How to replace a door architrave

An Architrave is a timber moulding that is installed to surround a window, door or other openings to hide the join between the wall and door or window frames. An important decorative detail that enhances the architectural style of a building and protects it from knocks and bumps. An Architrave is not a structural element, they create the illusion of height or accentuates a doorway or window surround. Adding a custom architrave profile to your interior adds grandeur & architectural details to the space. Intrim Mouldings large range of designer architrave profiles will suit all styles & designs to create a look that will impress. Available in numerous sizes and hundreds of styles, match your architraves to your skirting boards or select a complementary design style. Samples are available to help you select your perfect profile.  

The difference between a Skirting board and Architrave is the location and the size. The Skirting board is designed to be fitted around the perimeter of a room, fixed to the wall where it meets the floor. An Architrave, however is usually a smaller width than the skirting board, and is fitted around the windows and doorways to cover where the wooden frame meets the plasterboard.

To accurately work this out, you will need to measure the rooms, doorways and window frames. To learn how to do this see the guide here.

We also offer a free take-off service for our account customers, where we work out the requirements for you. Simply submit your project details, plans & window schedule. Learn more here.

Architraves when framing a door run to the floor, with the skirting board butting into the side of the architrave. Sometimes a skirting block is used instead, meaning that the architraves run into the top of the block, and the skirting board comes out of the side of the block. This is useful when a different profile design, or thickness is used, or to create a more decorative finish.

Once you have chosen the skirting board the next decision to make is about the architraves. While most people will choose the same profile – in a smaller height – it is possible to mix and match profiles to achieve a look that is both interesting and beautiful. Following are some recommendations that will help in getting the mix right: 1) Architrave widths for different door heights recommendations:

Door Height	Architrave Width
2.04m	66-90mm
2.34m	90-135mm
2.70m	115mm+

2) Skirting and architrave combination recommendations:

Skirtings	Architrave
90-135mm	66-90mm
115-185mm	90-115mm
185-230mm	90-115mm
230mm+	115mm+

The most commonly used combinations are:

• 135mm skirting with 90mm architrave
• 185mm skirting with 90mm architrave