
In
architecture
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...
, a jamb (), is the side-post or lining of a
doorway or other aperture. The jambs of a
window outside the frame are called . Small shafts to doors and windows with caps and bases are called ; when in the inside
arris of the jamb of a window, they are sometimes called .
A doorjamb, door jamb, or sometimes doorpost is the vertical portion of the
door frame onto which a
door is secured. The jamb bears the weight of the door through its
hinges, and most types of door latches and
deadbolts extend into a recess in the doorjamb when engaged, making the accuracy of the plumb (i.e. true vertical) and strength of the doorjambs vitally important to the overall operational durability and security of the door.
The word ''jamb'' is also used to describe a wing of a building, perhaps just in
Scottish architecture.
John Adam added a 'jamb' to the old
Leith Customs house in the
Citadel of Leith in 1754–1755.
In
arches and
vaults, the
soffit is the curved inner surface of the arch or vault located above the impost, as opposed to the outer surface called the arch or vault crest.
See also
*
Jamb statue
*
Post and lintel
References
Doors
Locksmithing
Architectural elements
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