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installing door in room where drywall is 1/2" out of plumb

installing door in room where drywall is 1/2" out of plumb


  #1  
Old 08-13-13, 03:08 PM
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installing door in room where drywall is 1/2" out of plumb

I am installing a 48" wide double French door with flat jambs in a room in my house. The house was built in 1900 and I am doing major renovations and addition. It originally had lathe board/plaster, then previous owner drywalled over top of that. I am concerned only with the door plumbness with respect to the drywall (ie keeping the face of jamb where trim mounts flush) problem is that if I am standing in the room looking at the double doors and I put bottom of right side of jamb so that it is flush with face of drywall, keep the jamb plumb with a level on edge of jamb where the trim will be mounted, on top the jamb is 1/2" recessed from face of drywall. I am talking about the hinge side of the doors. so that is really too much to extend the jamb and I have the hinge to deal with too. So do I move the jamb out so it extends 1/4" out from face of drywall on bottom and 1/4" recessed from drywall on top? Or do I move it out the full 1/2"-which would mean filling a 1/2" gap between trim and drywall on bottom! I know if you use split jamb this is essentially what you would be doing since you can't really split the difference since the casing is already installed. FYI I installing plinth blocks, fluted casing, rosettes on this flat jamb and I am not worried about the other side of door unit as I will make extension jambs to match the drywall face.

FYI with the right side of jamb as mentioned above (flush at bottom and recessed at top) and the left side of jamb flush with drywall, the door is "square" in the opening and the left side of door unit has the jamb actually flush with drywall the entire length of door. but if I am moving the right out either a 1/4" or a 1/2", do I have to move this side out as well to keep the door square in the opening? there is a 8" step in the room-if in room with double door closed there is a step that is visible. so if I move one side of door out 1/2" then the exposed step will have different amounts exposed and since it is hardwood and will have lines going across the bottom of the door, it could look odd to have it out of square with the opening.
 
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Old 08-14-13, 04:28 AM
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In a 113 yr old house, I think this may be the straightest wall you are going to find.

Do the best you can and get creative with the casing. 90%+ of the time interior french doors are left open and are only closed for the occasional need for a private moment, then opened up again.

You can also see if you can get the wall to "nudge" a little with a good old hit with a sledge. If it is not load bearing it may creep over enough to solve your problem. I would lay a 2x4 along to base molding and give it a pop with a sledge and see if it moves. May solve your problem.
 
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Old 08-14-13, 07:11 AM
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thanks for the reply, but this used to be an exterior wall and supports roof load and the house is balloon framed (these studs go from basement to the roof in two story house)-so it isn't moving.
 
 

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