Going Both Ways

Wet weather has forced me inside from the exterior tasks but given me a chance to take care of a small inside job I've been wanting to do.

Since re-configuring the upstairs bathroom I've always been aware of a small problem with the design.  I really wanted an interior window that would bring light from the sunny bathroom into an otherwise dark hall and stairwell, but in order to place the large window where it would provide the most light to the interior space, I had to move the door to where one of its top corners would be cut at an angle to accommodate the roof line.

The top angled door is a familiar fixture in old Cape-style houses.  Moving the bathroom door actually added to the symmetry of the upstairs hall as that door would now face the top angled bedroom door on the other end of the hall.  The problem with top angled doors is that their hinges can only be placed along the tall edge of the door which limits the options for which direction they can open.

Generally speaking, doors should open into the room in which they provide entry.  This had to be the case with the upstairs bath, otherwise the door would inhibit movement through the space at the top of the stairs.  The problem with having the bathroom door open inwards was that it became an obstacle in the small space of the bathroom.

The problem wasn't big.  Someone unfamiliar with the space might find it a bit awkward but we got used to  it quickly and chalked it up to an old house idiosyncrasy.

But being the perfectionist/tinkerer I am, I felt I could improve the situation.  I decided a door that swung both ways, like you see going in and out of a diner kitchen, would make passage in and out of the bathroom a little easier while adding a little novelty at the same time.

Finding the right hinge was the first task.  The local hardware stores all carried double-acting hinges but only for very light doors (think saloon style).  The bathroom door is one I picked up at a salvage center.  It has a solid ash frame, a wood panel on the lower half with a translucent glass panel above. It's not a lightweight.

There were two hinge types I found that would accommodate a heavy door.  One is a pivot type that was used in the kitchen doors of well-appointed homes of the 19th century.  If you live in an urban brownstone or pre-war apartment building you might see the vestiges of one of these pivot hinges on the floor by the kitchen door casing or in the header casing.  The pivot hinge requires a plate screwed into the floor and another in the header casing.

The other hinge I found is the double-acting barrel hinge.  This is the one seen often in the swinging kitchen doors of restaurants.  I went with this hinge because it required less modification to the door and casing then the old-style pivot hinge.

With the new hinge I had to make a mortise that is longer and deeper than the one for the standard hinge.  Once the mortise was chiseled-out I installed the hinge on the door and then had to carefully hang the door in the center of the jamb so that it swings true.

So far we're pleased with the new door.  It's easier going in and out of the bathroom and seven year old Ramon said, "Ah that's cool!" when he first tried it out.  It changes the feel of the upstairs hallway though because now the bathroom door is always closed instead of open partway when the room is unoccupied.  A small difference but noticeable.

As usual when posting pictures I'm struck by the unfinished look of everything.  Clearly there's a lot of work to be done, but we've gotten used to living in this unfinished house and it's proved comfortable even without the finery.

Comments

[Carpet Cleaning]

Good job! You really improve your home. I appreciate your thinking for the improvement of your room. It is a good idea that you placed such a door, which can bring light from the sun than having dark hall and stairwell.