The Detering Company would like to help explain some of the basics when it comes to determining exactly what you need to get your new construction or remodel job completed.

There are many steps in ordering a door. We are going to try to help you determine a few of those steps in order to help you get started.

The first step is determining the size of the door you need. While there are some standard sizes, depending on when your house was built you may or may not have a "standard" size door. The way doors are referred to in the industry is by width and height. So a somewhat typical front door may be 3'0" wide by 6'8" tall and therefore would be called a 3-0 x 6-8 door.

If you are replacing a door you can just measure the existing door and that should be the size of the new door. If you are framing in a new door or are replacing the door and jamb, we recommend leaving several inches for adjusting and shimming the door in the opening. A good guideline to how much room to allow for hanging the door is add 2-1/2" to the width of the door and 3-1/2" to the height. Of course this is just a general rule and may change depending on application of wood floor or tall threshhold.



Picture of a door in a framed opening allowing 3-1/2" at the top and 1-1/4" on each side for a total of 2-1/2".

Thickness of the door is fairly easy to determine unless you have a special application. Normally exterior doors are 1-3/4" thick and interior doors are 1-3/8" thick. Exterior doors are usually solid core and the extra thickness allows for better insulation.

Jamb thickness is probably the most common question we are asked and the least understood. Jamb thickness has nothing to do with how wide the door or opening is. Jamb thickness is the thickness of the wall that the door and jamb will be fitting into including sheetrock (one or both sides) and any siding, or sheathing on the outside.

 

The measurement needed is shown by the RED ARROWS above. This would be a new construction or replacement door application. In this example the sheetrock on the left is 1/2" thick, the 2x4 is 3-1/2" thick, and the siding is 1/2" thick giving us 4-1/2" thick. We then add 1/8" to it to make sure it covers completely giving us a 4-5/8" jamb. This is one of the standard jambs we have as this is the most common jamb sizes due to 2x4s being commonly used with 1/2" sheetrock.

The Detering Company carries an exterior door frame that will not wick or rot and is resistant to insect damage.

See the

The two doors show the two different swings, Right Hand or Left Hand.



When we are describing a double door, the hand is determined by the hand of the door that will open first. As you can see in the picture, this is a RIGHT HAND unit because the door that is operable is Right Hand.

The door bore is another item needed to build a door unit. Most interior doors are single bore while most exterior doors are double bore to allow for a dead bolt. You may want to select you door hardware prior to ordering you door units due to some high end handle sets using uncommon bore sizes that have to be
bored on the job.


 

Single bore to allow for door knob only. Double bore to allow for an additional deadbolt.

This primer should help you to answer many of the questions ahead of time to help your order placement to be quick and accurate. There may be special situations that are not covered in this primer or may be better suited for a job site or plan take off to be done. Any special jamb requirements, special flooring, or special door sizes should be discussed prior to placing your order.

OK I get it!!! Take me to the doors.

Exterior Doors
Interior Doors

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