Drywall Installation Around Door Frames

Measuring

• Measuring is the key to proper installation of drywall around doors. Wrong cuts in the board waste money and time or can lead to uneven door framing. When measuring, remove the frame of the door and any trim. Measure from the floor, not the bottom of the door frame. Allow room for the top of the door frame in the vertical measurement. It is better to measure too small than too large because the drywall can be cut larger or slightly sanded to make it fit.

Single Piece

• When framing a doorway, do not try to connect two pieces of drywall. Combining two pieces around the door will require jointing with tape and compound. This area will be subject to cracking from the slight movement of the wall when the door opens and closes. Use a single sheet of drywall to center around the door. Cut out the frame from the center of the drywall instead so it is a solid piece.

Starting Points

• One of the keys to successful installation of drywall around doors is making the area the starting point for the project. Using a full sheet of drywall around the door after starting in a corner might leave an odd amount of space on either side. Avoid this by starting at the door. For a room with multiple doors, frame and install the drywall on each before hanging on the walls. Use full sheets going out and away from the doors and cut filler sheets at corners.

Over-Sized Doors

• For a room with extra-wide or over-sized doors, installation may not be possible with a single sheet of drywall. Try to use as few pieces as possible to cover the area. The less tape and mud the better. If possible, cut a solid piece to go over the doors. Join this piece with a solid sheet on each side of the frame.