# Fixing a door jamb



## Andy in Germany (18 Apr 2021)

One of the "fun" parts of being a carpenter is that I occasionally get asked to help fix stuff by friends and family, which is fine because obviously at some point I'll have a computer that needs fixing or something to do with electricity, which I tend to view as one step above witchcraft.

Anyway, Beautiful Wife seems to be acting as my "agent" and asked me if I can fix this in someone's apartment over the weekend:












The door frame is pine, thankfully, not chipboard

My plan at the moment is to remove the more obstructive splinters, put wood glue in the cracks, clamp it thoroughly, fit new screws into the frame as reinforcement, then put filler in the remaining gaps and tell the twit resident teenager (who apparently hit the door in a tantrum) to sand it down and paint it as a reminder to control his bl**dy temper in future. He's a nice kid, just hasn't realised that as a teenager he's heavier than he was last time he tried this at age ten...

Can anyone see any practical issues with this plan?


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## HMS_Dave (18 Apr 2021)

Chop it up and stick it on the fire. Make the kid work to pay off a new door...


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## Andy in Germany (18 Apr 2021)

HMS_Dave said:


> Chop it up and stick it on the fire. Make the kid work to pay off a new door...



Rented house: I can't do that.


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## classic33 (18 Apr 2021)

It'll not be as secure.


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## Andy in Germany (18 Apr 2021)

classic33 said:


> It'll not be as secure.



No, but it's a bedroom door, not a front door, and I'll make sure I run a few extra screws into the frame and cover them so there will be extra strength. Also wood glue is a great deal more solid than people tend to think.

The main issue I can see is getting the wood to go back vaguely where it was before so I can get the door closed properly.


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## Cycleops (18 Apr 2021)

Andy in Germany said:


> The main issue I can see is getting the wood to go back vaguely where it was before so I can get the door closed properly.


I think you might be on a bit of a Mission Impossible there. Can't see from the pic how badly damaged it is but looks bad. Think I'd favour chopping out the damaged section of frame and putting in a new piece of wood. A lot more work of course.


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## classic33 (18 Apr 2021)

A piece of wood to bring the wood back into place. Screws used to hold it in place whilst the glue dries.


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## Spiderweb (18 Apr 2021)

It’ll be a bit of a bodge if you try and repair what’s there, lots of glue and filler will be required. The proper way would be to cut out all of the damaged area and splice in a new piece of timber (PVA glue and screw/ nail) and set the existing ‘keep’ into the new splice.


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## slowmotion (18 Apr 2021)

I would cut off the really thin whiskery splinters and take out the old nails so you have a better chance of getting it to seat properly. Then brush in some decent glue and clamp it using spring sticks braced against the opposite jamb.


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## Andy in Germany (18 Apr 2021)

slowmotion said:


> I would cut off the really thin whiskery splinters and take out the old nails so you have a better chance of getting it to seat properly. Then brush in some decent glue and clamp it using spring sticks braced against the opposite jamb.



That's the general plan at the moment: I think I'll have to risk holes and then fill them later: the fact it's pine, and painted is on my side at least: I can fill quite large holes if need be and paint over it: if it had been chipboard I'd have stood no chance...


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## I like Skol (18 Apr 2021)

FFS, you're the joiner, why are you asking on here?

Plan A is perfectly reasonable and with the right glue and clamping while leaving it overnight to dry it will be at least as strong as before.
By the way, that door has been kicked in, not 'hit'! I think there's a bit more to the tale than you are being told...


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## Darius_Jedburgh (18 Apr 2021)

I like Skol said:


> By the way, that door has been kicked in, not 'hit'! I think there's a bit more to the tale than you are being told...


Indeed.


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## fossyant (18 Apr 2021)

Feckin teen can pay you to fix it - or at least get him getting full of glue and filler.


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## neil_merseyside (18 Apr 2021)

Take the door off and fix it BUT do not replace it until the little oik has served some time without privacy (Xbox/WiFi/Phone etc)
Or put it back and slap the oik into the middle of next year 

Edit to add last line.


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## fossyant (18 Apr 2021)

Bit like my son's room - we have a new blind to fit, and I need to put his 'overly heavy' light fitting back up (knocked off with VR sessions), but I'm not doing it until I can get in the room without a major trip risk. There are two live wires sticking down off the ceiling, but stuff that, if it can't be done in safety. Been two weeks now. He won't tidy (20 years old) I won't come in.


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## Andy in Germany (19 Apr 2021)

I like Skol said:


> FFS, you're the joiner, why are you asking on here?



The joiners answer would be to take off the entire frame and replace but I can't do that in this situation.



I like Skol said:


> Plan A is perfectly reasonable and with the right glue and clamping while leaving it overnight to dry it will be at least as strong as before.



Fair enough, I'll run with that. Time to get some tools together...


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## Andy in Germany (24 Apr 2021)

Thanks for the tips and links. The door is fixed; a bit of sandpaper and paint and the damage will be invisible. 

I'd given the family strict instructions not to remove anything that didn't fall off, and this helped a lot: the pieces went back into place with little trouble and a lot of pressure from the clamps...

No pictures because I'm a bit careful of taking unnecessary pics in other people's houses, but it's all sorted now...


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