Hi,
I'm considering installing a sliding door for a power room that adjacent to my mud room at back entrance to the house. Is it for some reason a bad idea? E.g. it doesn't give great privacy, etc? The reason I ask is that DIY websites don't mention bathrooms as potential candidates for sliding doors.
Also, the wall is very thin. I only have 1.5 inches inside the wall. Is it even doable?
Thanks!
Aaron
Bad idea. It could be done, but it would likely look bad and function bad and require additional maintenance. Sliding (pocket) doors usually are only used for special situations with good reason. BTW the privacy issue is really a non-issue. Pocket doors can give good privacy.
Whether it's a bad idea or a good idea depends on why you are considering it.
If there is no room to open a standard door all the way, or if the user will need to open the door then walk around it then do a 360 and stand on their head to get in and out of the bathroom, then maybe it's a good idea.
Tell us *why* you are considering it and maybe we can offer some more advice.
That's pretty much why. It's not that bad, but it's about 75% that bad. The door opens out because the bathroom is only 28" across and
30" long. The door can only open half-way because the laundry machine is in the way.
I'm going to install a louvered pocket door in a 2x4 wall. My door is as thick as your wall or so it seems.
You might want to consider an accordion door although sometimes these don't shut/latch easily. Without knowing all your details or the layout of the mudroom or the bathroom (full, 3/4 or half?), have you considered making the entire area (i.e., mudroom/bath) one area? Put your privacy door on the mudroom and then you don't have to worry about the bath area.
Never understood the big deal about bathrooms and privacy. We all have bodies and our bodies have parts. What we do with and for our bodies has been done many times before by others ever since humans began to populate the planet.
True, but millions of people have been twisted & wrecked by neurotic parents and certain age-old institutions whose purpose is to dish out shame to anyone weak enough to listen.
One option would be to go to
Another thought would be to see if you could change over to a full-size stackable front loading washer and dryer for your mud/laundry room to create more space for the existing powder room door. The front loading washers come in large capacity, use less water, etc.
That's pretty much why. It's not that bad, but it's about 75% that bad. The door opens out because the bathroom is only 28" across and
30" long. The door can only open half-way because the laundry machine is in the way.
I have one on my master bath. It works fine and has never required any "additional maintenance". (25 yr old home)
That certainly is possible with a quality product properly installed. Of course the OP was asking about putting it in a wall with 1.5" available space in the wall.
it is a great space saver, and provides all the privacy you need. i have a pantry, powder room, and two full baths with sliding doors, and have had NO maintenance problems at all. i DO hate the little locks, but then i have arthritic fingers ! we used six panel solid oak doors on all of them, which took care of any sound problem.
Since you're asking about the sliding door in reference to the wall thickness, you probably mean a pocket door. A standard interior door is 1.375" inches thick, so without modification to that wall, no, it won't work unless you use a sheet of plywood as the pocket door.
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Agree. My answer to being caught out is "if you haven't seen one before, it is time you did". Took me years to get over the religious 'sex is sinful' indoctrination.
Harry K
My SIL has one on her main bath - space considerations. Yes, it does not have that 'solid' feel that a regular door has but if you need to feel like you are in a bankvault to drop your pants, you have serious problems.
The answer to the '1.5' question hasn't been made clear: No, it is not possible without thickening the wall or mounting on the face of the wall - a really bad looking installation.
Harry K
Aaron, I have seen sliding door hardware that allows the door to be mounted on the outside of the wall. If you have a good looking door, it looks pretty cool. I'm going that route for a master bath door. Not much room to swing a door, and the wife would rather not watch me take a dump.... You can also install a valance to cover the hardware/track. If it's something that may help, I can find it for you.
Just my .02, Mark
Aaron Fude wrote: : That's pretty much why. It's not that bad, but it's about 75% that : bad. The door opens out because the bathroom is only 28" across and : 30" long. The door can only open half-way because the laundry machine : is in the way.
We don't see them as much anymore, but double doors (two "1/2 doors" that met in the middle) were much more commonly used once as a space saving device: only 1/2 clearance is needed. Consider those as well.
I've got one in my master bath as well. It's never had an issue and it did solve the problem of where to physically locate the door. The bifold doors that somebody else advocated are a real pain in the ass. They're always coming off the track or the angles get off and it won't close completely.
As an aside, I remember the first time I ever dealt with a pocket door: it was in the General Von Steuben Hotel in Frankfurt, Germany when I was about 6 or 7 years old. I thought it was the neatest thing since sliced bread.
We have four pocket doors in our condo, one of which is to the master bath. Hardly ever close these doors, but, rather, just close the door to the master bedroom. I can't imagine that you could put in a pocket door, especially in such a thin wall. Is the powder room used often? Perhaps you could fashion a series of panels that stack to one side of the doorway when open?
In a house full of girls/women, my dad used to turn on the sink faucet when he used the bathroom. LOL
Install a pocket door.
First, a bit of philosophy: There are problems for which there are perfect solutions; there are problems for which there are no solutions; and, there are problems for which there are imperfect solutions that do the job but leave a bit to be desired.
Now, to the details. You state in a follow-on post that the problem is, there's a small bathroom that does not lend itself to a normal door. You apparently don't like an accordion door -- I don't either
-- accordion doors a pieces of shit. There are drawbacks to the pocket door, but, if you need a pocket, piss on it, install the pocket and stop worrying.
I am building a new house and have installed two pocket doors:
-- One in my 12X12 pantry
-- One in the opening between the vanity-dressing area and the master bath.
In each case, I installed a pocket door because I didn't want to give up to floor space to a door swing.
The drawbacks are:
-- Pockets are a pain in the ass to install.
-- Instead of nails or screws, use Liquid Nails to secure the sheetrock to the pocket stud.
-- You must be VERY careful if you want to hang a picture on a wall that contains a pocket door.
-- You can't put electrical stuff (switch, outlets, etc.) in the wall with a pocket.
-- So, PLAN your electrical and pictures to avoid the wall with the pockets.
However, these drawbacks are minor if you really do need the space.
In designing our house, we looked very long and very hard at the + and
- of a pocket door vs. swinging door and we went with pockets in two specific places, swinging doors in every other place.
Now, back to philosophy: The pocket door is an example of an imperfect solution -- but -- if it's what you need, install it and forget about the drawbacks.
We are finishing our hardwood floors this week, installing carpet next week, and start moving in the first week of July. We have spent hours walking through the house second-guessing some decisions we made but we are pleased with the pocket doors.
Sometimes you can think too much about a matter.
Great info, but like myself, I missed a key point in his post.
He only has a 1.5" opening to install the door.
I have about a 2" opening and the door is about 1.25" wide.
So unless that make a thinner door track combo, he is out of luck.
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