Poorly fitted doors and door jams

I just moved into the new Brooklyn apartment that I'm renting and of all the issues getting under my skin, the poorly fitted doors are the main irk.

NONE of the doors and door jams fit properly into the space that was cut for them. If you look straight at the doors, they appear to be fine, but if you look closely at the moulding around the doors, you'll see a 1/4" gap between the moulding and the wall. Did I mention that this is the case on ALL of the doors? (The previous landlord's workers pulled a fast one by placing one side of masking tape on the moulding, pressing the other side to the wall, and then painted over it -- so it looked like the moulding was flush to the wall.)

I'd like to redo their hap-hazard work PROPERLY...and easily.

Any advice?

 

Gaps can be caulked with paintable silicone caulk before painting trim.

 

Thanks twelvepole. I've already purchased GE's 100% Silicone Rubber Sealant for Doors & Windows. My concern is the 1/4" gap between the moulding & the wall. The directions say that if "the joint size exceeds 1/2" x 1/2", use backer rod." What the heck is that, can I get it at most local hardware stores, and is it difficult to work with?

Thanks again!!

 

Wood trim sticks out as much as 1/2" from wall? Wonder if it could be drilled and nailed to tighten it up? Did they not put enough nails or brads? One would think that walls are flat and trim is flat and that there should be no gap. Make sure caulk is paintable.

 

God love ya for trying to understand...but it's hard to explain. Sorry. Here's the best I can do at describing it to you:

I'm in an old B'klyn brownstone (not really, but let's go with that) that used to be one home -- think long, skinny, & 4 floors. Years ago, it was divided into 4 separate apartments (each floor is a private residence w/ the shared staircase). The dividing walls are basically sheet rock -- no additional studs or 2 x 4 framework were added in the division -- there is nothing other than the original meat & bones. When they mapped out where the bathroom door, front door, kitchen door, & office door would go, they jig sawed the openings out -- again no proper framework.

So, then they came in with the doors...the doors and door frames were WIDER than the sheet rock walls. Do you follow? So! If you are facing the doorframe (follow me as I go first through last), you have the door frame & moulding, a 1/2" to 1/4" gap, then the wall. There's really no screwing it tighter as the ENTIRE frame is too wide. If I tried screwing it tighter, it would crack & split the moulding.

Does that make any sense?

 

Avoid that 100% silicone caulk if we're talking interior doors. A good latex caulk is just as good for that application and is much easier to work with. Backer rod is simply a "filler" that fits easily into the gaps and takes up a lot of the excess space, plus gives the caulk something to adhere to.

 

Good to know. Thanks for telling me. I was minutes away from prepping the tube for a test run on a smaller job. Latex, eh? I'll return the silicone tube & get a latex one later this morning.

I forget...can I paint over the latex caulk/filler/sealant?

 

Sounds like the door jambs are too wide for the wall thickness.
Reinstalling the doors with the proper width jambs would be a lot of work, but a good solution.

 

Very true. However, let's not forget one of the most important words in this scenario: RENTER. If I owned the place, and you were betting on me in Vegas...you'd be very rich. I'd have this place in pristine condition. Heck! I'm a renter & I can't stand to look at it. It's just sloppy, unskilled work.
Suffice to say...my landlord loves me.
I'm such a dumb-dumb. I should own.

 

Was the condition of the apartment an issue when you signed the rental agreement?

You asked how to correct it and we have tried to explain the process.

 

Latex caulk is paintable. Additionally, it is a "water cleanup" product that smooths nicely with a fingertip (or any damp sponge/rag) after applied (which silicone doesn't do well).

 

Wirepuller38: I was unaware of the TRUE condition of the apt. at the time of the lease signing -- it was a quick move and I had to get in. Now that I'm in, I'm making it liveable.
True, you have tried to explain the process. My intention is not to be difficult. I asked about Silicone, how to fill the large space, and the best way to go about it. Reinstalling the doors was *never* an option.
Come to think of it, why are you asking me about my lease contract -- isn't this a "do it yourself" forum?

thezster: Thank you so much for that. So I need to get the backer rod, stuff it in the space, and then use the latex sealant to make it seemless. Gotcha.

Thank you for all your help!

 

Use some backer rod. It's a soft plastic foam rod used to close gaps to big to caulk. Any decent hardware store should have some. Slip the backer into the gap and caulk over it.

 

I apologize for the intrusion. It was none of my business and I am sorry.

Good luck with the improvements. The other responders are offering some great ideas.