Need help with trim around a giant door

[Randy Viellenave]

I have a large multi panel glass door (37 ft) which is suspended from 3 beams, and I want to add trim around it (simple flat trim) but I am having trouble with finding a method that works by reducing the gaps to something that can be caulked. The ceiling has a variance of about 3/8". It is not tapered, but wavy, so if I put flat stock up there it will have many large gaps. Oh, and the beams are twisted too. I have learned a lot here at the creek, but I am still not a carpenter. Any thoughts are appreciated!

Pic#1 - The desired outcome: Simple flat trim
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Pic #2 - Cross section of the parts:
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Pics 3&4 - Photos of the door attachment, hard to see distances:
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[Adam Herman]

cut the width of the long piece 3/8 + a touch wide, then tack it up to the beam. use a compass set at 3/8 + a touch in between the point and the pencil. scribe the trim keeping the compass vertical. remove from the wall, use a belt sander or similar to get to your line and keep a little back rake on it, so the outside edge is slightly higher than the inside edge.

This is what I would do in a higher end home or business.

if its a commercial client, I would probably just hang the trim and caulk it to the celling with tape on both sides of the caulk joint, let the painter worry about it.

[Eric Schmid]

If you want wood trim there, you might need to scribe it to the ceiling. I’m not sure that’s the best look for a modern door, however. Why not bring the drywall down over the beam and terminate it with a j bead? Seems like a cleaner way to trim out that door.

What’s the offset between the beam and door channel? From your drawing it looks to be about 3/4”.

I assume you’re not wanting the beam to be highlighted (show)? What’s the “knuckle” sticking out of the beam close to the ceiling in the last photo?

[Tom M King]

Pull a mason's line from one end to the other as tight as you can get it, and tighten it some more on a plane where you want the back of the jamb extension. Cut individual spacers to fit above the line, leaving a half of a hair of daylight between it, and the line. DON'T PUSH THE LINE. Nail your jamb extension through those.

I keep boxes full of these spacers, in about 20 different variations in thickness.

Once you get that set, follow Adam's method to fit the casing.

[Kevin Jenness]

Scribing tight and/or caulking will highlight the waves. A vertical drywall return with j bead or floating the ceiling with mud to eliminate the waves will be a cleaner look.

[Randy Viellenave]

Thanks for al the input folks. I was planning for wood trim painted the two house colors, but now I am considering a drywall return (haven't done that before).

@Kevin - I suck too bad at drywall mud to flatten the ceiling, so with a drywall return I figure I am doing the same thing only a different material. Is the highlighting of the waves due to a color change between the two surfaces? In other words, if I just do a vertical piece of drywall and paint it green (compared to the toupe ceiling), will it still highlight the waves? Will keeping it ceiling color help conceal them?

@Eric - The drawing is not to dimension, just a kwik eyeball. The backset from the door channel from the trim is about 1/2". Hiding the beam is job #1, and the "knuckle" is one of several bolts holding that 4x6 "beam" to the glulam.