Fast Frames — ready same or next day. Prime Door fabricates and supplies hollow metal door frames from our own shop at 6620 Market St, Youngstown, and has done so for over 25 years.
Prime Door supplies hollow metal door frames to contractors, architects and facilities managers across Northeast Ohio. We stock and weld standard profiles in-house, which is why standard welded and knock-down frames can be ready the same or next day instead of the six-to-ten weeks that is typical when a frame is ordered through a distributor. Every frame can be supplied fire-rated, prepped for your hardware, and anchored for the wall type you are building into.
This page covers the specifications you need in order to release a frame to fabrication: gauge, jamb depth, profile, fire rating and anchor type. If you would rather talk it through, call (330) 754-2225.
Lead time is the single most common reason a door opening holds up a project schedule. Because we run our own welding and fabrication shop rather than brokering frames from a manufacturer, we can turn standard hollow metal door frames around on a same or next-day basis.
If you are replacing a damaged frame in an occupied building or closing out a punch list, this is usually the difference between reopening the opening this week and waiting on a mill order. See our frame welding and fabrication services for the full shop capability.
Welded frames arrive as a single rigid unit with the corners mitred and welded. Knock-down (KD) frames ship flat in three pieces and assemble at the opening. Welded is the stronger assembly; KD is the more flexible one to install and ship.
| Welded frame | Knock-down (KD) frame | |
|---|---|---|
| Structural rigidity | Highest — single welded unit | Adequate for standard interior openings |
| Installed | Before the wall is finished | After the wall is finished |
| Typical wall | Masonry, block, existing openings | Drywall over metal or wood stud |
| Fire rating | Available to 3 hours | Available, commonly to 90 minutes |
| Best for | High-traffic, high-security, exterior and heavy-duty openings | Retrofits, tenant fit-outs, phased construction |
| Shipping | Bulky — ships assembled | Ships flat, lower freight cost |
Rule of thumb: if the opening is exterior, fire-rated at 3 hours, or in a corridor that takes cart and gurney traffic, specify welded. If the walls are already up and you are working around an occupied space, specify KD.
Frame gauge is the thickness of the steel. Lower gauge numbers mean thicker steel and a heavier, more impact-resistant frame. These are the four gauges that cover almost every commercial opening.
| Gauge | Nominal thickness | Typical application |
|---|---|---|
| 18 ga | 0.042 in | Light-duty interior partitions, closets, low-traffic rooms |
| 16 ga | 0.053 in | The standard commercial interior frame — offices, classrooms, corridors |
| 14 ga | 0.067 in | Exterior openings, high-traffic and fire-rated assemblies, healthcare corridors |
| 12 ga | 0.093 in | Detention, industrial, high-abuse and high-security openings |
If you are not sure, 16 gauge is the safe interior default and 14 gauge is the safe exterior default. Specifying heavier than you need adds cost without adding service life.
The jamb depth (or throat opening) must match your finished wall thickness. Get this wrong and the frame either will not seat or will stand proud of the wall. These are the depths we run most often.
| Jamb depth | Matching wall construction |
|---|---|
| 4 3/4 in | 3 5/8 in metal stud with 1/2 in drywall each side |
| 5 3/4 in | 3 5/8 in stud with double-layer drywall, or 4 in block |
| 6 3/4 in | 6 in metal stud with 1/2 in drywall each side |
| 8 3/4 in | 8 in concrete masonry unit |
Standard door openings are 3'0" x 7'0" single and 6'0" x 7'0" pairs, with 2'6", 2'8" and 3'6" widths and 8'0" heights all readily available. Face dimensions are typically 2 in, and we fabricate custom throat openings and face sizes when the wall assembly calls for it.
A fire-rated opening is only rated if every component is labeled and the assembly is installed as tested. The frame carries its own label, and it must be at least equal to the rating of the door it receives.
| Rating | Where it is normally required |
|---|---|
| 20 minute | Corridor and smoke partitions |
| 45 minute | One-hour rated partitions |
| 60 / 90 minute | Stairwells, exit enclosures, one- and two-hour separations |
| 180 minute | Fire walls and area separation walls |
Fire-rated frames must be grouted or anchored per the listing, cannot be field-modified, and require labeled hardware to keep the rating intact. Once the assembly is in service it also needs annual inspection — we provide certified fire door inspection services across the same service area.
Anchors are specified to the wall you are building into, and they are the detail most often missed on a frame order. The wrong anchor means the frame is not properly tied into the wall system.
| Wall construction | Anchor type |
|---|---|
| New masonry / CMU | Wire or T-strap masonry anchors, frame set as the wall is laid up |
| Existing masonry | Expansion or through-bolt anchors into the finished opening |
| Metal stud and drywall | Stud anchors welded or clipped to the stud |
| Wood stud | Wood anchors screwed through the jamb into framing |
| All types | Floor anchors at the base of each jamb |
Frame terminology comes up constantly on submittals, so it is worth being precise about it.
To quote and release a frame we need six things. Have these ready and most standard frames can be quoted the same day.
We can prep and install commercial door hardware before the frame leaves our shop, and supply matching hollow metal doors as a complete assembly. For a full view of the range, see commercial doors and frames.
Our shop and stock are at 6620 Market St, Youngstown, OH 44512, and we supply hollow metal door frames throughout Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties and the surrounding region — including Boardman, Canfield, Austintown, Poland, Warren, Niles, Salem and East Liverpool, and out to Akron, Canton, Cleveland and Western Pennsylvania.
Being local is the reason the lead times work. Contractors within the immediate area routinely pick up standard frames the same day. We are open 7:30am–4:00pm Monday through Friday.
“We needed fire-rated frames for our new facility in Youngstown, and Prime-Door delivered. The quality was excellent and the technical knowledge of their team was a huge help in making sure we got the right jamb depths and anchors for our walls. Highly recommend.”
— John M., Facilities Manager, Youngstown, OH
Standard welded and knock-down frames from Prime Door are typically ready the same or next day because we fabricate them in our own Youngstown shop. Custom sizes, special profiles and fire-rated assemblies are quoted with a firm date. Ordering the same frame through a distributor commonly runs six to ten weeks.
16 gauge is the standard for commercial interior openings. Use 14 gauge for exterior openings, fire-rated assemblies and high-traffic corridors, and 12 gauge for industrial, detention and high-abuse openings. 18 gauge is only appropriate for light-duty interior partitions.
A welded frame is a single rigid unit with welded corners and is installed before the wall is finished, which makes it the stronger choice for exterior, high-security and heavy-traffic openings. A knock-down frame ships flat in three pieces and assembles at a finished opening, which makes it better for retrofits and tenant fit-outs.
Match the jamb depth to your finished wall thickness. A 3 5/8 inch metal stud wall with half-inch drywall each side takes a 4 3/4 inch jamb; a 6 inch stud wall takes 6 3/4 inch; an 8 inch CMU wall takes 8 3/4 inch. If your wall assembly is unusual we fabricate custom throat openings.
Yes. We supply labeled frames rated at 20, 45, 60, 90 and 180 minutes. The frame label must be at least equal to the rating of the door, the assembly has to be anchored per its listing, and the frame cannot be modified in the field without voiding the rating.
Yes. We supply frames throughout Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties and across Northeast Ohio including Akron, Canton and Cleveland, as well as Western Pennsylvania. Local contractors frequently pick up standard frames the same day from 6620 Market St.
Need frames this week? Call (330) 754-2225 or build a quote online. Prime Door, 6620 Market St, Youngstown, OH 44512.
