What is Coldroom Door Offset? A Simple Guide to Selecting the Right Hardware

If you're replacing a coldroom door handle, hinge, or gasket, you'll almost always come across the term "offset." It's one of the most important measurements when selecting the correct hardware - and one of the most commonly misunderstood.

This guide explains exactly what offset means, how to measure it, and why getting it right matters.

Door offset 

The offset is the distance from the face of the door (door in closed position) back to the point where the door meets the frame.

An example for a standard overlapping type door would be as follows:

• Door thickness: 100mm
• Gasket thickness: 20mm
• Door offset = 120mm

This measurement determines which handles, hinges, and strike plates will fit your door correctly.

Typical offsets by door type

• Fully overlapping coldroom doors - typically 80-120mm offset
• Foster / Williams recessed doors - partially recessed, typically 40-60mm offset
• Fully recessed / flush doors - no offset, door surface sits flush with the frame

How to measure your door offset

With the door closed, measure from door frame to the outer edge of the door. This is your offset value - marked as measurement "D" in the diagram below.

Gasket offset

Gasket offset is the gap between the door's inner face and the coldroom frame.

Gaskets compress over time, so always measure on the hinge side - this is the area least likely to have sagged or distorted - for the most accurate reading.

Getting this right ensures we can recommend the correct gasket profile or a compatible replacement.

Hinge offset

Hinge offset is the distance from the frame or panel where the hinge is mounted to the centre line of the hinge pin.

Getting this measurement right ensures the replacement hinge will:

• Sit in the correct position
• Close the door properly
• Pull the door tight into the gasket
• Avoid misalignment or air leakage

Knowing your hinge offset also allows us to match your door to the correct Fermod, Kason, or compatible hinge model.

Not sure what your offset is?

Send us the following and we'll identify the correct offset and recommend the right hardware:

• A photo of the door (closed)
• A close-up of the handle or hinge
• Your measurements

Our team has been specifying coldroom hardware since 2005. We'll get it right.