Hello Group,
I’m in the middle of a master bath/bedroom remodel and wanted to get some feedback on a design idea.
It’s a standard California track home and one thing that has always bothered me about CA track homes is that they have often have double entry doors into the master. I think it is suppose to make the room feel grand….even though it’s only 12×14. The inswing takes up a lot of floor space and often we leave the left door pegged (fixed) and just use the RH door. Seems goofy to me.
Anyway I’m thinking now is the time to frame it into a 2-8 doorway. But wanted to get your opinions on the idea. Maybe it’s more standard than I thought…
Mark
Replies
How long are you planning on living there?
For resale, I would be tempted to just leave the door "pegged" and go on with it. But if you're planning on staying for >5 years, I can't see anything wrong with making it a 2/8 door. Maybe consider a 3/0 door for future accessibility (disability, aging in place, an unexpected broken leg, etc.) and ease of moving furniture in and out.
Jon Blakemore
RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
What a strange idea. The quicker it's gone the better. French doors are used in between rooms you want to be able to connect or make feel more like one space. Unless you are in the habit of inviting guests into your bedroom (I'd rather not know...) what's the point of the door?
It may be strange, Fingers, but that's been almost a standard for master BR doors in CA since the 70's.Unless the OP is planning on living there for a loooong time, he's probably better off to leave the double doors alone (no problem leaving one side latched). When he sells, people will expect to see doubles.
what's the point of the door?
It could open up the room to the outdoors.
Now, if you have to look at a neighbor or a privacy fence I would guess that might provoke altering the opening.
It'd certainly be pretty easy, the header is already there. However, you might have some exterior questions to deal with-existing long step if there is one, matching siding, the need to keep it over by the ext. light switch. A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
Hey Cal, I think he means the door from the hallway into the bedroom, not an O.S. door.
I'm sure th OP will correct me if I'm wrong."Objects in mirror appear closer than they are."
Klakamp Construction, Findlay, Ohio - just south of the Glass City
Correct. Doorway connects bedroom to hallway.
But I see there are reservations about changing it out to a single door for resale reasons. I am hoping to live here for 7 more years and the practical reason for changing it out is to gain a more smooth entry/exit rather than sneaking through the single side and to gain some floor space where you need to keep clear JIC you need to open that fixed door. At the same time I don't want to detract from from property value.
I hadn't thought of changing it to a 3-0 door, I think of that size as an exterior entry door. Do any of you have 36" interior doors (or installed in clients) in your homes? Common or anomolie?
Thanks for all the great feedback.
Mark
Mark,
I installed a three foot door to my bedroom when we added on just for the reason of accessability. What if I had to be in a wheelchair after surgery, etc. even for a short time? It sure would be better than banging up the trim.
I stayed in a hotel where they had a french door to the bedroom. Was probably four feet wide. Didn't much care for it. One door was too small, and both doors was way more than I needed. It didn't close tightly in the middle either. So much for privacy.
Speaking of privacy, why don't you put a three foot door in with a sidelight? ;-)
If you plan on being there at least 7 years, do what you want. Don't worry that much about resale. With how much houses are worth at the moment, it's value is bound to go up!"Objects in mirror appear closer than they are."
Klakamp Construction, Findlay, Ohio - just south of the Glass City
I agree on the 3/0 door. Especially if the door comes off the hallway on the side. Just easier to get stuff through and resale time it is an wheelchair acceptable door. Since the door is already a double if you at a later date want to change it back it could be easily done.
I like McDesign's idea, except I find sliding doors awkward to operate.
3'-0" doors feel really wide to operate, 2'-10" meet accessibility req's and are more comfortable to operate, 2'-8" is even better but does not meet ADA standards.
2'8 can meet if you use the offset hinges, that allow the door to swing totally out of the opening - I've installed a couple.
Forrest
What do you do about the stops? They reduce the clear opening to 2'-7".
