Butted Door Casing: Where Head Meets the Side, Plus a Little Extra
- Cut the door casings at 45 degrees so they meet at angles; OR,
- Cut the door casings so they have a butted casing plus rosette design; OR,
- A true butted door casing style, which this article is all about.
No weird angles or expensive rosettes to buy here. Just cut the two vertical side pieces of casing so that they reach (but do not extend beyond) the top of the door opening.
Then cut a header piece (the horizontal top piece) so that it equals the horizontal door opening + the twice the width of a side casing + plus some whatever extra amount that tickles your fancy.
Butted door casings have a utilitarian look that can look cheap. So, use real moldings, not dimensional lumber (i.e., 1x4s).
By that last time, I’m talking about the extra amount that extends beyond the side casings. It can be anything you want, but you’ll probably not want to go crazy here. This is all for show, and gives your butted door casing a little fancy finish: a quarter-inch on each side is enough.