Installing door trim is a relatively simple and affordable means of adding an undeniable bit of style and flair to a room. The tools necessary to pull off adding door trim as a DIY project include a carpenter’s level, framing square, tape measure, electric drill, hammer and nails, block plane, sandpaper and caulk that can be painted. You will also make the job of adding door trim go easier if you have access to a miter saw and box.
The first step in adding door trim is ensuring that the head jamb is completely level. Use the carpenter’s level tool to make this assessment. Following this procedure, use the framing square to make sure that the side jambs of your door are square to the head jamb. If you should find that the jambs are not square and level, you can add some wood shims to make it so. Determining how big the reveal needs to be can be done by holding the side trim against the hinge. Use a pencil to mark the reveal in four spots along the length of the each side jamb.
Now is the time for all good DIYers to come to the aid of their project by using a miter saw. Cut a miter on one of end of the head trim. Situate this piece at the intersection of the reveal and mark the length at the intersection of the other reveal. Cut a miter for that section.
Get your electric or cordless drill out and make pilot holes at the end of the trim. Use 4d finishing nails to attach it to the jamb and then use 6d finishing nails along the top of the trim. Make sure these nails go through the drywall and on into the wall studs, but refrain from driving the nails in so far that they are flush at this point.
Take out the measuring tape and get a reading from the floor to the top corner of the head trim. Use this measurement for your trim stock and use the miter saw once again to make the cuts. Tack the trim into place just as you did with the head trim. This process should be repeated for the trim to placed on the opposite side.
Your sanding tools may come into use if your joint winds up uneven. You can solve this problem by sanding the edge of the mister on the side trim side. Another problem you may run into is a piece of side trim that has been cut too longer. You can’t sand away this problem, so you’ll have to make a second cut. If this problem occurs, it is recommended that you make that cut from the bottom of the trim rather than the top to make it easier on yourself.
All that is left is for you to make like Thor and use your magic hammer. Hammer nails all the way around the trim. Get a caulk gun or a tube of caulk and fill in any gaps that are left behind the trim and the wall. Use 4d finishing nails to secure the miters into place by nailing them into the top and the side of the trim. Make sure the nails are situated about half an inch from the corners. Conclude by hammering in the nails until they are flush.
