ᐅ A patio door is not the same as a window, right?

Chloe83 schrieb:

We have been dealing with the issue of window sills with our construction company for some time now. These trip hazards were also included in the calculations. However, we wanted terrace doors that are 2cm (0.8 inches) above floor level. According to our builder, the problem is with driving rain tightness.

And does he also build your front door as a trip hazard? Surely not.

Our patio doors also function as floor-to-ceiling windows. We weren’t exactly sure where we would exit onto the terrace, so we installed the “standard” option everywhere. Of course, this is a bit frustrating in hindsight, but it’s something that can be addressed during a renovation in a few decades or when mobility becomes more limited.

I believe you can tell the difference because windows can be tilted open, but doors cannot?

Our threshold is about 0.5cm (0.2 inches) inside and around 6cm (2.4 inches) outside. The exit leads onto a granite slab.

bauenmk2020 schrieb:

I think you can tell the difference because windows can be tilted open, but doors cannot?
Our threshold is about 0.5cm (0.2 inches) inside and approximately 6cm (2.4 inches) outside. It leads onto a granite slab.

The patio doors with a low threshold can all be tilted open as well.

bauenmk2020 schrieb:

I think you can tell the difference because windows can be tilted open and doors cannot?

For us, they are all patio doors, whether single or double-leaf. They are all the same with identical trim width and base panel, and can also be tilted open.

Flat doors cannot be fitted with mushroom pins. Due to their lower resistance to rainwater infiltration, we decided against using a flat threshold. I have never tripped over our higher threshold.

JaiBee07 schrieb:

I will ask the window manufacturer if they have a shallower option for the lower threshold and what the additional cost would be.

Yes, I can only encourage you to do that. You will be wiser than we were. We installed floor-to-ceiling windows with significant additional costs almost throughout the entire ground floor so that we could step directly from every room onto the surrounding terrace/garden without having to raise the floor level. As laypeople, we assumed "floor-to-ceiling" meant "level with the floor" ... which was incorrect and one of our biggest mistakes. Our floor-to-ceiling patio doors are now about 6-7 centimeters (2.4-2.8 inches) above the floor. :-(

I know I’m repeating myself on this topic, but I want to warn as many new homeowners as possible about our mistake.

fromthisplace schrieb:

I have never stumbled over our higher threshold.

How high is your "higher" threshold? Thanks. 🙂