Door Jamb Repair Basics

Almost inevitably, you will find one of the doorjambs in your home damaged and in need of a doorjamb repair. This may happen when you move furniture or appliances through a doorway and accidentally crash into the doorjamb, or when a door is forced open. There are various reasons why doorjambs become warped or damaged and need repair. Whatever the reason, you will need to pay for someone to repair your doorjamb or repair it yourself. If you choose to do the repair, and if you have no experience with this kind of repair, you'll need information and guidance. Here's what you'll need to know:

Filling Small Cracks

A door that has small splits, cracks, or gaps can be filled and painted. To accomplish this, you will need to fill these cracks with a wood filler and a putty knife. If you need to purchase material such as wood filler and knife, you will usually find them at a home improvement store. Be sure to allow the filler to set for at least an hour. Then, sand with sandpaper and your sanding block until the filled crack surface is even with the surface around it. Finally, apply your primer, and when it is dry apply your paint.

Repairing Broken Pieces

If pieces of your doorjamb have been broken off, you can often repair the doorjamb by reattaching the pieces. Smaller pieces can often be attached and made to look like the original doorjamb. By using a drill and small drill bit, you can make guide holes through the doorjamb piece that is broken off. Apply wood glue to adjoining edges of the pieces to be re-jointed. Drive small finish nails through these guide holes and into the doorjamb. Use a nail set to sink the nail heads below the surface, then fill these indents with wood filler. You can wipe away any excess glue before it dries. When the glue and wood filler is dry, you will be able to sand and paint the surface.

Replacing a Part of the Door Jamb

Parts of your doorjamb may be damaged beyond repair or entire sections may be broken off. Replacing these pieces may be easier and less expensive than replacing the entire doorjamb. If the entire doorjamb piece is broken off, you can simply replace it with a new piece, using finishing nails and wood glue. If part of a broken doorjamb is still attached, you will need to remove the broken piece. These moldings may be sealed to the doorjamb by dried paint. If they are, you can break this seal by inserting the edge of a putty knife into these edges. The broken piece can then be removed by inserting the edge of a pry bar between the molding and the doorjamb and gently prying them apart until the nails that have held them together are partially pulled loose. Then all that is needed is to pull the nails out, remove the old doorjamb piece, and attach the new piece with finish nails, and apply primer and paint.