Doors are an important part of the
access equation. A door that is
cumbersome or difficult to open can
be an access barrier. A door that is
appropriately placed, designed and
installed serves a useful purpose
without compromising accessibility.
Not every opening between rooms
needs a door, but reasons why a door
may be needed include:
• security
privacy, both noise and visual
• interior climate control
• escape in an emergency, such as
a fire
• sound reduction between rooms
containment of cooking and other
smells.
Sliding doors or hinged doors
When a hinged door is swung fully
open , the width of that door takes up
part of the doorway space reducing the
apparent opening dimension. An
820mm hinged door makes a clear
opening of about 800mm when the
door is fu lly open . An 870mm doorway
is preferred because it provides a clear
opening of about 850mm.
Sim ilarly, a fully open sliding door
provides a narrower open ing than the
width of the door frame it is placed
within. For the same size of door frame,
a hinged door will provide a wider
opening than a Sliding door.
If it is decided that a door is needed
there are other decisions that follow.
These include deciding the door's
proportions, the type of door, the type
of hinge or sliding gear and the type of
handle and latch combination .
33
CHARACTERISTICS OF DOORS
Hinged and sliding doors have different characteristics making one more appropriate to a
de~ign
situation than another.
Hinged Doors
Recessed Sliding Doors
Surface Mounted Sliding doors
Relatively quiet operation
May be a little noisy in operation
May be a little noisy in operation
Relatively easy to operate
May be a little more difficult to operate
May be a little more difficult to operate
Can be made to trap sound
Difficult to make sound proof
Difficult to make sound proof
Can be made draught proof
Difficult to make draught proof
Difficult to make draught proof
Can be made light tight
Difficult to make light tight
Difficult to make light tight
Has lower maintenance demands
Has higher maintenance demands
Has higher maintenance demands
Swing may intrude on available space
Does not intrude into space or use wall
Does not intrude into space but does
length
use wall length
More readily operated from a wheelchair
More readily operated from a wheelchair
Surface mounted handles are
Surface mounted handles are
recommended
recommended
Can be difficult to operate from a
-
wheelchair
Lever handles are recommended
. _._-----------------­
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optiona l
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add it ional door
pull for use from
wheelchair
/
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lever ha ndle
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the clear open ing size is
the free width when t he door is fully open
kic k plates can
protect 'the door
from damage by
f
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cl.., opening
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Figur' 5.1 Clear opening width
Hinged doors
A hinged door is generally quiet to
operate, and closes snugly to provide
good sound and light proofing as well as
stopping draughts. A possible drawback
of hinged doors is that they can be more
difficult for people in wheelchairs to
operate than sliding doors.
If left ajar hinged doors can pose a
hazard for people with impaired vision.
wheelchair impac t
Elevation
Figure 5.2 Hinged door layout
Hinged doors can be fitted with
additional fittings to customise them
for particular situations, including:
kick-plates to protect the bottom of the door from damage by wheelchair impact an additional or larger pull handle to make it easier to close the door transparent or translucent panels to allow users to see a person approachin g from the other side an automatic door closer. 35
Hinges
Alternatively, an inward opening door
can be fitted with lift-off hinges that
allow it to be removed. This provides
access to the room if someone falls ,
as shown in figure 5.3.
For other indoor entrances, it may be
desirable to use loose-pin hinges that
allow doors to be taken off their
doorframe for painting or to be
removed altogether.
Offset hinges, as shown in figure 5.4,
provide more room than other hinges
when the door is fully opened. This can
be useful when moving furniture.
- - 36 B~ ~~
Doors should generally open into the
room to which they give access.
However, in smaller rooms it may be
better to fit the door so that it opens
outwards. This maximises the useable
space in the room and ensures that if
a person were to collapse against the
door, their body would not prevent
someone opening the door and
entering to assist them.
peroon collap~ed
aqGlin5t inward
openinq door
door c5Cape h i nge~
allow the door to be
pulled off from the
outside
Fiyur. 5. Elevated view of lift-off
hinges used in an emergency
4
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O'ff-sa ~j~e
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door ir: clo5Cd
po5iUon
.. ----­
c!~r Opening
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clea l" Openi~
---1....4"
I"'> _ door in open
p~ition
Figure 5.4 Offset hinge
normal
hinge
....
. open
,j , ....oorm
~itiO"
Automatic door closers
Door closers can be convenient if
correctly installed in an appropriate
location. They are most likely to be
useful if installed on external doors.
For a door closer to help the user and
not constitute a barrier, it needs to
allow the door to swing open without
requiring too much pushing force .
An alternative to an automatic door
closer is a_hinge that causes the door
to swing shut when it is not held open.
A bi-fold door offers an alternative
use of space in a wide opening
These hinges are most commonly used
in toilet cubicles, and offer a simple
way )0 close light doors without effort.
Bi-fold and double doors
Bi-fold doors can be a solution. They are
widely available in regular dimensions as
ready-made units. Care must be taken
to select sliding gear that is appropriate
to the door to ensure that the leaves
move smoothly and open easily.
