# how to prevent exterior door jambs from rotting?



## TimNJ (Sep 7, 2005)

A lot has to do with poor maintenance.
I have installed new entry doors and tell the people to get them painted since they are just primed.
Come back a couple years later to do other work and low and behold, no paint on the door I put in, and the finger joints are opening up.


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## 3bar (Jan 14, 2011)

those vinyl or composite jamb doors are a good option, but what do you do about the nail holes? caulk the holes with a matching colored caulk? i just always thought all the nail holes would show and look bad.


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## greg24k (May 19, 2007)

3bar said:


> those vinyl or composite jamb doors are a good option, but what do you do about the nail holes? caulk the holes with a matching colored caulk? i just always thought all the nail holes would show and look bad.


Put nail/screw holes behind weather stripping.


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## gbruzze1 (Dec 17, 2008)

greg24k said:


> Put nail/screw holes behind weather stripping.




Same thing you do with wooden jambs. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## woodyacd (Jul 31, 2016)

if you need to keep the jamb you have now , make sure its not setting into the floor , sometimes I take off a frame , and its 1/4 to 1/2 inch into the concrete floor.
best to fill that in , and actually keep that new frame maybe 1/8 off the floor if you have water problems 
then caulk under it .
also when you paint all sides ( preferably with oil-base paint/primer), make sure you paint the bottom of the frame ( and door ) no one seems to paint the bottom of doors and frames 

also you could use " wood-life" on the bare wood before painting it .

also ,I bought a frame last month , that was wood , but the bottom 6 inches was p.v.c. 

you know , If you just look at that area throughout the year , and see any cracks or wear on that paint , throw another coat on it .

awning? 
water-diverter over the frame ?
is water runningoff the roof and splashing on it ?
cut back foliage?


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

Place a small amount of Cuprinol wood preserver in a pie pan and soak the end grain of jambs for a minimum of three minutes,hold jamb off floor 1/8" and caulk. Better approach,treat end grain with Abitron consolidation material.:thumbsup:


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## Peter_C (Nov 26, 2014)

woodyacd said:


> ~make sure you paint the bottom of the frame ( and door ) no one seems to paint the bottom of doors and frames~


That is one of the single biggest issues I see is no paint on the end grain at the bottom. For schools it is a requirement to paint the bottom of everything. Inspector will use a mirror to check bottoms of fences and everything else that gets painted underneath.


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## Golden view (Feb 16, 2012)

Cypress, cyress (never heard that), cedar...

I'm from Alaska. Alaska yellow cedar is good stuff. Interesting smell. Many names for the same tree.

Nootka cypress, yellow cypress, Alaska cypress, Nootka cedar, yellow cedar, Alaska cedar, and Alaska yellow cedar.


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

Golden view said:


> Cypress, cyress (never heard that), cedar...
> 
> I'm from Alaska. Alaska yellow cedar is good stuff. Interesting smell. Many names for the same tree.
> 
> Nootka cypress, yellow cypress, Alaska cypress, Nootka cedar, yellow cedar, Alaska cedar, and Alaska yellow cedar.





That's cause you are up in snowman territory,get down to the swamps of Louisiana and you will see them.:clap:


https://www.google.com/search?q=cyp...1p_VAhVC6iYKHYgvC00Q_AUIBigB&biw=1366&bih=638


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## Kowboy (May 7, 2009)

My customers pay for fiberglass doors and jambs or no Kowboy for them.


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## overanalyze (Dec 28, 2010)

3bar said:


> those vinyl or composite jamb doors are a good option, but what do you do about the nail holes? caulk the holes with a matching colored caulk? i just always thought all the nail holes would show and look bad.


 2 of our doors suppliers have solved this issue. One uses a spline to attach the brickmold to the jamb. The other attached the brickmold with pocket screws. 

Run you screws through the jamb behind the weatherstripping and you can install without any exposed fasteners. 

My favorite is the extruded aluminum clad jambs but not everyone wants to pay for them.


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## TimNJ (Sep 7, 2005)

overanalyze said:


> 2 of our doors suppliers have solved this issue. One uses a spline to attach the brickmold to the jamb. The other attached the brickmold with pocket screws.
> 
> Run you screws through the jamb behind the weatherstripping and you can install without any exposed fasteners.
> 
> My favorite is the extruded aluminum clad jambs but not everyone wants to pay for them.


Can't tell you how many Pella aluminum clad jambs I have tried to install a storm door closer bracket on the bottom and the wood underneath is completely rotted. 
Looks good from the outside, but wasted on the inside.


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## woodyacd (Jul 31, 2016)

what drives me nuts 
, is when you install a double door and frame .
you leave what you know is the right about of space between them, which I did .
client calls and says they don`t like that much space , about 1/8th between them .
I go back and adjust door tighter ,
then , three months later, when the weather changes , , they call and say , " the doors are rubbing , I can`t open them without leaning my shoulder against it !"
and I have to re-adjust it back to where I had it originally.


I want to charge them , but then they think your a nickel dimer.
you need referrals .
it was a referral from a supplier who gets me allot of work, 
so I have to eat it


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

TimNJ said:


> Can't tell you how many Pella aluminum clad jambs I have tried to install a storm door closer bracket on the bottom and the wood underneath is completely rotted.
> Looks good from the outside, but wasted on the inside.




How very true ! The same scenario plays out on aluminum clad windows,irregardless of what company made them. Especially if they are casement windows. As Steve Mouzon points out in his book Traditional Construction Patterns,the concept of "maintenance free" is a myth. All the aluminum cladding does is hide the need for maintenance from the eye. When you find trouble brewing,its too late,total replacement is then the order of the day.


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