Windows and doors measurement

Table of content:

How to correctly measure aluminium sliding windows and doors?
Measurement with the finished floor, without the possibility of embedding the threshold into the floor
Measuring without a finished floor

How to correctly measure aluminium sliding windows and doors?

Assembly errors resulting from incorrect measurements generate high costs for your company and – unnecessary – additional “paperwork”. They also contribute to your customers’ dissatisfaction. So how do you measure openings for frameless aluminium sliding doors so you don’t waste money?

In this guide, we focus on frameless aluminum sliding doors, but remember that the rules of measurement and installation will be the same for any material such as vinyl, pvc, aluminum or wood.

Take measurements in metric units, not imperial units.

Due to the fact that the windows will be ordered from the Polish manufacturer, it is safer to use metric units in centimetres.

If you have doubts about how to properly measure to place an order correctly, contact us.

Two situations that affect how the measurement is taken

Two situations can be distinguished that affect how the procedure for measuring the opening for joinery should be carried out:

Situation 1 – Measurement with the finished floor without the possibility of hiding the threshold

Situation 2 – Measurement without a finished floor:

Option 1 – when the threshold will be embedded into the floor
Option 2 – when the threshold will not be embedded in the floor

Situation 1: Measurement with the finished floor, without the possibility of embedding the threshold into the floor

The first situation is when sliding windows will be mounted on a finished floor without the possibility of embedding a threshold in it.

Opening width measurement

First, measure the width of the door opening from right to left in 3 heights and choose the smallest dimension. Subtract 2 cm on the left and 2 cm on the right. This will give you the width of the opening at the narrowest point minus 4 cm.
Quick contact with the debesto.com broker regarding measurements for the order (here).

Infographic explaining how to take a window measurement

Opening height measurement

Determining the height is a more difficult task. It all depends on the assembly conditions.

If the floor in the building is finished and the threshold cannot be embedded into it, then the height of the sliding door from the floor to the lintel line should be determined by subtracting 2-3 cm for expansion joints.

The final door height will be approximately 2.5 cm (or 1 inch) lower than the height from the floor to the lintel at the lowest point.

Remember!
Remember to order the door with the lowest possible threshold if possible.
Quick contact with the debesto.com broker regarding measurements for the order (here).

Example

You find a window opening which dimensions declared by the investor or your client are 400 cm wide and 220 cm high.

Opening width measurement

It turns out that you measure the width at the bottom and the real dimension is 398 cm, in the middle – 400 cm, and at the lintel 401 cm.

The width of the opening that you should provide to the window manufacturer is the smallest dimension minus 4 cm: 398cm – 4cm = 394cm.

Opening height measurement

When measuring the height, you discover that: for the left jamb the height is 221 cm, for the middle jamb 223 cm, and for the right jamb 224 cm.

The height of the opening that you should provide to the window manufacturer is the lowest dimension minus 2cm: 221cm – 2cm = 219cm.

The final dimensions for the order that you should provide to the window manufacturer are:

394 cm x 219 cm (width x height)

Remember!
Always remember that width is the first dimension.

Situation 2: Measuring without a finished floor

It is more difficult to determine the correct door height when the building is under construction and the future flooring is not finished yet.

Then you should determine the so-called “Level zero”. In this case, the investor should be asked to indicate and mark the planned floor level on the walls.

After determining the “zero level” of the finished floor (with tiles / carpeting / boards or other subfloor) the measurement is very simple, but we must distinguish between the two variants described below.

Option 1 – Measurement when the threshold will be embedded into the floor (without the finished floor)

Opening width measurement

To measure the width of the opening, follow the guidelines described in Situation 1 because the lack of a finished floor does not affect the measurement of the opening width.

Hole height measurement

When the floor is not ready yet and you need to measure the opening for the sliding door with the threshold embedded in the floor, it is best to do this as follows:

STEP 1:
Measure the height from the “zero” level to the lintel in at least 3 points. Then subtract 2 cm from the lowest height obtained. This is the height of your door from the threshold to the top of the frame.