Check out the ADA clearance requirements here:
http://www.access-board.gov/adaag/html/figures/fig24a.html
Side note: We just supplied 2-0 doors for restrooms for an Army barracks job. I asked about not meeting the ADA requirements, and the Army's reply--"If they're disABLED, they're disCHARGED"
Edited 7/9/2009 10:12 am by doorboy
Yup, that's why 2'-10" doors work, 2'-8" doors don't.
I've got 3- 0 doors in my house, bath and bedroom. Anything else feels cramped. My wife and I like openness. If you want good design input, you should post a photo and/or a plan drawing of the spaces. Anyone giving design input without a visual is really shooting in the dark when it pertains to your space.
Thank you, with that information...........
You kidding me-French doors to a hall?
Must be one nice hallway.A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
http://www.quittintime.com/
Hi Mark. When we renovated our house two years ago we built a new master bedroom at the head of the main stair entered by a pair of antique salvaged (rehabbed) French doors with beveled glass lites. Ours is certainly not a tract home - it's a custom home.
We're putting curtains on the back for privacy, but we love the spaciousness afforded by a 5' x 7' opening that stays open during the day.
A few caveats -
- our child is grown
- the doors enter a suite with exercise room/study/roof deck also - so we are constantly in and out.
- the bedroom IS large (about) 480 SF
Jeff
Edited 7/7/2009 9:13 pm ET by Jeff_Clarke
In a large master suite like yours I completely see the point. Otherwise, as you say, the quite substantial space would not get used. But when a bedroom, especially a master, is not very large it is important to make it feel private and like a retreat. If it is a strong regional custom that the master have them, then maybe there is a case for keeping them. Otherwise, out.
That's a design idea I've never understood. I can see it for a 480sf master, or if the master is linked to a sitting room or dressing room, but to a hallway or living space? Double doors are just not practical, and a little ostentatious IMO. I would think the space could be used much more effectively.
How about this (assuming the doors are 2'6 wide): Build hollow walls on either side of the opening that are ~15" wide. Get two sliding door kits, and make two sliding doors that are 15" wide. Closed, they look like a single 2'6 door, centered in the opening.
Open, the 2'6 opening is totally clear with no door swing to deal with.
I've done that at home, with some French doors, to partition an 8' wide hallway with a single 36" wide opening, and two 18" wide 5-lite French doors I cut down.
Can post pix tonight if you're interested.
Forrest
Edited 7/8/2009 9:33 am ET by McDesign
Another option to the full double door is a full plus half.
One housing company I finished for would have us install 'french doors' consisting of an 18" door next to a 30" door. It sounds a bit odd but is very pleasing to the eye and the 48"opening comes in handy when showing off the house or on moving day.
With the smaller door bolted top and bottom, the 30" operating door latches solidly on to the 18" instead of that hollow rattle so common when latching full french doors.
Screw bad design - put in a big single door. If you are worried about resale, make it a heavy solid core and put weatherstripping on the jamb to reduce sound transmission - sell the bedroom as "quiet to outside noise".
Tu stultus es
Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
Look, just send me to my drawer. This whole talking-to-you thing is like double punishment.
six feet wide?
Sure. He can make it vertical opening... have a remote control by the bed as well as the door. ;)..or he could make it a smaller single panel door, ya goofball!
Tu stultus esRebuilding my home in Cypress, CAAlso a CRX fanatic!
Look, just send me to my drawer. This whole talking-to-you thing is like double punishment.
Here's what I was talking about - note that I used old glass to make the cut-down yard-sale doors look old (no, they're not tempered!)
View Image View Image View Image
Forrest
Edited 7/9/2009 6:23 am ET by McDesign
Didja get the glass in a yard sale?
View Image
"A stripe is just as real as a dadgummed flower."
Gene Davis 1920-1985
Nah - as we replaced the cracked and broken panes in our house (big singles, some as big as ~40X45", I saved the pieces to cut down - not always easy to do, but works enough.
Forrest
If you wait long enough things will change back to where the once were. I have put many double doors in a bedroom at the customer's request in recent years.
I'd leave the one door pegged and just put stuff in font of it. Treat it like wall space.
You could also put some nice curtain or window covering on both of them to spruce them up.
I think there are ways you could make it work for you and look good.
Will Rogers