Hello all,

I am looking for some advice on how to add more wall in around an exterior door jamb so that there are no holes seen around the casing after I install it. I could not find an issue like mine in the forums, but I am sure this happens to people all the time. Below I have some photos and how I think I could get the job done, It may be able to be done more efficient, or better though.

Here is a photo of the whole door. I had it installed by a contractor. I told him I would handle the casing since I couldn't figure out what I wanted at the time. I installed the bead casing around the jamb so the casing would be flush with the wall.



Here is a photo of the right side of the door with the casing. The gap is smaller on this side so I won't have to do anything to that. As you can see there is a cabinet to the right of that, so I had to choose a casing that would fit. If it were not for the cabinet, I could have just chose a wider casing that would cover the gap seen at the top and left side of the jamb.



Here is a photo of the top of the door jamb with the casing. The gap is a little bigger. The same 2 1/2" casing will not cover the gap. My best guess based on youtube videos is to put some bead casing in there thats thick enough to allow be to put a strip of 3/4" drywall on top of it. That would get the sheet rock and drywall level. Then fill in the gaps with mud.





Here is a photo of the left side of the door jamb with the 2 1/2" casing. My best guess is that I need to cut a straight line down sheet rock with a half-moon blade and a oscillating multi-tool, just enough to knock out the rough edges so I can put two pieces of half inch drywall in there and fasten them with drywall screws. The sheet rock is 1" thick, so I figured I would put two half inch pieces in. Then I would use some type of drywall mud to fill the gaps. I have never used mud, but it seems to fill gaps from what I am reading. Anywhere from a 1/4" to 1/2" of this drywall will be visible past the casing, so I will have to make sure that is smooth, and then try to replicate the swirl design that is on the wall. I am guessing that is just sand added to the paint, then a brush used to make the half moon like swirls.





Thanks in advance.

 

The simplest thing for you to do is to get 3 1/4" casing and rip it to the right width to fit on the side with the cabinet. That way your casing will cover on all the other sides. You will never match that texture... so I advise that you don't try. Put the casing on... mask off the wall with tape so you don't get any more mud on it than you have to, and patch any of the holes that might still show. Add a little perlite (sand texture) to your paint and it will disappear.

Also when you put casing on a door the thin side is closest to the door and the wide side is the outside edge that lays on the wall. You are holding it backward in every photo. Plus, you don't hold it flush with the inside edge of the jamb like in your 2nd photo, you move it out onto the wall another 1/4" so that there is a 1/4" reveal around the inside perimeter. In other words, the trim only covers the outer 1/2" of your 3/4" wide jamb.

 

Your advice is genius. I didn't think about that. So I went back to youtube and found the video below on how to install a door casing in a corner when the corner is narrower than the trim. Would you recommend this guys method? How to Install a Door Casing in a Corner When It Is Narrower Than The Corner

Thank you for the tip. I may not have caught that.

Thanks again.

 

It sure looks to me like your also going to have to add a thicker jamb extention to get the jambs to be even with the finished wall.