914 × 1981 mm door
914 × 1981 mm
36 × 78 in · 3′ 0″ × 6′ 6″ · United Kingdom · an exact inch size in millimetres
What this door is for
Three feet. Front doors and wide internal openings; also the usual width where a door has to take furniture through.
Three measurements, not one
A door has a leaf size, a rough opening and a clear width, and they are all different. Ordering against the wrong one is the usual way a door arrives that does not fit.
| Millimetres | Inches | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leaf | 914 × 1981 | 36 × 78 | The door itself — what you order |
| Rough opening | 1014 × 2041 | 39.9 × 80.4 | The hole in the wall, allowing for frame and shimming |
| Clear width | 869 | 34.2 | What you can actually walk through with the door open |
The clear width is the one that matters for getting furniture through and the one accessibility rules are written against — a 36-inch door does not give a 36-inch opening, because the leaf thickness and the stop remain in the way.
Same width, different door
A North America 36 × 80 in has the same 914 mm leaf width and is 51 mm taller. Matching widths do not make frames interchangeable.
Other United Kingdom sizes
| Door | Leaf | Rough opening | Clear width |
|---|---|---|---|
| 826 × 2040 mm | 826 × 2040 mm | 926 × 2100 mm | 781 mm |
| 838 × 1981 mm | 838 × 1981 mm | 938 × 2041 mm | 793 mm |
| 926 × 2040 mm | 926 × 2040 mm | 1026 × 2100 mm | 881 mm |
Frequently asked questions
What is the rough opening for a 914 × 1981 mm door?
About 1014 × 2041 mm (39.9 × 80.4 in). The opening has to take the leaf, the frame on both sides and enough slack to plumb it — roughly 50 mm each side and 60 mm above. Never order a door against the size of the hole.
How wide is the actual opening once the door is open?
About 869 mm of clear width. The leaf swings back but its thickness and the door stop stay in the way, so roughly 45 mm is lost. This is the figure accessibility rules are written against, not the door width.
Is a 914 × 1981 mm the same as 36 × 80 in?
The leaf is the same width. A North America 36 × 80 in is 2032 mm tall against 1981 here — 51 mm taller. The frames are not interchangeable even though the widths match.
Why is 914 mm such an odd number?
Because it is not a metric size. 914 mm is exactly 36 inches, or 3′ 0″ — a British door size from before metrication, converted rather than redesigned. The same goes for the 1981 mm height, which is exactly 78 inches.