Replacing Internal Door Frames - Using Expanding Foam

[gjh]

I am currently redecorating my entire house, which includes replacing all the internal doors and architraving. All of the doors appear to be slightly different widths with various amounts of packing between the door frames and the brick walls, also none of the frames are square.

As such I think it would probably be easiest to replace all of the door frames, making them all square and standard sizes, prior to hanging the new doors.

A colleaugue has told me that rather than using wooden plugs and nails to secure the frame to the walls that it is possible to simply assemble the frame in the doorway (ensuring that it is perfectly square and in the correct position, etc), pin some softwood battens across the doorway to hold the shape and then fill the gap all the way around with expanding foam. He assures me that this is sufficient to hold the doorframes in place with no additional fixings and that "this is how it is done in all the new houses these days".

Does anyone have any thoughts/experience on doing it this way? If I were to do it I would probably fix some long screws through the frame and foam into the brick once the foam has set for additional support.

Can anyone out there comment on the above method

 

[TexMex]

I don't use expanding foam very often, but when I do, I prefer to use nice long frame fixings into the masonary. Where there are gaps don't tighten so far that the frame is being pulled out of shape. Then apply the foam. Make good as per usual.

If there are people out there just using the foam to stick door frames in, good luck to them. I'm just a bit old fashioned I suppose.

BTW If you wet down the wall and frame before applying the foam it creates a better bond. And cover those hands (especially if they are wet) as it sticks to skin as well.