STEP 2:
To complete the measurement, you need to know the following parameters:

The height of the opening from the lintel to the zero level.
Model of the door and the height of the threshold which will be embedded in the floor.
Height from the lower frame to the zero level (here the rule of “lowest of 3 measurements” also applies).

Remember!
In order to correctly order the door and provide its actual dimensions, the height of the threshold should be added to this height, which, depending on the model, may be from 20 to even 90mm!

The supplier will select sliding doors with an embedded threshold of optimal dimensions and system profiles extending the jamb or floor profiles, e.g. made of XPS or styrodur.

Opening width measurement

You take measurements and in practice the width of the opening at the floor level is 401 cm, in the middle it is 399 cm high, and at the lintel it is 400 cm. The width that you should give to the manufacturer of windows and doors is: 399 cm – 4 cm, i.e. 395 cm.

Opening height measurement

The declared height is 240 cm. However, it turns out that in practice the finished floor will be 20 cm higher than the present bottom jamb.

After marking the opening on the walls and measuring it in three places with a laser level, the dimension from the future zero level to the lintel on the left is 221 cm, on the right 221 cm and in the center 219 cm.

The height from the threshold to the upper jamb is: 219 cm – 2 cm, i.e. 217 cm. But that’s not all. You add the threshold height as described below.

Taking the Cortizo Cor Vision Plus sliding door as an example, let’s assume that the threshold is 5.7 cm high. Therefore, the final height of the opening will be: 217 cm + 5.7 cm of the threshold, which is a total of 222.7 cm.

Thus, the width and height are: 395 cm x 222.7 cm

Then you take into account the system extensions for the window (door) that will be embedded in the floor. You take three measurements from the finished floor level to its current level. The measurements show: 20 cm on the left, 19 cm in the middle and 21 cm on the right.

In our example, the necessary extensions resulting from the threshold are: 19 cm – 5.7 cm = 13.3 cm

The final dimensions to be ordered that you should provide to the manufacturer of windows and doors are:

395 cm x 222.7 cm + extensions for the window 13.3 cm.

Remember!
Always remember that width is the first dimension.

Option 2: Measurement without a finished floor, when the threshold will not be embedded in the floor

Opening width measurement

To measure the width of the opening, follow the guidelines described in Situation 1 because the lack of a finished floor does not affect the measurement of the opening width.

Hole height measurement

In the case of installing sliding doors with the base of the threshold at the floor level, the measurement will be much simpler than in Option 1.

To make the measurement, the height from the “zero level” of the finished floor to the lintel must be measured in three places. Then you need to subtract 2 cm from the lowest dimension and this is the size of the opening that you must provide to the manufacturer of windows and doors.

As in Option 1 the widenings should also be measured. To do this, measure it at 3 points, as in Option 1 (height from the level of the finished floor to the bottom jamb).

Provide the supplier with the lowest value as the dimension to which the system profiles should be selected to extend the frame or ground profiles.
Quick contact with the debesto.com joinery broker regarding measurements for the order (here).

Example

The opening declared by the investor or your client is 400cm x 240cm. The finished floor will be 20 cm higher than the current height.

Opening width measurement

The situation with the width is the same as in the previous example in Option 1. You are taking measurements and the actual dimensions are: bottom 401cm, 399cm in the middle and 400cm at the top. The width that you should give to the manufacturer of windows and doors is: 399 cm – 4 cm = 395 cm.

Opening height measurement

After taking measurements from the level of the future finished floor to the height of the extension, you get the following dimensions: height from the left: 221, from the right 221, in the center 220 cm. The height of the opening will be: 220 cm – 2 cm, i.e. 218 cm.

Thus, the final dimensions of the opening are: 395cm x 218cm.

There is still systemic extension that has to be included. So measure the height from the threshold to the finished floor height (zero level) and the real dimensions are: left 20, center 19 and right 21 cm. So to the supplier, you will give the 19 cm dimension.

The final dimensions to be ordered that you should provide to the manufacturer of windows and doors are:

395cm x 218cm + 19cm widening for the window

Remember!
Always remember that width is the first dimension.