Installing a sliding glass door jamb


Install a Sliding Glass Door Jamb

Door Jambs

A door jamb and a door frame go hand in hand. A door jamb works as the main support for a door frame. A door frame comes with two jambs where one is located on the side where the hinges are and the other can be found on the side where the locking mechanism is. The door jambs are basically to secure the frame into the wall better. These two jambs are connected through the head.

A door jamb is made by several materials, but overall it has to be determined where the door jamb will be used, and the door matters as well. The door jamb is basically hidden by either a casing or a trim. There are different types of door jambs and the most common one used is the hollow metal door jamb. These hollow metal door jambs are mostly made of cold-rolled steel that are mainly used for interior applications.

If you want to bring a more natural light to your room, or you like having a house with no apparent doors so that there are no barriers to the outside to your house then installing a sliding glass door is the answer. It is a challenging project to deal with, but if you have the right tools and steps then you can never go wrong. Here are the steps on how to install a sliding glass door jamb.

Tools that you will need:

  1. 2 of 2×6 inch boards
  2. Osb board
  3. 3 inch nails
  4. 2 ½ inch decking screws
  5. Drill
  6. 1×4 inch board

Steps:

  1. First, make a header from 2 2x 6 inch boards with an additional board of OSB or other materials in between. When the header is done, install it with nails or screw it securely in place using 3-inch nails. You can use toe-nail techniques into any studs that exist. That will include any that you cut to install the sliding glass door.
  2. Then, screw the studs in place with 2 ½ inch decking screws. This will create the side of the door jamb for the sliding door. If you are worried about damaging the wall coverings around the area where you are installing the door jamb for the sliding glass door, the trick is to make pre-drill holes. The pre-drill holes for the screws will help less vibration to the wall coverings.
  3. Next, cut the 2×4-inch boards for the jack studs for the door jamb of the sliding glass door. Place them between the header and the floor before screwing them in place. Cut again two more studs per side of the board. Secure these in place as well by screwing them.
  4. After that, tack a 1×4 inch board on either side of the opening. This will become your guide to siding, so you could create new trim to go around the new door jambs that you have created for your sliding glass door.

Additional Reading:
http://www.ehow.com/how_4453910_install-sliding-glass-door-jamb.html
Image Credit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/suavehouse113/2225596817/