crack between door frame and architrave (?)

[Marcelli1525]

I'm redecorating my hallway and am trying to find the best way of repairing/covering this crack down the side of the door frame - it seems to have been mounted quite poorly onto the architrave (if I'm using the terminology correctly - I'm probably not!) which sits slightly out from the wall. There's a bit of movement when I lean on the door frame, which will be why previous attempts to fill or paint over the gap have failed.
Does anyone have a clear idea of the best way to address this? I'm considering trying to rake out enough of a gap to fit in some adhesive, nail the frame more firmly on, and then apply either filler or caulk.

 

[opps]

Not the best of photos... nevertheless... You can drill a series of holes through the filler and squirt in expanding foam. It will lock the architrave in place and eliminate the bounce.

Once done, sand the area and use a soft lightweight filler such as RedDevil OneTime.

Traditionally, architraves are nailed to the door liner only and not the wall. I do not understand why you seem to have a box section. Are there possibly pipes running through that area? Additional photos will help.

 

[Wayners]

Stick architrave over to cover

 

[Marcelli1525]

Not the best of photos... nevertheless... You can drill a series of holes through the filler and squirt in expanding foam. It will lock the architrave in place and eliminate the bounce.

Once done, sand the area and use a soft lightweight filler such as RedDevil OneTime.

Traditionally, architraves are nailed to the door liner only and not the wall. I do not understand why you seem to have a box section. Are there possibly pipes running through that area? Additional photos will help.

Thanks. Here are a couple of further photos (one of them is in fact of the adjacent door, which has the same issue).
I think it's unlikely that there are pipes running up through this section - these doors are at the front of the house, and all the plumbing is at the back.

 

[opps]

Thanks for the photos.

Yeah, the architrave kicks out and the plasterer probably fill the gap with plaster.

I would go with the expanding foam option.

Little point trying to use screws and plugs. You risk deforming the architrave.

Honestly, the foam will lock the architrave in place.

If you use a sufficient amount, the excess will leak out of the drilled holes. Put down tape etc to catch any drips. Excess can be wiped away with acetone. My prefered option is the gun cleaner aerosols.

Personally, I prefer foam guns because you can control the flow more accurately. The one off tins, work though.

 

[Marcelli1525]

Thanks - this is really very helpful. I need to deploy some expanding foam elsewhere, behind a skirting board/stair stringer, so it's probably worth getting a foam gun.

 

[opps]

Thanks - this is really very helpful. I need to deploy some expanding foam elsewhere, behind a skirting board/stair stringer, so it's probably worth getting a foam gun.

My current one is a Roughneck. It was supplied with two straws and two nozzles which taper down to about 2mm. The version I purchased was less than £30. The most important parts are PTFE coated. The more expensive version had more PTFE coating. I have had it for 2 years. I often leave the canister connected for up to 6 months. I do however make a point of spraying the nozzle with gun cleaner (about £6) after each use.

Mine often spends extended time on scaffolding (under cover) and two years down the line is fine.

If you want I can try to find the original link. The gun before that was about £15. It was pants, you couldn't strip it down. That lasted about 3 months and then I binned it.

Others might be able to recommend vastly superior guns. They will be more expensive though.

I use my gun infrequently. They are brilliant though. I had a customer with a Victorian stair string which was (slightly) bouncing to and from the wall. Two years later it seems to be ok. I considered adding extra screws but didn't want to risk hitting a pipe or cable. It was a weird set up. Above the string there was a plaster moulding (ogee). The gap had been filled by several previous decorators and always cracked.

I have only had 2 year old feedback, but I think the foam may have worked.