Sideways segmented roller-type doors/room dividers

[Bert Coules]

I'm remodelling a small downstairs bathroom into a combined loo/utility area and it would be pleasant to divide the space in two, with the washing machine and storage behind a movable wall.

A set of sliding doors would do it, but does anyone manufacture a sort of sideways roller-top-desk type of room divider or door? With something like that (perhaps two leaves with a centre opening) I could have the entire hidden space open up, rather than just one area of it at a time.

I've searched around of course but haven't yet found quite what I have in mind; perhaps there's a technical term or description that I haven't thought of. Many thanks.

[spuorgelgoog]

The up-down ones are often called tambour doors or shutters.

Full room-height ones would need a proper track otherwise the door would sn ag.

I don't know if this could be adapted, but at £13 each a couple wouldn't be too hard on the pocket.

Owain

[Bert Coules]

Owain, thanks, that's very useful . It's described as being one panel, which presumably means it's moulded with thinner "hinge" sections: I wonder how effectively it would stay folded open rather than tending to spring flat? But as you say, the price is more than reasonable enough for a spot of experimentation.

Perhaps even more useful are those links to other similar products. Thanks again.

Bert

[Bert Coules]

Owain, I realised after I replied that I had misunderstood your suggestion. The idea of adapting the concertina doors to run instead on tracks is a fascinating one; thanks.

Bert

[Tim Watts]

I learnt the name "tambour" when trying to order one for work. Never heard the term before!

Tambour cupboards come in versions with 2 sideways roller shutters, so it is not a crazy idea - but yes, it would need a track - and the shutter would need some rollers or wheels on the top or the bottom to allow smooth motion (top if hung from a track).

I've never seen a room divider like this - usually they are concertina panels, which might be easier to find.

[Bert Coules]

On another group someone suggested that concertina panels could possibly be separated and adapted for tracked sliding, which is an intriguing thought, though I suspect that the width of the segments in most models would need too large a radius for a ninety-degree turn to be practical.

And "tambour" was new to me, too.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Bert

[ss]

About 20 years ago my company built a boardroom which could be partitioned off so that 2 seperate meetings could be had at the same time. From memory it had rollers top and bottom, it was heavy but also soundproof. It was made of wood and had to be hand cranked to close or open it, the sections concertina opened from the centre and disappeared in to a boxed section at each end, virtually invisible. When closed for 2 rooms it was a perfect fit so obviously well made but I hate to think what it cost. Point being there are such things out there but I suspect this was not an off the shelf but built by a commercial company.

[Bert Coules]

SS,

Yes, I've seen something similar. As you say, it was heavy and a touch cumbersome to operate, but very effective: I don't need anything on that scale, and I don't have the space to accommodate a cut down version. Actually, this discussion has helped to clarify my thinking, which is heading in the direction of deciding that the basic idea is a bad one and not really workable.

But thanks to you and everyone else for the contributions.

Bert

[Adrian Caspersz]

NYC "Swiss Army knife" apartment's walls open, fold & slide

Probably worth looking through Kirsten Dirksen's other videos on her youtube channel.

[Tim Watts]

Yes indeed - Imperial College (Computing, Huxley) had a refurb a few years ago and a seminar room on level 2 had one that sounded exactly like this - monster heavy, had a little winding handle, very solid.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Is there individual access to the two areas via two doors to the outside?

If not, and it's just to make the area better looking, a blind of some sort? Those concertina room dividers always looked so naff to me.

[Bert Coules]

No. It's probably clearer if you think of the "inner room" as just a large cupboard. I take your point about the concertina doors, but I'm not convinced about a blind. As I said in an earlier post, I believe I'm going to rethink the whole idea.

Bert

[Dave Plowman (News)]

So is the idea to screen off the loo from the utility room area - or the other way round?

[Bert Coules]

The idea is, or rather was, to hide the laundry/storage area and all its gubbins, exposing it only when needed. But that's not going to happen now, at least not in quite the way I originally envisaged.