In my experience, it is quite difficult to impossible to have everything pre-machined by the lumberyard (especially the hinge mortises, which should "hit" within less than 1/32" to fit properly), and expect it to come-out right and ready to "throw into the hole". My advice would be to order the jamb stock, fit it in, and do the lockset drilling and hinge mortising in-place to assure accuracy. Such field prep and hanging might be done by a very experienced and capable homeowner; otherwise you may wish to call on a pro. The tolerances for properly installing and prepping a jamb would be less than 1/16". Mason Here is a link that might be useful: Ask Mason

We've found a solution to the problem. We're keeping the existing door (undamaged) and the window contracting company is repairing the minor rot damage on the jam. It's the most cost effective solution and won't delay interior or exterior work. Quite happy about this! Here's what I wrote on my thread in the kitchen forum: After much discussion and research, we're keeping the existing kitchen door and addressing the jam rot only. I talked to a supplier about purchasing a custom made new rot resistant jam for the TT door (their old doors were an inch taller than all other brands). And then I talked to the owner of the window contracting company who suggested that since the rot was minimal, another option was to remove the affected wood, fill with epoxy and sand it smooth. Once painted, we'll never know that it was damaged and there would be no reason for further damage to occur (the leak that caused the rot happened years ago and has since been addressed). This is a cost effective solution that won't delay the exterior or interior work so we're quite happy about it. This company has an excellent rep (BBB, contractor's board, Angie's List, Yelp, etc, plus two suppliers told us that, hands down, this is *the* company to work with. Their work is excellent). They are conscientious about making sure that all installs are to code and won't cause water issues down the road. The amount of flashing, wrapping, etc that they are adding to our windows and doors is more than twice what our initial install had 21 yrs ago. You should have heard them mumbling about how poorly the house was flashed and how amazed they are that they haven't uncovered any dry rot (so thankful for that but it could have been a different story if we hadn't replaced the failed LP siding when we did.). Thanks to everyone who helped me figure this out!

I would be careful about the three-pane patio door you are considering. If the panes are too narrow (meaning if you are intending to decrease the size of the individual panes that you currently have, in favor of adding a third pane) the divide can end up looking like prison bars that block a lot of the incoming liight and obstruct your view due to added trim around the individual panes. Also, consider how you will dress the wider door for light control and privacy--patio doors are often a challenge. Your current patio door doesn't line up at the top with the window above the sink, and the window in the adjacent living room? Maybe a taller patio door would work better than wider patio doors? If you have two-lite windows in the adjoining room I would keep it consistant, both in color and number of lites..

Thanks for all of the suggestions! Acrylic is an interesting idea, though I'd like the table to tie in with the rest of my wood patio furniture and was hoping to repurpose what I've already got on hand--CDX plywood (table base), birch slats (top detail), marine grade epoxy--rather than spend money on new materials. The input is much appreciated, lots of good stuff to consider!