CUSTOM GLASS DIRECT

Measuring Guide

How to Measure

We build every piece to the exact size you enter — nothing is added or deducted. Five minutes here saves a remake later.

The one rule that matters most

Enter the finished door size, not the cabinet opening. The width and height you type are the outside dimensions of the aluminum frame we deliver. If you measure the opening and forget to add the overlay, the door will arrive too small.

Replacing existing doors? Easiest case: measure the current door itself (width × height, outside edge to outside edge) and enter those numbers.

Sizing a new door

How much a door overlaps the cabinet depends on your cabinet style and hinges. These are the common conventions — confirm against your cabinet maker's or hinge manufacturer's spec.

  • Frameless (European / full-overlay) cabinets: doors cover the cabinet box front, leaving a small gap (reveal) — usually 1/8" — between neighboring doors and at the cabinet edges. A single door on a 24" wide box is typically about 23 3/4" wide; two doors on that box are about 11 3/4" each.
  • Face-frame cabinets, partial overlay: the door overlaps the frame opening on each side, commonly 1/2" per side (opening + 1" in each direction).
  • Face-frame cabinets, full overlay: larger overlay (often 1 1/4" per side or more) so almost no frame shows — depends on the hinge you pair with.
  • Inset doors: the door sits inside the opening, so the door is smaller than the opening by the clearance you want (usually 1/16"–1/8" per side).

Height follows the same logic as width. When in doubt, send us the opening size and your cabinet style and we'll confirm the door size before you order.

Measuring well

  1. Use a steel tape; measure to the nearest 1/16".
  2. Measure width at the top, middle and bottom, and height at left and right. If they differ, use the smallest number.
  3. Enter width first, then height, in inches. Decimals are fine — 17.75 is shown back to you as 17 3/4" so you can double-check.
  4. Our manufacturing tolerance is ±1/16".
  5. Ordering several doors? Add each size as its own line with its own quantity — the production sheet lists every door individually.

Hinge side and handle position

  • Hinge side is the side the hinges are on when you stand facing the cabinet. The door swings away from that side. For a pair of doors, the left door is hinged left and the right door hinged right.
  • Handle position: base cabinets usually take the handle near the top (3" down); wall cabinets near the bottom (3" up); tall pantry or wardrobe doors use center. The live preview shows exactly where it will be mounted.
  • Reeded (fluted) glass is always installed with the flutes running vertically.

Cut-to-size glass (shelves, inserts, panels)

  • Shelves: measure the inside width of the cabinet and subtract 1/8" total so the shelf drops in without binding. Depth is usually the cabinet interior depth minus 1/4"–1/2" so it clears the door.
  • Inserts for wood doors: measure the rabbet (the recess the glass sits in) and subtract 1/8" in each direction.
  • Polished edges are recommended for any edge people will see or touch — shelves, tabletops, open panels. Edges hidden inside a frame don't need polishing.
  • Thickness: 3/16" for door inserts and small panels; 5/16" or 3/8" for shelves and anything that carries weight.

Do I need tempered glass?

Tempered (safety) glass breaks into small granules instead of sharp shards. Building codes require it in certain locations, and we recommend it for large doors, cabinets near the floor, glass that people may bump into, and anything in a high-traffic or commercial space. Check your local code if unsure.

Tempered glass cannot be cut, drilled or altered after tempering — please confirm the size carefully before ordering. Mirror cannot be tempered.

Next: Installation & care guide · FAQ

Still have a question?

Call 516-913-5274 (Mon–Fri, 8am–5pm) or email customglassdirect@gmail.com. We're happy to check your measurements before you order.

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