Doorway

[wheeliegirl2010]

Hey all!

I posted about a week ago regarding a home assesment by OT. He will be here Thursday with DME to try some new equipment as well as do his assesment. We are looking into some funding for the platform lift to get down the stairs and that step down I mentioned to get in my living room is not very much higher than a curb so with practice the plan is to put harwood in and just wheelie down the step as there really isn't room for a ramp, possibly a platform but OT is unsure. The only other concern is the doorway of the bathoom. The bathroom itself is quite small but I believe with some manuvering, it can be done. The doorway is narrow though and I'm not even sure if it can be widened because there is a wall right up against it... I have attached a picture of it as well as link to photos of my chair and am wondering what the opinions of it fitting through the door are...

Thanks,

WG

http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/showthread.php?t=140103 (http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/showthread.php?t=140103)

[Patrick Madsen]

Any room for a pocket door for the bathroom Jessica. I used to do the jump down the step in the livingroom and put p a small bar to grab onto wile I pulled myself up the step,

[wheeliegirl2010]

What's a pocket door?

[chasmengr]

A pocket door slides into the wall's interior. Nothing can exist in the wall's interior where the door slides, so they are often problematic to install.

Offset hinges exist to make the door opening wider if that's all you need (it sounds like it isn't).

I plan to install a carriage door on my bathroom - that's a door that slides on a track parallel with the wall but outside of the room (many old style barn doors were carriage doors). Carriage doors often work where pocket doors won't. With either of them, you need a straight section of wall adjacent to the doorway.

Pocket Door:
38274

Offset Hinge:
38275

Carriage Door:
38273

[wheeliegirl2010]

I don't think there is room for anything like that, although I could be TOTALLY off the wall as building is not my area of knowledge... This bathroom is in a bedroom that has a door where no one else goes (There is a way to have privacy as well there is a curtain that I could close if I wanted to).... The door would probably complicate things... I am just concerned about fitting through the entry way. Thanks again!

[chasmengr]

Since you are already using just a curtain for a door. If the door frame itself is too narrow, you could just remove the frame, which would add about 2" to the doorway width.

[wheeliegirl2010]

Chas,

I LIKE the idea! Thank you!

[chasmengr]

You're welcome.

[Eileen]

It is fairly easy to widen a doorway. I had the bathroom door of my condo widened when I bought it. They literally just cut about five inches of wall away, remounted the electrical box once they had done that, and reattached the trim.

[JentheMomPerson]

What Eileen said. Probably on one side of your door there are light switches and such. You want to widen it on the other side, where you won't be running into utility lines.

Jen.

[wheeliegirl2010]

Ok, but what if the wall that would need to be cut was a structural wall? Dad said something about moving some studs over? This is all gibberish to me haha

[Eileen]

It is highly unlikely that the weight bearing stud would be right next to the door frame. They are usually spaced throughout the wall, but my guess is that if the wall was cut back a few inches from where it is now you would not have a problem. Besides, it is not the only weight support for the wall, so the worst that could happen is that it, too, has to be relocated a few inches over. The wall won't collapse while that is happening.

[JentheMomPerson]

Ok, but what if the wall that would need to be cut was a structural wall? Dad said something about moving some studs over? This is all gibberish to me haha

You will probably need to move a stud, yes. (A stud is this: behind the drywall, every few feet there is a piece of wood -- a 2x4 -- running up and down from floor to ceiling. That's the stud. It's the skeleton of the wall, and drywall is the skin.) But you are not removing the wall, just widening the opening.

What may happen is that you will do is remove the stud on one side, and remove the header, which is the board over top the doorway Widen the opening. Then put back in the stud at the new widened position and put in a wider header. (Someone who is a builder will now step in a correct me. I am a bystander who learns about this stuff for a hobby, not a profession.)

--> Even if it is a load-bearing wall, you're okay. (And it probably isn't.) The only time load-bearing walls become a big deal in renovations is when you are actually removing the whole wall. For widening the door, there will likely be slightly bigger lumber involved if it is a load-bearing wall than if it is a non-load-bearing wall, so a little bit more expensive.

As long as there aren't pipes and wires and stuff in the direction you want to widen, you are okay. That stuff can be moved, but much bigger expense and hassle. Don't go there if you can possibly avoid it.

You may or may not be able to do a sliding door, depending on what kind of space is available. My bathroom was widened and we have a regular hinged door, and it works but is sort of pain because the door is big and sticks into the bathroom and makes a pain of itself. You'll want to watch to make sure if you put a bigger door it doesn't create big getting-in-the-way problems. (Your curtain idea would resolve this.) MBR closet door was also widened, and it is fine because it opens into the room, not into the closet, and happens to open into a low-traffic area.

FYI this project should be a pretty simple one for your average competent carpenter. Get some estimates. Still a pain and an expense though, and is what causes me to rant viciously about why wider doors are not standard in new construction.

Good luck!

Jen.

[chasmengr]

Widening a doorway (presuming nothing else is in the way) requires lengthening the header (concealed within the wall above the door frame), installing a new door and frame, and repairing the drywall. It's can be simple for a contractor. But if you're on a very tight budget, removing the existing frame is really cheap. (Simple removal will leave unfinished framing and drywall/plaster edges exposed. Save the door, and reinstall it if/when you sell the house.)

[JentheMomPerson]

Adding to the OP, because I was thinking about this the other day: When you widen the door, you'll be exposing a little spot of extra floor. Depending on what you find there (probably: bare subfloor), you'll need to make a decision about what you want to do with that spot. What is already in place at the existing threshold will probably guide you there on how to proceed.

But go ahead and include that in what you discuss with the contractor, because you do have choices, and some are easier and cheaper than others.

Do you own this place or rent it?

Jen.

[wheeliegirl2010]

Thanks everyone! My parents own the place. We do not want to do any MAJOR reonvations because the plan is to move to a bungalow within a reasonable amount of time and OT is just trying to make it work for now because I really need to get off my knees/shoulders.

[jschism]

the doorway to my bedroom is at the end of the hallway and it was too small to go through in wheelchair. i just removed the door and frame as suggested earlier. it couldn't be widened because it is a load bearing wall. load bearing walls would need to be supported to have work done on those areas and then reinforced if any work is done to the load bearing wall, this can be pricey if a contactor will even do it. none would even do mine. also, you cannot put a pocket door in a load bearing wall

[wheeliegirl2010]

Thanks JChism. I think we will try just removing the frame first :)

:beer2: WG

[wheeliegirl2010]

Well... OT just left.. Looks as though doorway can and will be widened. :lol:

WG

[chasmengr]

Well... OT just left.. Looks as though doorway can and will be widened. :lol:

WG

great news!