I have a bathroom with a trap door to the basement, I would like to know of any suggestions for a door. I am using vinyl flooring and do not want to that the hardware exposed. One suggestion I had was using a glass carrier like a large suction cup to open. HELP!!
Tim
Replies
You're an architect, right?
Put an electrical lift under the door. It only has to raise one edge of the door an inch or so so you can grab it. The switch can be hidden anywhere. How often do you need access to the basement and how big is the door?
no architect here I am a builder.
The hinges aren't too difficult. Use Soss, or something similar. For the handle, how about a chunk of steel embedded in the door and a strong magnet. Maybe a thin rubber pad on the magnet to keep it from tearing up the floor. Of course the next step would be persuading the kids to leave the d*mn magnet in the cabinet where it belongs.
Mount the magnet in or under the trap door and keep a chunk of iron in the cabinet. Kids are less likely to play with a chunk of iron. I'm thinking an old time flat iron, the kind heated on a wood stove and used to press clothing, would be ideal. It would make an common and handy door stop that would double as a dandy trap door lifter with a very effective handle. Locate the trap in a hall or other place in the traffic pattern to prevent it being blocked by furniture.
Another up side is that when the nazis come for you in hobnail boots they get stuck in place on top of your trap door. That ought to slow them down a bit.
But if you throw your pants on the floor, and your billfold lies on the magnet, all your magnetic strips will get erased.
Don't throw your pants down in the hall. Neatly place you wives pocket book there instead. Act shocked when her credit cards won't work. Smile a bit more when you get the credit card statement but avoid overt displays of joy.
Back flips and pumping your fist in the air while shouting Yes, Yes, Yes would give it away so remain frosty and sympathetic to her card problems. When the new cards are issued be sure to get them on the magnet in short order. With a bit of luck and minimal acting skill and you should be able to play this for six months or more. Longer if your wife is a dumb blond.
(Note: I have no idea where that last sentence came from. An evil hacker meany I suspect. I would never sink to such sexist and boarish characterizations of our golden haired sisters.)
Of course if your main squeeze reads this she will nail you in a minute. On the other hand if she reads posts on this forum she is probably too smart to fall for it any way.
LOL
How do you think I knew the card trick? The best are the electromagnets, since they are harder to detect, just build one into the dresser top and flip that puppy on when the purse is right on top, she'll never know what happened.
Tim,
I read that you don't want the hardware on the trap door to be exposed. I'm assuming that this is for aesthetic reasons. However, if you have a vinyl floor, aren't you going to have to use a metal strips to protect the free edges from getting beat up? If this is the case, I think exposed hardware is not going to look out of place at all.
I have a suggestion, though: why not locate the trap door at a place where you plan to have a throw rug? For example, put it next to the tub/shower, where you'll usually have a rug to stand on when you get out. In this way, you can just keep the whole thing covered up except when you need to use it.
Ragnar