Clever sliding door required
Discussion
Trying to free up space in our small bathroom. Currently the door opens inwards against the side of the bath. It's ok, but not brilliant. What I need is a sliding door that can slide along the wall on the landing outside the bathroom. But here's the catch. When the door is in the closed position I want it to sit in the door frame like the other doors. I don't want it hanging from the wall in front of the door frame.
If this isn't possible can anyone point me in the direction of a hinge that would allow the door to fold out of the frame all the way through 180 degrees so that it could sit flush against the wall?
Come on boffins, let's work this one out!
If this isn't possible can anyone point me in the direction of a hinge that would allow the door to fold out of the frame all the way through 180 degrees so that it could sit flush against the wall?
Come on boffins, let's work this one out!
SonicHedgeHog said:
Trying to free up space in our small bathroom. Currently the door opens inwards against the side of the bath. It's ok, but not brilliant. What I need is a sliding door that can slide along the wall on the landing outside the bathroom. But here's the catch. When the door is in the closed position I want it to sit in the door frame like the other doors. I don't want it hanging from the wall in front of the door frame.
If this isn't possible can anyone point me in the direction of a hinge that would allow the door to fold out of the frame all the way through 180 degrees so that it could sit flush against the wall?
Come on boffins, let's work this one out!
My brother just fitted a bathroom door that slides into the wall, rather than along it. Removed the plasterboard and a couple of studs, fitted the door cartridge, re-plasterboarded, job jobbed. Looks pretty smart. Something like this http://www.pocketdoors.co.uk/ (not sure if he used that brand, but it's that concept). Obviously only works if there's nothing in the wall blocking installation.If this isn't possible can anyone point me in the direction of a hinge that would allow the door to fold out of the frame all the way through 180 degrees so that it could sit flush against the wall?
Come on boffins, let's work this one out!
Bifold is a possibility, but will reduce the space to get through the door frame. The door is only 68cm wide so we don't have much room with a single, let alone a double thickness door.
A pocket door which slides into a cavity in the wall won't work because we'd lose at least 12cm of bathroom width which would leave us with a bath about 155cm long which is too short. We can't build out onto the landing because there is another door in the way.
A door opening onto the landing using normal hinges won't work because the newel post will get in the way and the door would stick out onto the landing and just look a mess.
The van door idea is exactly what I need although a more Grand Design-like analogy would be have been better. Does such a mechanism exist?
A pocket door which slides into a cavity in the wall won't work because we'd lose at least 12cm of bathroom width which would leave us with a bath about 155cm long which is too short. We can't build out onto the landing because there is another door in the way.
A door opening onto the landing using normal hinges won't work because the newel post will get in the way and the door would stick out onto the landing and just look a mess.
The van door idea is exactly what I need although a more Grand Design-like analogy would be have been better. Does such a mechanism exist?
C0ffin D0dger said:
I looked into a bifold for ours (similar issues to the OP), not ruling it out but the main issue seemed to be how you could get it to latch shut and be able to lock it assuming you prefer to spend your quality time undisturbed 
Simple hook and eye works for us. You also have to take care with the gap between the two halves of the door - we ended up adding some P profile insulating strip down both sides of the centre hinge so that with the door closed the gap is completely obscured.SonicHedgeHog said:
If this isn't possible can anyone point me in the direction of a hinge that would allow the door to fold out of the frame all the way through 180 degrees so that it could sit flush against the wall?
Here you go:http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Parliament-Hinge-Po...
SonicHedgeHog said:
Bifold is a possibility, but will reduce the space to get through the door frame. The door is only 68cm wide so we don't have much room with a single, let alone a double thickness door.
A pocket door which slides into a cavity in the wall won't work because we'd lose at least 12cm of bathroom width which would leave us with a bath about 155cm long which is too short. We can't build out onto the landing because there is another door in the way.
A door opening onto the landing using normal hinges won't work because the newel post will get in the way and the door would stick out onto the landing and just look a mess.
The van door idea is exactly what I need although a more Grand Design-like analogy would be have been better. Does such a mechanism exist?
Why would you lose 120mm of bathroom with a pocket door? They're designed to fit into the stud wall so you end up with a finished wall thickness of 100mm or 125mm depending upon studwork size. It replaces the current wall rather than being stuck on the outside.A pocket door which slides into a cavity in the wall won't work because we'd lose at least 12cm of bathroom width which would leave us with a bath about 155cm long which is too short. We can't build out onto the landing because there is another door in the way.
A door opening onto the landing using normal hinges won't work because the newel post will get in the way and the door would stick out onto the landing and just look a mess.
The van door idea is exactly what I need although a more Grand Design-like analogy would be have been better. Does such a mechanism exist?
LivingTheDream said:
Why would you lose 120mm of bathroom with a pocket door? They're designed to fit into the stud wall so you end up with a finished wall thickness of 100mm or 125mm depending upon studwork size. It replaces the current wall rather than being stuck on the outside.
The current stud wall is narrower than the 120cm required for the pocket door. Therefore the pocket would increase the thickness of the wall. Plus, there are pipes in that wall that are needed for the shower which would have to go outside the pocket. As the only other wall that the shower could go on is a single skin brick wall I'm reluctant to move the shower pipe work. In any case, the pocket would need to be at most 10cm wide which would require a different style door to the other three on the landing. Maybe I'm being a bit dismissive of the pocket option. Let me investigate further.
V8RX7 said:
As mentioned Parliament hinge would do the job but personally I think you're current solution is the best - as long as it opens fully against the bath I can't see what your achieving.
This! What you have is pretty well how *most* bathrooms work for the small room...when you're in them, the door is shut.....no-one is in the bath when it is open (usually!).....not sure what problem you are really trying to solve here!
mikeiow said:
This!
What you have is pretty well how *most* bathrooms work for the small room...when you're in them, the door is shut.....no-one is in the bath when it is open (usually!).....not sure what problem you are really trying to solve here!
50 weeks of the year the only people in the house are me and the missus. That means that for those 50 weeks the only time that door is shut is if one of us is doing a number 2 just before bed or first thing in the morning. Amazingly we are in the bathroom at the same time much more often than we are in there individually. Shower and teeth in the morning, shower/bath in the afternoon or evening after the gym and teeth brushing before bed. On all those occasions the door is either fully or partially open. When you include the door handle that means it takes up a huge amount of the available space.What you have is pretty well how *most* bathrooms work for the small room...when you're in them, the door is shut.....no-one is in the bath when it is open (usually!).....not sure what problem you are really trying to solve here!
I would happily put in a massive shower cubicle, but the missus loves a bath and there is no point putting in a bath smaller than 170cm because it's too cramped, So the bath has to stay, the available floor space remains the same, so the only movable object is the door.
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