How to do screen door measurement

Here's how to screen door measurement for a  sliding screen door when you have a track at the top.

Measure from the lowest part of the top rail as in the picture, all the way down to the top of the bottom rail.

Then you add 1/4 inch to that measurement. That gives you the actual height the screen door has to be.The reason you add 1/4 inch is that the door has to overlap the top and bottom rails

Track to Track screen door measurement

When you have no top rail and just have a C shaped channel that the screen door rides in you measure things a little differently. Measure all the way from the top of the channel down to the top of the bottom rail.

Once you have that dimension SUBTRACT 1/4 inch. That will leave enough room for the new door to ride in the C shaped channel 

Channel to Track Measurement

Once you have the height calculated, the width of the screen door is easy. It is usually the same width as the glass sliding door itself. Just measure the width of your glass door.

What follows are questions people have sent into me about screen door measurement. Although Channel to track and rail to track doors are the most common, there are also top hung styles.

Top hung doors require a bit more screen door measurement to figure out 

by Paul N
(Cambridge, Ontario)

Here are pictures that Paul N sent me after ordering a new screen door with petscreen to replace his old door.

The first picture shows the top track. Notice the rail that that the door rollers ride in between the flanges of the screen door.

The second picture shows the bottom track that the door rollers ride on. To measure for a new door you measure from the bottom of the top track to the top of the bottom track, and ADD 1/4".

On some doors there is no top track, just a C shaped channel that the top of the door slides in. In those cases you would measure from the top of the channel to the top of the bottom track and SUBTRACT 1/4".

Pictures are a great way to help get the measurements right. Thanks very much Paul for sending these.


Installing a screen door

by jeff
(Topsail Beach, NC)

well, I moved into a beachfront home in North Carolina in May of 2010, and it has become apparent that I will be needing a patio screen door guru. From browsing your website, it seems like you might just be the guy!

Yesterday, I tried replacing my main sliding screen with one of the widely marketed pieces of junk from my local Lowes and it ended up all bent up laying in the grass and I ended up on your website. A few questions before I fill out the Quote form...can you make me a sliding screen door with heavy duty pet screen? Are the rollers easily replaceable?...by me? The screen door I was trying to replace measured 77 1/2". do you still need any other measurements. Thanks.

Hi Jeff;

Yes, I can supply Pet Screen with my kits. Would be $29.00 extra.

My rollers are held in by sheet metal screws and are easily removeable. All you need is a philips screwdriver.

Required measurements are just height and width. You can get these off the old broken door if you still have it available.

If you have no screen door and need help measuring the patio door just call me.

1-866-904-2383

Screen Door measurement

by Art
(Rhode Island, USA)

In doing the vertical measurement to replace a sliding patio screen door, (old door not available), does the measurement on the bottom go to the top of the roller guide or to the bottom of the channel where the roller guide starts? The difference is between 1/8 & 1/4 inch.

Hi Art;

For doors with just a channel at the top:

Measure from top of top channel to top edge of the bottom screen door track.

subtract 1/4 inch.


For doors with a track at the top that is similar to bottom track:

Measure from bottom edge of top track to top edge of the bottom screen door track.

add 1/4 inch.


Hope this helps





Great Service and price

by Wong
(AZ)

We have received our screen door and we are happy with our purchase.

Thanks for all your tips in your web site.


Mr Wong

Handle on screen door kit

by Floyd
(Lovespark, Il, USA)

Screen door handle and latch

I'm going to by one of your custom screen door kits. The kit comes with a handle. What kind of handle does it come with? Is the handle locking? Is there a picture available?

Hi Floyd

The screen door kit has black plastic handles both inside and outside. I posted a picture above.

The handle has a built in latch which fits right inside the screen door frame.

This video shows the assembly of the screen door lock.





Screen door for Sunroom

by Joey
(Ft. Worth, Texas)

my screen door that goes to my sunroom is badly damaged.i can not find one. the door is 30.5 by 70.5
everyone tells me i will have to find a company that builds or sell doors for sunroom. help please


Hi Joey;

If its a sliding screen door, I can make a new one for you shipping included to Fort Worth, Texas.

Fill in your contact details on the form on the sliding screen door replacement page





Door width

by Mark
(Brownstown, MI)

My original door is 3/8" thick. Will your door kit fit inside integral vinyl door track?

Thanks

My screen door is slightly less than 1/2" thick which is a common dimension for screen doors. My door needs a vinyl or aluminum channel that has 5/8" inside dimension to slide in.





Mike P

by Mike P
(New Jersey, USA)

We have an Anderson Twin french exterior door with screens. The screens are kind of lousy and slide horribly, get bumped off the track easily, and just not really happy with them.

I've seen other screen doors that seem to be on ball bearings and roll very smoothly. Can you recommend any replacement for my Anderson??? Obviously i need to keep the compartment/track that the door rides on and in.

I use ball bearing rollers in my own screen door kits and they work fine. I also have ball bearing roller kits that work with Anderson screen doors.

Just make sure that the doors are not rubbing anywhere and that its not the patio door itself that is causing the problem.

Replacement Screen Door
for older home

by Matt J.
(Portland, OR, USA)

I have a home that was built in the 1960's and I can't find a replacement screen door that fits properly. The universal screens don't work well at all as you can see from these photo's. I have also attached photo's from one of the other screen doors that is the original style. Do you know where I can find a replacement?



One of my screen door kits could easily fix that problem.

Screen doors can't be replaced

by Janet
(Ohio)

I live in a condo development 25 units. There are French doors on each unit with a screen door, which slides over one door. We were told weren’t replaceable. There is a single-track top and bottom. Many of the doors are rusted. It looks like from your demo you could have the answer.





Kevin

What is the difference between the American made standard sliding screen patio door frame kits and the Canadian Heavy duty sliding screen patio door frame kits? Do they both come with screens?

Thanks,

Kevin.

The HD Canadian doors are 0.060" thick extruded aluminum, the USA doors are 0.40" thick. The Canadian door has a latch built into the frame, the US door has a face mounted plastic latch. On the canadian doors, the roller adjusting screws are concealed in the corners, while the US door has the adjustment screws exposed.





Screen door replacement kit contents

by Mary
(wisconsin)



Does the screen door replacement kit for a patio door come with the screen fabric?

Yes, the kit comes with the door frame cut to size, the latch, steel ball bearing rollers, bugstrip, screen cloth, spline and screen installation tool.





Screen Door Measurement

by Mel
(Grand Rapids, Michigan)

We recently purchased our home and are having a hard time with our sliding screen door (on the patio).

It came out of the track last season (I don't believe it was actually in the track) and I cannot for the life of me get it back in, I am thinking the former owner just found an old door to fill the void.

How do I take the measurements of the existing patio door to get the correct size the screen door should be? I have a hunch we don't have the right size.

Take a look at the top of your screen door. Is there a track at the top for the screen door rollers to ride on, or is there a channel ?

If there is a track, measure from the bottom of the top track to the top of the bottom track. ADD 1/4" to that number. That will be the height of the screen door.

If there is a channel, measure from the top of that channel to the top of the bottom track and SUBTRACT 1/4" from that number. That will be the height of the screen door.

The width of the screen door is usually the same width as the glass door that slides in your patio door.

If you are unsure, just post a picture here of the top of the door so I can see what kind of patio door you have.