Door lining

The door lining is the set of fixed pieces that surround the leaf of a door and that it closes into. In practice it is another name for the frame, widely used in timber joinery. It consists of two vertical jambs and a head at the top, and usually sits on a subframe, finished with architrave on both sides.

The lining holds the strike plates and, on the opposite side, the hinges are screwed into it. That is why, when a door does not close properly, the problem is often not in the leaf but in the lining: a strike plate that has moved, timber swollen by damp or screws that have lost their grip.

In homes near the sea, where damp works on the timber, it is common for the lining to warp a little over the years. If the key is hard to turn, that may be why. We explain it in door repair and adjustment.