Knock-down vs face-welded frames: which one to order

Most commercial openings can be done with either a knock-down (KD) frame or a face-welded frame. The choice comes down to logistics, aesthetics, and where the wall is going.

Knock-down frames

A KD frame ships flat in three pieces (two jambs and a head) that lock together on-site. The pieces interlock at the corners with tabs that engage when you tap them home. KD frames are designed to be installed in studs that are already up — the frame slides over the rough opening and the jambs are anchored to the studs through the back of the frame.

• Cheaper to ship (flat pack)
• Easier to handle on-site (one person can move each jamb)
• Installed AFTER the wall is framed
• Some visible seams at the corners (a thin line, but it's there)
• Rated up to 90-minute fire ratings without issue

Face-welded frames

A welded frame arrives as a single rigid assembly with the corners ground and filled to be invisible. Welded frames are installed BEFORE the wall is framed — the frame is set, plumbed, and braced, and the studs are framed up against it.

• More expensive to ship (large rigid units)
• Heavier and harder to maneuver (two-person minimum)
• Installed BEFORE the wall framing
• Seamless corners (the upgrade for public-facing openings)
• Required by some 3-hour fire ratings and for certain CMU/masonry applications

How to decide

• Back-of-house, mechanical, storage → KD every time. No one's looking, and the savings add up.
• Public corridors, lobbies, executive entries → Welded. The clean corners are worth it.
• CMU or masonry walls → Almost always welded. Frame goes in with the wall, not after.
• Tight schedule → KD. Faster to ship, ships with the door order.
• 3-hour-rated openings → Check the listing. Many require welded.