How to Measure Patio Doors
If you are installing a new patio door or replacing an old one, you need to know the patio door measurements. Typically, home improvement stores sell patio doors based on rough opening sizes---the distance between studs and the header and subfloor. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Determine the rough opening of the patio doors by measuring horizontally from stud to stud. If you already have a finished patio door and do not have access to the studs, measure from inside the door frame, and add 1 1/2 to 2 inches for an estimated size of the rough opening.
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Measure the height of the opening by measuring from the bottom of the top frame (header) to the top of the subfloor.
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Make four measurements---two horizontal measurements on the top and bottom of the opening, and two vertical measurements on each side. This will tell you whether your patio doors are square. Take the smaller of the horizontal and vertical numbers. Write down the measurements on a piece of paper.
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Tips & Warnings
Consult a contractor or home improvement specialist if you are unsure about taking measurements of your patio door opening.
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Comments
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kepow
Sep 26, 2010
Making 4 measurements, one horizontal on top and bottom, and one vertical on each side, will NOT tell you if the door/opening is square. It will only tell you if the sides are equal in length. To check for square, you must measure from one top corner, diagonally to the opposite bottom corner, record the measurement, then measure diagonally the remaining two corners so that you have made two measurements in an X pattern. This requires a helper. Compare the two measurements. If the numbers are the same, the door/opening (whichever you happen to be measuring) is square. If the measurements are different, the door/opening is out of square by the difference between the two measurements. I.E., if you measure 96 inches diagonally one way, and 95 3/4 inches diagonally at the opposite two corners, the door/opening is out of square by 1/4 inch. This works on square or rectangular openings.
