The bathroom door
In recent times, the average bathroom floor area in South African apartments ranges between 4 and 7 square metres and is significantly less for guest WCs. When there is such little space to begin with, it is important to find space-saving solutions, even when it comes to planning the right door.
Ways to save space
In many cases, the biggest amount of space is probably gained by finding the ideal way to place and align the bathroom door. The bathroom doorway should be 90 centimetres wide and floor-even, making it wheelchair accessible – if this should ever be required. If the door opens into the bathroom, it will take up nearly 1 square metre of space just for opening and closing. This space is freed up if the door is placed so that it opens outwards. If this is not possible, a sliding door might be just the right solution.
A question of safety
But there are more advantages to having a bathroom door that swings outward than simply having more space. First, there is the issue of safety: If you slip and have a bad fall in the bathroom, you might not be able to move or may even be lying unconscious on the floor. However, people will not be able to get in to help you if you are lying motionless in front of a door that opens inwards. If the bathroom door can be opened outwards, someone can quickly and easily come to your aid. The only prerequisite is that the door features a lock that can also be unlocked from the outside in an emergency.
Added convenience to boot
Another advantage of an outward-opening door is that the bathroom is easier to clean – with the door out of your way, all the walls and especially the floor are easily accessible. And finally a word about the quality of the door. Bathrooms are very intimate places – the less noise that emerges from your bathroom to the outside, the more comfortable you’ll feel inside it. It is therefore worth installing a high-quality bathroom door.
