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Hallway door trim can look installed before it is ready for paint. In Kristi Linauer’s October 31, 2017 progress update, the three bedroom doors in her hallway had been trimmed, but their finish work—and other hallway trim—was still ahead. She still planned to fill nail holes, sand, caulk, spot-prime and paint the casings. Her account is useful because it shows how an unusually thick wall affected the jamb fit, and why “trimmed out” did not mean “finished.”
Linauer’s update describes one house and one design, not a universal installation method. Her hallway progress post and companion door-trim tutorial show both the project-specific choices and the sequence of work that remained.
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What did “hallway doors trimmed out” mean?
It meant the bedroom-door casings were attached, not that the doors or the hallway were fully finished. Linauer reported that work on the hallway had begun on September 11 and that she had completed trimming the bedroom doors by the time of her October 31 update. Filling, sanding, caulking, spot primer and paint still remained on the casing. She also intended to install the remaining baseboards, base cap, shoe moulding and crown before completing the surface work.
That distinction matters when planning a trim-and-paint project. A casing can be physically in place while its nail holes, joints and edges are still visible and unready for finish paint. Linauer’s post is a progress report at that in-between stage: the visible shape of the door surround was established, but the surface preparation and paint were not done. The update should not be read as a finished-room reveal.
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Why did the prehung jambs need adjustment?
The prehung doors came with stock jambs that did not span the thickness of Linauer’s walls. She describes the construction as 2 × 4 framing with 3/4-inch shiplap and 3/8-inch drywall on both sides of the shiplap, making the walls about 1.5 inches thicker than standard, by her estimate. The mismatch was therefore not a casing-profile problem: the door jamb itself did not reach across the finished wall assembly.
Her workaround was to cut strips from 1-inch boards and attach them to the jamb edges as extensions. Where she could not make an extension flush with the jamb, she left it offset by 1/8 inch and attached the casing to that edge. This is a description of how she handled the conditions in her house, not a general rule that jamb extensions should be offset. Wall build-ups and door units differ; the important planning lesson is to compare the finished wall thickness with the jamb before installing a prehung unit.
That check can prevent a trim plan from being based on the wrong plane. Measure the finished wall at the opening and compare it with the jamb depth, rather than assuming the stock jamb will suit every wall. If there is a mismatch, determine how the jamb will be extended and where the casing will land before cutting the casing boards. Linauer’s account does not provide a universal extension size or cut list, so her approximately 1.5-inch difference and 1/8-inch offset should stay attached to her particular project.
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What kind of casing did Linauer use?
Linauer chose a simple casing assembled from flat boards, with straight cuts rather than mitered corners. The basic tutorial design uses two side boards and a top board, with two narrower pieces forming a layered detail across the top. The result is a more finished-looking surround without an elaborate moulded profile. She described the method as simple because “it’s all straight cuts” and there are no mitered cuts.
The tutorial’s construction details are examples for that particular design and opening, not a universal cut list. It describes measuring the opening, cutting two side pieces with the small overhang specified in the tutorial, and leaving a small inset from the door facing. The sides are fastened with 16-gauge, 2-inch finishing nails. The layered top detail is assembled with wood glue and 1.5-inch, 18-gauge finishing nails; construction adhesive is applied at the back of the top assembly before it is secured with finishing nails.
For a similar flat-board look, the useful takeaway is the order of decisions rather than copying those dimensions blindly: decide on the profile, measure the actual opening, check how the jamb and wall meet, then size and cut the boards to suit. A straight-cut layout avoids the need to create angled corner joints, but it still calls for accurate measuring, fitting and fastening. The design can be adjusted; as Linauer writes in the tutorial, “there are no ‘door casing’ rules that you have to follow in your home.” That is a design opinion, not a building-code statement.
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Should the trim boards be MDF or solid wood?
The companion tutorial names 1-inch solid wood lumber and pre-primed MDF as material options. Linauer says she selected MDF for its consistent dimensions and smooth surface. The available data does not give a cost, durability or performance comparison between the two, so neither should be presented as a universal winner.
