Door Architraves

Architrave is the moulding that frames a doorway and covers the joint between the door lining and the plaster. It exists for a practical reason: that joint always cracks, because the lining and the wall move at different rates, and no amount of filler holds it. It also does the aesthetic work, because the architrave is what makes an opening look like a doorway rather than a hole. This collection holds 16 architrave profiles from Deanta and LPD, from £26.25.

The profiles

The shapes match the skirting range, which is deliberate.

Half Splayed is the plainest and the modern default, with a single angled face.

Chamfered has a defined flat bevel, marginally crisper than half splayed.

Shaker is square edged with a stepped detail, which suits Shaker doors and painted panelling.

Single Groove carries one recessed line down its length, a quiet detail that adds a shadow without ornament.

Ferrol has a softly rounded face with more depth than the plain profiles.

Ulysses and Victoriana are the decorative options and belong in period rooms where the original mouldings were substantial.

Traditional, or moulded, is the general period profile in the oak range.

Finishes

White primed is the cheapest group and needs filling, sanding and two topcoats after fitting. Oak is available unfinished for site staining and also pre finished. Walnut and light grey fully finished profiles are stocked for darker and cooler schemes. Match the architrave to the door, not to the floor, and paint it in the same finish as the door where both are painted.

How much to order

A single doorway needs three lengths: one across the head and one down each side. Standard sets are cut from lengths long enough to cover a normal 1981mm or 2040mm opening, but check the length on the product before ordering, and remember that a doorway is architraved on both faces unless it is a cupboard. That means six lengths per through doorway, not three, which is the most common ordering mistake on this page.

Add a length in reserve. Mitres at the head consume material and a mitre cut wrong is a mitre wasted.

How architrave meets skirting

The architrave should stand slightly proud of the skirting, so the skirting butts into the side of the architrave rather than the architrave sitting on top of the skirting. At 18mm deep, these profiles are designed to work that way with a normal lining. If the skirting is deeper than the architrave, the join at the floor looks wrong and there is no neat way to fix it afterwards, which is the reason to buy matching profiles from the same range. See skirting and the guide to door architraves.

Architrave and the lining

Architrave covers the lining edge, so the lining has to be flush with the plaster or very close to it before the architrave goes on. Where a lining sits proud, the architrave rocks. Where it sits back, there is a gap. Getting the lining right is the fitting job that determines whether the architrave looks good, and door frames against door linings explains the difference between the two. Linings are at internal frames.

Wider architrave as a design choice

A wider architrave makes an opening look more important, which is useful on a principal doorway and on any opening where wall panelling meets a door. Where panelling runs up to a doorway, a deeper architrave gives the panel edge something to die into and stops the join looking accidental. See wall panelling.

Fitting order

Lining first, then the door hung and adjusted, then architrave, then skirting, then decoration. Fitting the architrave before the door is hung is possible but it removes your ability to adjust the lining, which is the one thing you may still need to do. Our installation information covers the sequence.

Common questions

How many lengths does one door need?

Three per face, so six for a doorway that is finished on both sides.

Can architrave be mitred or should it be butt jointed?

Mitre the head corners on a moulded profile. A square edged profile can be butt jointed with the head running over the legs, which is the traditional Shaker arrangement.

Does architrave have to match the skirting?

It does not have to, but the two meet at the floor and a mismatch shows there. Matching profiles are stocked in both ranges for that reason.

Can I paint primed architrave a different colour to the door?

Yes, and painting the architrave the same colour as the wall makes the opening recede, while painting it to match the door makes the opening read as a frame.

What else does the opening need?

A door, a lining, hinges, a latch and a handle set. See internal doors, door hinges, door handles and plan your doors.