Exterior Swing Door Schedules are MISLEADING!!

Exterior Swing Door Schedules are MISLEADING!! Architects "generally" call out windows and sliding doors in frame sizes but then switch to panel sizes for swing doors because that's how INTERIOR doors are called out. Window and door schedules vary so much depending on who is writing them and it's often an assistant or intern because it's tedious work but it's also extremely critical.

A 2'6" x 8'0" exterior aluminum swing door is referring to the panel size and doesn't take into account a 1-1/2" - 2" sill riser which is BELOW your floor and a 1" - 2-1/2" head frame and jambs. If you specify a 96" (or 120") door and depress the 2" sill to finish flush with your flooring, the top of the FRAME may be at 94" or 118" from top of finished floor. Then the top of the door panel is going to be 1" to 2-1/2" lower! Consider an 8' interior door starts 3/8" above finished flooring and the 3/4" jamb tops out at over 97" AFF.

Did you know the popular ES 9000 series commercial door that is used on so many luxury homes comes standard with a 2-1/2" wide frame? If you order a 30" wide door you are losing over 5" to the frame. But it has an option for a narrow 1" frame that has to be specified and that reduces the maximum frame height to 119-1/2" and still has a 2" sill. That puts the top of door frame at 117-1/2" AFF... Was the FF to ceiling supposed to be 10'?

There is a LOT of math involved with windows and doors, especially when limited by hurricane product approvals and the details matter. Swing doors are often your limiting height factor if you want the top of all of your windows and doors to line up. And then you need to think about your INTERIOR door heights if you want them to line up with exterior doors.

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