A home with a patio has excellent potential to connect the outside with the inner parts of the house. You can go out and enjoy nature while still being mostly in your own home. However, you can make this experience much better with the right patio door. Additionally, a good patio door can improve your home’s appeal and worth in the long run. So, if you’re looking for a patio door replacement, here’s how you can measure for it.
How To Measure
the first thing you’ll need to do when measuring your patio door is to get the right tools for the job. Luckily, it’s simple as you only need a tape measurer capable of measuring the entire length of your door. You may also need a step stool if you can’t reach the top of the sliding door.
Starting Outside
A common mistake people make when measuring their doors is trying to measure from inside their homes. This may seem convenient, but it’ll mess with your end results and won’t match how companies and manufacturers label their products. The best practice is to measure the outside parts of the door to get the most accurate measurement.
Width Measurement
To start, take your tape measure and roughly identify the horizontal middle of your door. You’ll want to take one part of your tape measure and place it on the stud frame of your door, where the wall connects to the frame. Then stretch the tape across the entire door horizontally to the other edge of the stud frame. This measurement is the width of your door and is essential for shopping for a new door.
Height Measurement
To measure the height of your door, you need to carefully reach the very top of your door with the tape measure. Line up the start of the measuring tape with the header at the very top of the door frame. Then stretch the tape all the way down to the subfloor. That distance between the header and the subfloor is the height of your patio door.
Measuring Hinged French Doors
If you’re measuring hinged French doors for your patio, things are slightly different. Everything is the same, except your measurement starts and ends in different locations. The width is from one edge of the wall/stucco to the other. The height isn’t the header to the subfloor but the top of the door panel to the bottom of the panel.
Always Double-Check
Never measure just once, as a simple mistake in the measuring stage can cause many issues during installation and can cost you more money. You should always double-check your measurements, doing the whole measurement process a few times to get the most accurate reading possible. This is a critical step to measure the patio door before you replace yours.
Allowing for Mistakes
Unless you get the measurement from a professional or have a lot of experience with measuring, you should expect some leeway in the measurements. For the width of your door, expect up to 1.75 inches, and the height may be up to 1.5 inches off. This is because of the difficulty of measuring everything precisely. That’s why hiring a professional can be helpful.
Standard Patio Door Size
While it’s essential to measure your doors as best as possible, there are standard sizes for patio doors. You may or may not match these standards, depending on the design of your home. Generally, a two-panel patio door is 6 feet 8 inches by 6 feet. However, there are plenty of 5 feet by 8 feet doors and 8 feet by 8 feet doors, depending on your home. While these are the standard sizes of patio doors, it’s very easy to get custom doors, so always measure when starting your project.
What To Do With Non-Standard Sizes
If you do have a door that doesn’t match the standard sizes of patio doors, you can still get an easy replacement. There are many patio door replacement companies that offer custom doors that’ll fit your home perfectly. These companies can install doors into your home that meet your exact needs and situation, so you can rest easy even if you don’t have a standard door size.
Choosing a Patio Door Style
When it comes to patio door replacement, you need to pick a style for your door. While many people like to get the same one they had before, there’s no need to make the same choice. Choosing the door that fits your needs and matches your home is best. Here’s a look at some of the door options available.
Hinged Patio Doors
Many people love hinged doors for their patio; they’re durable and great for security. Additionally, many homes match wonderfully with the aesthetic and can work well with the French door style. You can install these easily and get all sorts of custom features on your door to match whatever you need or want in your door. However, these doors swing out, which means they need proper clearance, so they don’t hit things as they open.
Sliding Patio Doors
An excellent option for many homes around the country, sliding patio doors are the standard for a reason. The ease of opening and accessing the outside is great, and there are many custom sliding patio doors to make your home feel unique and open. Without the swinging doors, you don’t need to worry about clearance space like you do with many other door options. One downside about these doors is the use of wall space, as they require more than many other options.
Bi-Fold Patio Doors
Bi-fold doors are a wonderful addition to many patios but aren’t too popular. They use much more room than the other options, needing clearance and wall space. However, you won’t get anywhere near the same look and open feel to the patio and room with another door option. These also create huge openings to your patio, so you can really open up the space.
These doors will help make both your home and patio look their best. Many people struggle to get the most out of their outdoor patio area, but these doors can help. Choosing a good patio door can significantly impact your home and make your patio all the more remarkable.
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