Double doors, such as those pictured
in figure 5.6, may be preferred in
some situations.
useful for moving
large items
usefu l fo r movil1g beds
cr OCC8s ionaily .assisting
ambul ~H't
people
door folds back wi~h
reduced SWIng area
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~I ear opening 900 men and 1200 m~
800 mm
800 mm clear
two doors with one
leaf normally bolted
Figure 5.5 A bi-fold door
500",,,,
800 r.1m clear
two doors with o~e
5matler leaf normally
bolted
Figure 5.6 Some double door
37
f
space to a CGe% the latch
on t70th sides
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Sliding doors
There are two types of sliding doors:
concealed and surface mounted . In
both cases, sliding doors provide less
of a barrier to light, sound and smell
than a hinged door, which fits snug ly
into its frame and closes firmly. A
sliding door is generally easier for a
person in a wheelchair to operate than
a hinged door.
Sliding doors that are the only means
of access to a room, especially a
bathroom, should be filted with
emergency access latches to allow
the doors to be forcibly opened in
case of an emergency.
Sliding doors - within the wall
thickness
Sliding doors that are concealed in a
wall cavity when the door is opened,
as illustrated in figure 5.7, are not
recommended for installation in wet
areas where they may become damp
and distorted , or where their sliding
gear may corrode.
-
38
\< ~ mm /1
500 mm/~
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6lide
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00 s witches or
rece%ed fitting.
in ellis area on eit her
side of the wall
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door f;>lides inCo w811
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900 41100 mm
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Elevat io n
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no track or rece•• at
floo r level
1*5
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!:>pacc for ha rdware
135 mm minimum,
BOO mm m in . plus th k.:i:nc5s 01' handle
cle a t' open in<9 8 2 0 mm min.
preferred
~
5trai~ h t. sect ion of wall
for door slide
Figure 5.7 A cavity sl iding door
7'1
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ------ --------
space to access the latch
on both sides
k
500mm/~
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Sliding doors - surface
mounted
pelmet with slide
gear ir1~ide
,,
Sometimes, especially in a renovation
project, a surface mounted sliding
door may be preferred. As w ith cavity
sliding doors, surface mounted sliding
doors can only be fitted to a doorway
with straight, uninterrupted wall space
on one side.
slide
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door slides Into WEll!
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no switches or
r e:c.e:s5ed f jtti ngs
in thiS are.3 on th is
side of the \V.3 11
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9OQ- 1I00 mm
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Handles
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Select door handles that are easily
gripped and operated with one hand.
Handles should be placed at a height
that is reasonable for walking adults,
people in wheelchairs and , where
appro priate , child ren. The compromise
position is low.
L
I
E levation
~
no t rack Or receSs at
floor' level
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970 · 1020;;';;'
8 00 mm min.
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clear opening 820 mm min.
preferred
n
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space for hardware 135 mm minimum,
plus thick ness of handle
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clear section of wall
Hinged swing doors and sliding doors
have very different handle requirements.
Sliding doors are easiest to open and
close if fitted with raised pull handles
that can be easily gripped. Recessed
handles are difficult for many people.
Figure 5.8 A surface mounted sl id ing door
39
large 'D' handle
secure fixing to door
ha rdware clearly
die;tinguishable from door
1\.200 Imm min imum
$hding door
end retu rl1ed to prevent hand slipping
~mmm;n.
~ -~45mmmin,
large ea$ily
operated
privacy lar,c h
Figure 5.10 User-friendly lever handle
®
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privacy latch with
relea se mechanism
Figure 5.9 "0" pull handle
An excellent pull handle for use on a
sliding door is the "0 " pull handle,
shown in figure 5.9.
Hinged doors have a handle that is
rotated. Doorknobs, which are
traditionally used, are difficult to grip
and turn . Lever handles such as one
illustrated in figure 5.10 are easier to
use. The preferred shape has a long
lever and a turned-in end .
Lever handles enable a person to open
a door with as little effort as leaning on
the handle with their hand or elbow.
This is most useful for people:
• carrying something or someone
• with an intellectual disability
with reduced strength in
their hands
with poor hand/eye coordination.
J
Lever handles by Lockwood Security Products Pty Ltd
40
--------------------------
Figure 5.11 Cut-out cupboard door handle
100 mm
w
{
pencil round to edqe~ Oeadlatch lever by Lockwood Security Products Pty Ltd
"0 " handle by Lockwood Security Products Pty Ltd
of cut-out cut -out 9uitable
89
Exterior door security
Some people who can operate a lever
handle without difficulty may still have
difficulty with keyed locks. If traditional
locks pose some difficulty there are
locks available that may be easier and
faster to operate. It is important to
ensure that the user can quickly open
the locks on each external door and
exit the house in an emergency.
One option is to install a radio control
lock, which is similar to the remote
control of a garage door. Another
option is to fit a traditional dead bolt
lock or a lever passage set with a
larger than usual turning knob. The
lock should operate independently of
a drawer pu ll
the latch so that a person can go
outside and close the door behind
them witbout fear of being locked out.
It's a good idea to ensure the home
occupant can identify visitors at the
door before deciding to let them in .
A fish-eye lens viewer in the door or a
video camera could be installed at the
most appropriate height.
Interior door locks
If it is decided that a door needs to be
lockable, the lock should be one that
can be opened from outside the
locked room using a coin or
screwdriver in an emergency.
Cupboard doors
Cupboard doors should be easy to
open and close, unless they contain
cleaning fluid s or medicines that
require storage behind child-proof
latches or locks.
The contents of a cupboard are most
easily accessed if the door is hinged
on extended hinges that open up to
170°. The handle and closing latch
should be a simple combination that
allows easy operation. The handle
should be either a "0" shape, or a
handgrip cut out of the door thickness,
as illustrated in figure 5.11. The closing
mechanism should be soft roller
catches, magnetic catches or,
self-closing hinges.
41