy-efficient, causing your electric bill to increase. Moisture infiltration through a poor seal can lead to further damage.
Second, if the door is still in use, continual adjustment and slamming of the door may worsen the damage.
Two Brothers Painting is here to help if you’d like to call in a professional and avoid these issues.
Common Types of Door Frame Repairs
Door frame damage can happen because of normal wear and tear or a single event involving accidental impact or too much force. The most common types of damage that affects door frames are:
- Split wood
- Cracks
- Rotted wood
- Misalignment
- Warped wood
- Busted door jamb
What Can I Use To Repair a Door Frame?
Although the various kinds of damage require different tools for repair, these are some items you will likely need:
- Hammer
- Tape measure
- Chisel or pry bar
- Level
- Piece of wood
- Shims
- Nails
- Wire mesh
- Wood or body filler
- Carpenter’s glue
- Sandpaper
- Primer and paint
How To Fix a Door Frame: Preparation and Step-by-Step Instructions for Different Door Frame Repairs
Except for the smallest door frame repairs, prep for fixing a door frame almost always involves:
- Removing the door: Remove the hinges with a power drill or screwdriver, then move the door out of the way.
- Removing the molding (at least in the section of the damage, but sometimes the entire trim): Carefully remove the trim using a hammer and chisel. Place the chisel between the molding and the wall, and tap it with your hammer to separate it from the wall. The trim can be reused later if it has not been damaged during removal.
Remove the door and molding before beginning one of the following procedures. Replace the molding and the door after you are finished. You can nail the molding in place using a nail gun, securing nails every 12 inches to hold them in place.
How To Fix a Broken Door Frame
Follow this procedure for fixing a broken door frame:
- Measure the damage and mark with a line across the door frame six inches above and below the damage.
- Cut away the damaged portion of the door frame with a saw (using the lines you drew in step 1), being careful not to cut too deep.
- Measure and cut a new piece of wood to fit into the missing section of the door frame.
- Fit the new piece of wood in using carpenter’s glue, then nail it in place at the top and bottom.
How To Fix a Cracked Door Frame
If your door frame is cracked, the crack can be filled with Bondo. Bondo is a two-part epoxy that forms easily into different shapes.
- Be sure to fill the crack as deeply as possible.
- Use wood clamps to squeeze the frame together and make the crack invisible.
- After it dries and hardens, sand it smooth.
How To Fix a Rotted Door Frame
Signs of rot include dark spots, crumbling or flaking wood, or even a misaligned door frame.
Rot can sometimes be filled, but a rotted door frame generally needs to be replaced or repaired. Wood rot becomes soft and cellulose, so nothing bonds well to it. But wood petrifier can work as a first layer. Then add Bondo. Caulk will not last as a filler.
If the rotted portion of your door frame is small, you can remove it and fill it in to repair it. Otherwise, it may be more cost-effective for you to replace the entire frame.
These are the steps to fixing a rotted door frame with localized rot:
- Using a chisel, remove every bit of rotted wood. Do not leave any rotted portions, or it could spread. If it has already spread to the door, you’ll need to replace the door.
- Fill in the gap that’s left with wire mesh.
- Fill the wire mesh with wood or body filler and leave it to dry for as long as the packaging instructions indicate.
- After it dries, sand the filled sections so that it is flush with the rest of the door frame.
- Prime that section of the door frame, sand it, and then paint two coats using the color that matches the rest of the door frame.
How To Fix a Misaligned Door Frame
Your door should fit snugly in its frame without any obvious gaps.
If your door is misaligned, such that it scrapes along the floor or hits the door jamb, you likely just need to tighten the screws holding the hinges on, because they loosen over time. Use a screwdriver instead of a drill to avoid breaking the screws.
Though it is not professionally recommended, a useful hack when you are working with holes that are stripped and won’t hold screws is to jam a toothpick into the hole and break it off. Then put glue on the end of your screw before screwing it in the hole. The glue bonds everything together.
If tightening or replacing the screws doesn’t work, you can try a few other things:
- Move or tighten the strike plate.
- Inset the strike plate deeper into the jamb. Remove the strike plate and use a chisel to a small amount of wood from the jamb inset. Replace the strike plate and test the door.
- Sand down the door jamb on the side with the latch. An electric sander is best for this job. Do this only if the above methods do not work.
How To Fix a Warped Door Frame
Water damage can lead to rot, discoloration, or warping. To repair a warped door frame, follow these steps:
- Remove the door stop as you did the molding, using a hammer and chisel, being careful not to damage the stop. You can protect it from damage by putting the nails between the claws of the hammer.
- Remove the shims behind the door frame using a reciprocating saw. Shims are small wooden wedges that help level the frame against the wall. Hold the saw blade flush against the frame, guiding it downward to cut through the nails holding the shims in place.
- Close the door so you can easily see which parts of the frame are warping outward to rub against the door. Place a flat piece of wood over that portion of the frame and tap it with a mallet to straighten it. This prevents damage to the frame.
- Ensure that the gaps between the frame and the door look even while the door is closed. If they do not measure evenly with the tape measure, you may need to adjust the hinges.
- Replace the shims by placing them back between the door frame and the wall, at about the height of the hinges. Tap them in tightly with your hammer. Nail them in place, and cut off any extra with a utility knife.
How To Fix a Busted Door Jamb
The door jambs (one on each side and one on top) are individual components of the door frame. If your door jamb, especially the one containing the latch, has been busted (as can happen during a burglary attempt or if someone kicks the door), follow these steps:
- Remove the molding on one side. Unscrew any hardware (hinges or latches) on the frame using a screwdriver.
- Using a pry bar, pull the jamb of the wall, moving from bottom to top.
- Measure the door frame’s height, width, and depth. Then cut a new jamb with those measurements out of weather-treated (not pressure-treated) timber using a hand saw.
- Nail three shims to the door frame: two of them two to four inches from the top and bottom and the other to the middle where the latch will line up with it.
- Place the new jamb in place over the shims, hammering two nails through each shim (top and bottom first, then the middle) into the wall stud. Use your level to ensure the jamb is perfectly vertical.
- After replacing the molding, reinstall the latch: Close the door and mark with a pencil where the latch should be. Using a 1”-diameter hole saw, cut a hole in the jamb for the latch to catch. Hold the hardware against the jamb and drill holes where you will need to place the screws before you place the screws.
How Much Does It Cost To Fix a Door Frame?
The cost of repairing your door frame will depend on a few factors:
- Where you live
- Whether you DIY or consult professionals, such as Two Brothers Painting
- What kind of repair are you doing
- What repair materials you already have
Costs for complete replacement can run between $200 and $400. The following factors determine how expensive the frame will be:
- Location – In general, exterior door frames are more expensive to replace than interior door frames.
- Style – Obviously, plainer door frames will not cost as much as frames with intricate detail.
- Material – Softwoods are cheaper than hardwoods.
Two Brothers Painting: Portland’s Skilled and Experienced Wood Repair Experts
Fixing your own door frame may be the cheaper option, but you can save yourself the hassle and ensure that the job is done right by hiring a professional to do it for you.
Two Brothers Painting is here to serve your wood repair needs should you decide to rely on a professional. Our clients can testify to the quality of our work. If you contact us today, you will be in good hands.