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To measure for a glass door, measure the structural opening at three heights and at both jambs, measure to the finished floor, and mark every fitting, lock and handle before you order. Use the smallest width and the smaller height. Every hole and cut-out in a glass door is made before the glass is toughened, so the fittings come first and the glass second.
Which job is it?
There are three different jobs, measured in different ways:
| Job | Where to start |
|---|---|
| A hinged or sliding door in an interior glass partition | Our partition designer, measured as part of the run. |
| A frameless glass entrance door, single or a pair | Our entrance door designer, with side panels and a fanlight if you want them. |
| A pane going into an existing timber or metal door | Measure the rebate, not the opening, and ask us for a quote. |
How do I measure the opening?
Step 1: Measure the width at three heights
Measure across the opening at the head, the middle and the threshold. Use the smallest. An opening 6 mm narrower at the bottom is common.
Step 2: Measure the height at both jambs
Measure from the floor to the head on the left and on the right. Use the smaller figure.
Step 3: Measure to the finished floor
Include tiles, boards or carpet still to be laid. A door measured to a bare screed catches on the flooring once it is down.
Step 4: Note the fittings
List the hinges or patch fittings, the floor spring or pivots, the lock, the handle and any pull, by make and model. Each needs a hole or a notch made before toughening.
Step 5: Check the swing
Note which way the door opens and what it clears as it swings. If there is a fixed panel above the door, measure the door and the overpanel together.
Step 6: Enter it in the designer
Type the run, the height and the door into the designer, and check the drawing it produces against your opening.
How wide can a hinged glass door be?
A hinged glass door is made up to 800 mm wide, in the partition designer and on our shower doors alike. The width decides the hinges:
| Door width | Hinges |
|---|---|
| Up to 700 mm | Two |
| Over 700 mm up to 800 mm | Three |
For a wider opening, choose a sliding door. In a partition a sliding door is top hung and runs up to the head. A hinged door can have a fixed overpanel above it, and you give the door's own height.
Does a glass door need safety glass?
Yes. Glass in a door is in a critical location under Approved Document K anywhere below 1,500 mm from the floor, so a glass door has to be safety glass. Our doors are toughened. Read safety glass where the law requires it and the government guidance.
How accurate does it need to be?
We cut to plus or minus 2 mm. The gaps the fittings need are much larger and are what the door actually hangs on, so give us the opening and the fittings rather than a finished glass size you have worked out from both. Each fitting's data sheet gives its gaps.
Where to go next
- Design a partition with a door: open the partition designer
- Design an entrance: open the entrance door designer
- Toughened, laminated and annealed glass
- Booking a measuring visit
Questions we get asked
Should I measure the old door?
No. Measure the opening. The old leaf was cut for an opening that may have moved.
Can I add a lock after the door is made?
No. The lock and every other cut-out are made before toughening. A lock chosen later means a new door.
Can a hinged glass door be 900 mm wide?
No. A hinged glass door is made up to 800 mm wide. Choose a sliding door for a wider opening.
Can you measure the door for me?
Yes. Book a measuring visit and we take the measurements.
Contact the team with your order reference and the step you need help with, or search all help topics.