Door Sizes for Dummies

ADA doorway requirements

As our staffers wander through the internet looking for DotD nominees, they've noticed that a great many of the freelancers have graduated from journalism school or picked up degrees in creative writing. Those are, of course, perfectly acceptable fields of endeavor... for people who are willing to put in the time to perform a (for lack of a better word) workmanlike job of passing along information. On the other hand, those whose chief interest in the words they spew is picking up some spare cash are, far too often, apparently uninterested in performing in-depth research. Instead, they merely reword a likely-looking reference, even when they don't understand it. The result is often just a little bit off, like the Hunker.com post by Gia Miller, "Standard Door Sizes."

That's rather an open-ended question, doncha think? And, truth be told, Miller pounded out a lot of words to explain to people such things as "how to measure your door." Along the way, Gia committed a number of small errors that made it pretty clear that, even through she thinks she's "mastered the art of DIY," she doesn't know much about doors.
Oh, we learn about the standard thickness of interior and exterior doors (although Miller tries to call that dimension "the thickness – or depth"). And she also goes on a lot about how to determine the rough-in dimensions of your door, opining that,

"You may also be asked to provide a 'rough-in' measurement for your new door. "

That's the line that tipped us off that Miller was talking through her hat. You see, door buyers aren't asked to "provide" rough-in dimensions, they're TOLD what the rough-in dimensions must be for the door they choose. Oh, and Gia? door companies only provide the rough-in requirements for for pre-hung doors, anyway, at least these days.

Another line that caught our eye was this one:

"Sliding Glass Doors: Used as exterior doors at the back of a home, they are the most common and least expensive type of back door available."

We can't say whether or not sliding glass doors are "the most common," but we're for damned certain that they aren't "the least expensive." Two 30-by-75 inch double-pane windows cost less than a slab of fiberglass? Not on your life – not to mention that many homeowners have gotten rid of sliding doors in favor of french doors, which look a lot better.

We think that a little more thought on Miller's part might have led her to mention the ADA requirements for doorway width. But, then, no one here has the necessary j-school degree to realize that's "not important." Nonetheless, we're gonna give Gia a Dumbass of the Day award, anyway.

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