The frame is the part of a door assembly that fails quietly. People replace slabs, change locks and adjust hinges for years without realising the jamb underneath has rotted, split or dropped out of square — which is why the new door still sticks. Door Repair Near Me repairs and replaces door frames and jambs across Toronto and the GTA, for homes, storefronts and commercial buildings. Call (647) 955-5637 for a free estimate.
Frame Problems We Fix
- Rotted jamb bottoms — the most common exterior frame failure in Ontario, caused by water sitting at the sill
- Split jambs after a forced entry — see break-in damage repair
- Frames pushed out of square by structural settling
- Loose or pulled hinge jambs where screws no longer bite
- Damaged strike sides where the latch has torn out of the wood
- Rusted or bent hollow metal frames in commercial and industrial buildings
- Exterior brickmould and casing rot around the frame perimeter
How to Tell the Frame Is the Problem
Before assuming a door needs replacing, these signs point at the frame instead:
- The gap around the door is uneven. Wider at the top on one side than the other means the frame has racked. A new slab will bind exactly the same way.
- The latch misses the strike. If the door has to be lifted or pushed to lock, the frame has usually dropped.
- The jamb is soft. Press a screwdriver into the jamb bottom near the sill — if it sinks, that is rot, and paint has been hiding it.
- Hinge screws keep loosening. The hinge jamb has lost its grip and needs solid backing, not longer screws.
- Daylight along the stop. An even door against an uneven frame shows as a wedge of light.
Repair or Replace the Frame?
Frames are worth repairing far more often than people assume, because a section can be replaced without disturbing the surrounding wall, trim or brickwork.
Section repair suits localised damage — a rotted 300 mm at the jamb bottom, a split at the strike, a hinge area that has lost its bite. We cut out the damaged section, splice in matched material, reinforce behind the hardware and refinish. It is faster, cheaper and leaves the exterior finish intact.
Full frame replacement is the honest answer when rot has travelled up the jamb, the frame is racked beyond shimming, or a hollow metal frame has corroded through. In that case a pre-hung unit is often the better value — see door replacement.
Why Frame Rot Keeps Coming Back
Repairs that only address the visible rot fail again within a few seasons, because the cause is almost always water management rather than the wood itself. When we repair an exterior frame we also deal with the source: sill slope and drainage, a failed or missing door sweep, caulking that has separated at the brickmould, and cladding the exposed jamb bottom where the sill design keeps trapping water. Fixing the wood without fixing the water is why so many frames get repaired twice.
Commercial and Hollow Metal Frames
Commercial frames fail differently — corrosion at the base in wet or salted entrances, distortion from impact, and anchors working loose in masonry. On hollow metal we can repair base corrosion, reweld and reinforce hinge and strike areas, straighten distortion where the section is sound, and reanchor frames that have loosened. On fire-rated assemblies, any frame work has to preserve the rating, so the repair must keep the labelled assembly intact. See commercial door repair.
Door Frame Repair Across the GTA
We repair frames in
Toronto,
North York,
Scarborough,
Etobicoke,
Mississauga,
Brampton,
Vaughan,
Markham,
Richmond Hill,
Oakville,
Milton,
Cambridge,
Kitchener and
Hamilton.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a door frame be repaired without replacing the whole thing?
Usually yes. Localised rot, splits and worn hinge or strike areas can be cut out and spliced with matched material, which avoids disturbing the trim and exterior finish.
My door sticks — is it the door or the frame?
If the gap around the door is uneven, or the latch misses the strike, it is almost always the frame. A new door in a racked frame will stick the same way.
Can you repair a frame after a break-in?
Yes. Split jambs and torn strike areas are repaired and reinforced, usually with a solid backing and long screws into the stud so the same kick does not succeed twice.
Do you repair metal commercial frames?
Yes — base corrosion, impact distortion, loose anchors and worn hinge and strike areas on hollow metal frames.
Get Your Frame Looked At
Send a photo of the gap around the door and the jamb bottom and we can usually tell you what you are dealing with before attending. Call (647) 955-5637 or use our contact form.