Accessible
Doors
In order to accommodate a wheelchair,
(a standard wheelchair is 24-27" wide), doorways should
be a minimum of 32" wide. If the doorway is located in the
typical hallway and requires turning a wheelchair, you'll
need a 36" door. It can be difficult to open a swinging
door without a clear floor space (18-24")
on the pull side of the door. An alternative could be the
installation of an automatic door opener, but they are very
expensive. We don't recommend an accordion door
because of the space it takes up in the door opening.
Pocket doors can be an option.
Look out for plumbing and electrical lines. If there's utilities
located in the wall you can consider double wall installation.
Swing
Away Offset Hinge
Additional door clearance can be economically
obtained by using the swing clear, expandable door,
offset door hinges, increasing
the width by about 2", and is often enough to provide the
necessary minimum width for a wheelchair or walker to pass
through the doorway.
Offset
Door Hinge
Swing Clear Offset
Door Hinges
Narrow doorways can be a real handicap
for someone using a wheelchair or walker. Residential building
codes, architects and home builders haven't considered the
needs of people using a wheelchair or walker. Doors can
be widened but it can be an inconvenience and costly. An
alternative solution might be replacing your existing 1-1/2"
x 3-1/2" hinges with the
expandable offset
hinge.
These special hinges are designed to swing the door clear
of the opening adding about 2" additional clearance for
wheelchairs and walkers.
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