What is an Exterior Door Frame?

In a building, all doors that open to the outdoors are called exterior doors. An exterior door frame is, therefore, the frame in which the exterior door is mounted. Exterior doors and exterior door frames are, of course, subject to the extreme conditions of sun and weather, and must be stout and weather-resistant. An exterior door frame consists of posts, casings, jambs, and a threshold. The casings and jambs of the door frame are usually divided into head casings/jambs, and side casings/jambs. The head pieces are horizontal members at the top of the door frame, and the side pieces are vertical members on each side of the door. The threshold is the bottom piece of the frame. Dados, or notches for a sill, as well as cut-outs and holes for door hardware, hinges and locking mechanisms, are also inserted in the frame. When undertaking an exterior door installation, great care must be taken that the rough opening, the unframed opening for the exterior door frame and door, is properly ...  more