Parts of A Door, Door Jamb - A Complete Guide

Table of Contents

Parts of A Door

Are you looking for a new door for your new home or planning to replace your existing door to give a fresh look to your home? Then you are in the right place.

A door has a significant impact on our house. There are several technical terms for the various parts, and sometimes, these strange names can confuse things.

It is better to know these technical terms or essential parts of a door that makes you confident to talk with a contractor or dealer and choose the best one for your sweet home.

Here in this article, we will cover all the essential door parts to understanding the terminology.

So let’s begin.

Door Frame

A door frame is an arrangement of horizontal and vertical components attached to a wall opening to form an enclosure where the door is fixed. It is a skeleton that holds the door.

A door frame comprises a head, side jambs, sill, and mulls. Usually, door frames are made of wood for residential buildings, but aluminum, granite, fiberglass, WPC, and composite materials are popular nowadays due to recent development.

The door frame forms a border for the door that supports the door and makes it attractive. The size of the door frame depends upon the size of the opening.

The door frame cost depends upon its size. The greater the size, the higher the price will be. A door frame has many parts, and each piece has its essential role.

Parts of a Door Frame

Head/Header

It is the horizontal member of the door frame found at the top.

Door Jamb

Door jambs are the vertical members on each side of a door frame.

The word “jamb” originates from the jambe, a French word that means “leg” and door jambs are also designated the “legs.”

A door frame has two jambs, one on each side, One for fastening the hinges and another for fixing the strike plate for the latch.

Sill

The sill is the bottom member of the door frame that is sealed and fixed to the floor. It helps to counter the bending of the vertical member of the door frame during and after construction.

Although it stops the entry of insects, dust, and water, it forms an obstruction for cleaning and movement.

Casing

The door casing or lining is a set of the head, jambs, and door frame sill. It is another term used for the door frame. A door casing or lining helps hide the gaps between a door frame and the wall’s surface.

Threshold

It is a transition from the door sill to the room floor. It is a decorative element depending on your style that can be simple or elaborate.

Since the threshold must withstand foot traffic, it must be strong enough and made of solid material. Usually, it is provided with exterior doors only.

Stop Moulding

It is a trim fixed to a door frame that arranges the panel of the door inside the frame and stops it from swinging within the frame.

Some door jambs have increased section integrated known as rebutted jambs that work for the same purpose. In that situation, they do not need a doorstop.

Door Trim

It is an ornamental segment installed over the door frame to cover the portion where the jambs and header reach the rough opening. Without It, a gap in the middle of the door and the wall would be visible.

Sidelights

These are tall narrow windows seen on both sides of a door. They allow more light at the entrance, enhance the look, and form a more welcoming entry. They are usually provided at external doors only.

Transom

It is a decorative element positioned above a door. It may include glass; in that case, it refers to a transom window.

Brick Mould

It is an exterior casing that conceals the gap between a door frame and the external surface of the wall. It is thicker than most interior casings. It can be made of wood, aluminum, PVC, fiberglass, or composite materials.

Weather-stripping

It is a strip that seals the gaps in the middle of a door frame and a closed-door panel, made of flexible rubber or foam or silicone.

Door sweep

A door sweep is a weatherproof weather strip seen at the lowest part of the door panel that seals the sill and the door panel. It improves the home’s energy efficiency.

Rough Opening

It is the opening within the wall that contains the doorframe. The door frame is fixed into the opening with the help of wedge shims to hold it in place.

Panel

It is the principal part of the door that swings back and ahead, covering the central door area. Based on the types of doors, some have only panels, and others have multiple.

Stile

It is the narrow vertical part found on either side of a door panel. One is known as a lock stile, and another is a hinge stile. Stiles work as a frame for the door panels.

Rail

They are narrow horizontal parts on a door panel known as rails. A door has a top, bottom rail and a mid-rail, also known as lock rails.

Mullion (mull)/Muntin

It is a vertical element that divides two or more panels between the rails in the middle of the door.

Astragal

The vertical section runs between the sill to the head found in the double door arrangement.

Hardware Parts

Hinge

It is the hardware part that permits the door to swing. Regular-size doors have three hinges, but they may be more for big-size doors.

Lockset

It refers to the complete locking mechanism, including locks, handles, strike plates, and other hardware parts that enable a door to latch and lock in place.

Strike Plate

It is a metal piece fitted to the lock jamb to hold the latch. When we close the door, the latch catches the strike plate. It blocks the latch from scratching the jamb.

Doorknob Or Door Handle

A door handle or doorknob is a hardware component that assists in opening the door(pull it open or push it closed). To open the door, you push down the handle, while in the case of a doorknob, you turn it to open the door.

Borehole

It is a hole drilled into a door to receive a lockset.

Latch

A door latch is a metal bar or rod that projects from the door panel edge and into the door frame, ensuring the panel is in place. When we turn the handle, it retreats and lets the door open.

Deadbolt

It is a part of the locking mechanism not provided in every door. It is similar to a latch and gives additional security. Usually, it is set apart from the handle arrangement, which means it requires an additional borehole. When the key is turned, the bolt drives into a mortise hole blocking the door from opening.

Mortise Plates

A metal plate fixed in the lock stile provides strength to latches, deadbolts, and the door panel that helps stop forced entry.

Thumb turn

It is a part of the locking mechanism that allows the opening and closing of the door by turning on inside a house and by key cylinder for the exterior side.

Escutcheon

Escutcheons are decorative plates placed surrounding handles, thumb turns, and key cylinders designed to protect the door panel’s surface from dents and scratches.