External Frames

An external door frame does far more than an internal lining. It carries the weather seal, the threshold, the keeps for the multi-point lock and the drainage detail, which is why fitting a new external leaf into an old, rotten or out-of-square frame undoes most of the benefit of the door.

Ordering the right frame

Measure the structural opening and the wall thickness, confirm the handing, and check the threshold type against the floor level inside and out. A weatherboard or drip at the foot of the door is what keeps water off the bottom edge.

Order the frame with the leaf from external doors, composite external doors or glazed external doors. Wider openings need a side panel, and internal openings use internal frames instead.

Why an external door needs a proper frame

An external frame is not the same component as an internal lining. It is heavier in section, rebated to take the door, and supplied with a cill that throws water clear of the threshold instead of letting it sit against the bottom of the leaf. Fitting a new external door into a tired frame is the most common reason a good door fails early: the seal, the alignment and the drainage all depend on the frame, not the leaf.

Hardwood and oak options

The frames stocked here are LPD hardwood and universal oak frames supplied complete with a cill. Hardwood is the durable, paint or stain ready choice for most openings. Oak suits a leaf in matching oak and is normally finished clear or oiled so the grain shows, and it needs the same six-face sealing discipline as an oak door. A universal frame can be cut to suit a range of standard door sizes, which is useful when the opening is not a neat standard width.

Measuring and installing

Measure the structural opening brick to brick and note the reveal depth, then allow for packing and sealant all round rather than aiming for a tight fit. Confirm handing before ordering because the rebate and the cill are set out for one direction. Bed the cill properly, seal the perimeter, and fit the weather bar and threshold as designed. Choose the leaf from external doors or glazed external doors, add side panels for a wider opening, specify weather-rated ironmongery from door hardware, and read door frames versus door linings and our U-values guide.