I'm building a new bathroom in my basement. It seems all the bathrooms I've seen, the door opens INTO the bathroom. Is there a reason for this? Would it be odd for my bathroom door to open out?
I think since bathrooms are so small (mine too), that I would like the opening of the door space to be consumed by the room outside the bathroom instead of inside the bathroom.
Jess
You are weird.
Hi, Then you can install sliding pocket door. No swinging. Tony
It is pretty normal for doors to open into a room. I guess the idea is that if it opens out - into a traffic area - you might smash a passerby :)
Open it in the direction you want. Of course, once one enters a bathroom one normally closes the door. Unless one is an exhibitionist and those present outside are scatalogical voyeurs.
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I believe the biggest reason that doors swing into the room is that it eliminates the chance that upon leaving the room you will smack the door into someone outside the room that you didn't know was there. Obviously in a hallway a bunch of open doors that swung into the hall would also look like hell. An occasional break from this norm shouldn't be too big a deal, but I wouldn't be the least bit suprised if some lame-assed code made you change it back upon selling the house.
I have a small bathroom in the middle of my house and the door opens out, not into the bathroom.
I have a large master bath, but it contains a small hall with a closet, so to avoid the doors conflicting, the door opens into the bedroom. I could have opened the closet to the bedroom, but then you lose a whole wall that you could have put furniture in. This door also opens up against a wall, so it does not get in the way.
If it is not ridiculous to have the door open out[safety etc], why not?
It is much better to hang a door in a way that works than 'conventional'
i also hate when you see the toilet immediately upon opening the door, so I have two baths with doors that swing into the room, in what is an odd way, but it avoids whoops factor, more time to say, "occupado!"
Opening inwards seems safer to me. A lot easier to swing the door shut from the inside should the wife pop in with friends while you are on the throne with the door open reading the newsgroups. Less chance of injury tripping over the pants bunched up around your ankles trying to get the door shut. I can forsee some potentially embarrassing scenarios.
R
Not at all. I'm in the U.K., and it's considered a benefit if a bathroom or lavatory door opens outwards when the users are of an "at risk" group, i.e. elderly, infirm, etc.. If the occupant collapses and falls unconcious in a small room, the door is easier to open outwards. I've changed quite a few for people who are living alone, with only a telephone emergency link.
Besides, it's your nickel (as I believe Americans say).
"Jess"> wrote
Not at all, as long as you don't mind getting locked in there as a joke.
To the OP, you can install the door knob either way, so the locking mechanism is controlled from inside the throne room. But in your situation I would consider a pocket door, as another poster mentioned.
Pocket doors require a hollow wall space and are hard to install. A bifold (or two sets of narrow buifold) doors is another option but is not easy to lock.
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