Door Jamb Width for a Brownstone

I’m replacing two basement exterior doors on my brownstone,front and back, with new prehung doors. Everything I read says it’s important to measure the jamb width and get doors with the correct size jambs. But there isn’t much information online about brownstones and what goes for frame homes may not be appropriate. My contractor says jamb width doesn’t matter. He may be right but I hope to get a better understanding here. The doors I’m replacing are both 30″ and both sit within 34″ openings set back about 1-1/2″. There is about 1″ from the door jambs to the brick on each side.

pweissma

in Doors & Windows 11 years and 9 months ago

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brucef | 11 years and 9 months ago

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I suspect you are confused regarding what your “jamb”…is. The jamb on a pre-hung door is the thickness of the frame, from front to back. For instance if your wall was a 2 1/2″ metal std wall between two rooms, and the prehung jamb assumed 3 1/2″ ( a 2″X4″ standard wall), then the jamb would stick out 1” into one of the rooms, making applying the door frame molding difficult. If the pre-hung door was installed as a closet door, then probably it wouldn’t matter if the frame was OK into the room, and stuck out inside the closet where there would be no molding. Certain manufacturers sell “jamb extenders” to accomodate? thicker walls – like if your exterior wall in the suburbs was a 6″ thick wall. SO not knowing your situation, you need to determine if both locations either are the normal 2″X4″ (3 1/2″ plus 1/2″ drywall on both sides). Or if the openings are masonry, is there a carpentry solution? After re-reading your post, it sounds as if your contractor will need to add molding to extend from prehung to masonry. This could be capped in aluminum or better in a brownstone brick molding, available both in wood, but we prefer the MDF. Hope that helps. Bruce