# Exterior door jamb size?



## TaskBoy (Oct 7, 2008)

I measured two exterior doors and the door frame is 4-1/8 inch. This is measured from the frame edge that is flush with the drywall to the joint between the frame edge and the stucco mould. That's a weird size, huh? 

I can buy a 4-9/16 jamb pre-hung Therma-Tru fiberglass door. The exterior wall is stucco and if I measure from the interior drywall edge outwards, with the 4-9/16 jamb there is not enough gap left to patch the stucco per se as it's 7/16 wider than the existing jamb, but I was planning to use a brick mould anyway. Does this all sound OK? Thanks.


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## Square Eye (Oct 7, 2008)

Typically, when I have a situation where the jamb is wider than the wall's thickness, I push the brick moulding against the exterior wall and make a filler to space the interior casing to match the jamb width. 
BUT
Sometimes, the interior just won't look right if the jamb doesn't sit flush with the walls. In this case, a filler behind the exterior brick moulding is the way to go. Caulk the filler, front and back, as if you're trying to glue it on and it should be a weather-tight seal.


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## TaskBoy (Oct 8, 2008)

Hi SquareEye. I think I had mis-measured before, so  I remeasured the doorway. I now measured from the roomside drywall edge to the outer edge of stucco mould and it's about 5-1/4 inches. It varies a little due to the nature of the stucco. So, since I want to brick mould the new door, I would get a 5-1/4 inch jamb, right?


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## Square Eye (Oct 8, 2008)

If the stucco varies enough, take the jamb size that will cover the widest point. You may just have to set the door flush to the interior wall and use a foam strip backer rod then caulk the brick moulding to the wall. Uneven wall surfaces make any door install a little more challenging. I have, in a case like this, cut and smoothed the surface to fit the door jamb width so the brick moulding was recessed into the thicker sections of the wall surface. Similar to the way you would cut wood, aluminum or vinyl siding back to fit around the brick moulding. BUT, I realize this could cause damage to your stucco. Whichever way you go, be ready to spend a little quality time with your favorite caulking gun


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