How can I fix my front door trim that sticks out from the drywall without ripping it out, and should I repair dog-chewed drywall before covering it with trim?
Asked by José Eduardo Ocampo 
3 weeks ago
Last Updated: November 2, 2024
I’m having a bit of a struggle with my front door. Today I took off the door trim pieces with the intention of replacing them, only to discover that the door trim and drywall aren’t level. The new, sturdier trim sticks out from the drywall by about half an inch. Is there a simple solution for this that will still look nice? I’ve been trying to come up with ideas that don’t involve tearing out the drywall. Also, even though my house is only a year old, it looks like some spots on the drywall have been chewed up by a dog. I was thinking of just covering it with trim, but should I fix it first or just leave it since it won’t be visible anyway? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
To reduce the revealed gap split it on each side of the door, shim the trim on each side, and caulk the smaller gap. Refer to YouTube videos for guidance
To taper the drywall to a recessed door frame, offset a 1/2″ parting stop by 1/8″ to 1/4″ to accommodate hinges and door strike
Adding shims will be easy if the difference in plane is consistent. A twist in the door alignment will make it more challenging
Use under casing on outside edge instead of building out the jamb
It seems like either the door jamb or wall is not level vertically. If it’s the jamb, it’s an easy fix. If it’s the wall, it’s a different story and you may have to accept the crookedness. The goal of the trim is to cover up imperfections behind it. Shimming the jamb or trim is often the best solution.
If the area is painted where the jamb extends past the drywall, I’ve nailed up the casing and used caulk for small gaps and Rock Hard water putty for larger gaps. Another option is to cut tapered strips to fill the gaps. If the wall extends past the jamb, marking the casing and cutting away the excess drywall or plaster can help the casing lay flat.
I’m having trouble understanding the situation in the pictures. Wouldn’t using shims prevent movement and allow you to even out the size before filling any gaps with wood filler?
Here are some advantages and disadvantages of different methods:
Attaching as is and using caulk to fill the gap might result in uneven trim or insecure attachment. Adding shims will make it sturdy but might increase the gap. Placing the trim next to the casing could look odd. You could also use a router to trim the backside of the trim for a flush fit, just be cautious not to remove too much material.
When you chip away at the rock on the sides, make sure to keep the paper intact. Set the top trim after attaching the sides. Mark the wall with a scribe. Cut the rock to allow the trim to sit flush. And that’s it!