For this project, the material choice sits within a simple, flat-board design: the boards form the side casing and the layered head detail. Whatever material is selected, the opening and the intended profile determine the dimensions. The tutorial’s advice is to measure the reader’s own doorway and verify fit rather than treating its sample sizes as a ready-made shopping or cutting list.
What work remained before painting?
Linauer’s planned finishing sequence was filler, sanding, caulk, spot primer and paint. The companion tutorial describes the same broad surface-preparation stages after assembly: fill nail holes, sand, caulk gaps and corners, prime, then paint. In practical terms, the trim installation establishes the shape; these later steps address the small openings and marks that can keep the trim from reading as a continuous finished surface.
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- Fill the fastener holes. The tutorial calls for filling nail holes after the casing and top detail are assembled. Linauer also listed filler among the remaining jobs in her hallway update.
- Sand the filled areas. Sanding follows filling in both the tutorial’s sequence and her progress plan. It is part of preparing the trim surface before primer and paint, rather than evidence that the casing was already complete.
- Caulk gaps and corners. The tutorial includes caulking gaps and corners; Linauer likewise planned to caulk the hallway trim. The presence of caulk in the plan does not mean every joint or seam had been sealed by October 31.
- Spot-prime, then paint. The hallway post specifically says spot primer remained, followed by paint. The post does not identify a paint color, paint brand or application method, so those details cannot be inferred from the update.
- Coordinate with the remaining trim. Baseboards, base cap, shoe moulding and crown were still to be installed. Linauer planned to complete those pieces before finishing the surface work, so the door casing was only one part of the hallway’s remaining trim and paint work.
The order is especially relevant to a painting reader because it separates installation progress from paint readiness. A casing that is attached but still has unfilled holes, unsanded filler or uncaulked gaps has not reached the stage Linauer described for primer and paint. Her post gives the intended stages, but it does not report their eventual completion or specify a particular coating system.
What can a homeowner take from this project?
The strongest transferable lesson is to resolve wall-to-jamb fit before committing to casing cuts. Linauer had a layered wall assembly much thicker than the stock jamb she purchased. Her board-strip extension and 1/8-inch offset explain what she did in that house, while the underlying check—finished wall depth against jamb depth—is useful when planning a different opening.
The second lesson is that a simple casing can be built from flat stock without mitering its corners. The design described in the tutorial uses side pieces, a top board and narrower top details, with glue, two sizes of finishing nails and construction adhesive. Its measurements belong to its example; readers need to measure their own opening and check fit.
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Finally, finishing is a distinct phase, not a cosmetic afterthought to an already-complete trim job. Linauer’s update makes that especially clear: the casings had been attached, but filler, sanding, caulk, spot primer and paint were still on the list, alongside the other hallway mouldings. The project was closer to the finish line, not over it.
What should you decide before copying the look?
- Check the wall and jamb: establish the finished wall thickness and compare it with the prehung jamb before casing installation.
- Choose a profile: the flat-board approach is restrained and uses straight cuts; the tutorial also discusses other design variations, but the hallway update describes this simpler look.
- Select a board material: the tutorial offers solid wood or pre-primed MDF, and Linauer chose MDF for consistent dimensions and a smooth surface. The source does not establish a performance or cost winner.
- Measure the actual opening: the tutorial’s dimensions and small offsets are design-specific. Verify the fit for the opening and intended casing instead of reusing its cut details automatically.
- Reserve time for surface work: include filling, sanding, caulking, primer and paint in the project plan, plus any other trim that must be installed before final finishing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did the hallway update include a finished paint color?
No paint color or brand is identified in the October 31 progress post. It records that paint was still part of the remaining work, rather than documenting a completed finish.
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The update describes prehung doors for three bedroom openings. A commenter asked about prehung pocket doors, but that question does not make pocket doors part of Linauer’s project.
Did Linauer prefer hollow-core or solid-core doors?
She said she regretted choosing hollow-core prehung doors after becoming accustomed to heavier solid wood doors and planned to replace them with solid-core doors eventually. That is her personal preference in this home, not a comparative test result.
Quick Recap
