Prehung Door on Out-of-Plumb Wall
#11
I got most of the doors replaced except the one that is still on order.  The small wall that has the hinge-side of the doors on my kids' rooms is pretty out-of-plumb.  I'm not going to tear the drywall apart to fix it, but I want to hang the doors plumb so they don't swing on their own.  I installed them to be more plumb than the wall, but they are not completely plumb.  One of the doors has started swinging on its own, so I think I need to straighten them a bit more.

I have not installed trim anywhere yet.  I'm trying to figure out how to make the trim look right on these two where the door frame sticks out from the drywall on one end, and beneath the level of the drywall on the other.  On the parts where the door frame sticks out, it seems easy enough to just plane/sand it down to make it flush with the wall.  Simple enough.  But what do I do where the door frame doesn't quite stick out far enough?  I could make a piece to build it up, but I think it would have to be one giant wedge, which would be difficult.  Do I cut out some of the door frame, attach a piece, then plane/sand it down flush with the wall?

I did some digging around online.  One guy cut into the drywall under the trim, but that doesn't seem like the best way to do it.

Any other suggestions?
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#12
I think Tom Silva might have covered that issue on a "Ask This Old House" or "This Old House". My be worth a Utube search. I have no complaints about his work, and he is pretty good at simplifying it without cheating on quality.
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#13
(02-26-2022, 09:57 PM)toolmiser Wrote: I think Tom Silva might have covered that issue on a "Ask This Old House" or "This Old House".  My be worth a Utube search.  I have no complaints about his work, and he is pretty good at simplifying it without cheating on quality.

Tom did. lots of math on that one. Still was very amazing
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#14
I found a few, he deals with swimming the frame to keep it plumb within the opening, but not an out of plumb wall.
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#15
Can you take out the frame/jamb and re-hang it?

If the frame sits below the drywall, you can cut back the drywall, away from the jamb to about the last 3/8"-1/2" of the casing. That way you can tilt the casing in a little to meet the jamb or get close enough to fill the gap with caulk. You might have to do a slight reverse cope at the corners to get the miters to meet tight. If the frame sits above the drywall, plane/cut it down flush.

If it's s simple problem of the door swinging open or closed and it isn't visibly obvious that it isn't plumb: You can take off the hinges, leave the hinge pin in and dimple them with a center punch to create friction on the pin to hold the door in place. Just do one hinge at a time, maybe even one otwo hinge tabs at a time until you get the friction right.
Neil Summers Home Inspections




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#16
I have the exact situation in my house. The worst is the front entry door. I installed the door plumb and then cut long tapered fillers to sit flush with the wall. The safest and easiest way to do this is to use a wide board, cut one edge tapered to match the door frame and then cut it to final size. I have a 1/2" thick plywood straight edge that is 8' long. I tacked it to the board at the appropriate angle and then ran it through my tablesaw. Once I was happy with the fit, I ripped it to width. Hope this helps. If you want, I can duplicate the process and take pictures.
I no longer build museums but don't want to change my name. My new job is a lot less stressful. Life is much better.

Garry
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#17
I do have a track saw, I could probably use that to cut a long taper piece off of a board.
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#18
I had this situation, but I ended up taking some drywall out and doing surgery on the framing with an oscillating tool/chisel.  Then I figured out that the door is bowed too.  When the weather warms up I'll try to un-bow it.
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#19
Pull out 1 of the hinge pins, put on a concrete floor and give it a good old fashioned hit wih your hammer right behind the bigger round part where the pin is not touching the floor. This will bend the pin which will help stop the self closing or opening problem. Do the other 2 hinges if needed. Old carpenters solution.. Yes this is not what would be ideal. Ideal would be all plumb,level and square. but as long as everythig works, no one will know it is not plumb. If any of your friends bring a 6'6" level to check for plumb without you asking wrap the level around his neck and send him home. Sometimes you need to adapt to existing onsite conditions
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#20
"Sometimes you need to adapt to existing onsite conditions"

This is why I like building furniture better.
Big Grin
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