Bathroom pocket or barn door?

[bluedog225]

I’m going to frame up my bathroom wall soon. I went ahead and put in the ADA toilet. And I’m going to put in a 32 inch door. Who knows what the future holds?

I can put in a pocket door without too much fuss. I have one on my master bathroom at home. It seals well and feels quite private when you’re in the bathroom. A simple slab door and done.

I was thinking of putting in a barn door out of the place. But don’t know if it will provide the same level of privacy that a pocket door would.

Does anyone have a barn door on their bathroom? And does it work out OK?

The door in question is at No. 4. The sink will be a pedestal and the wall at No. 4 [editNo. 3] next to the sink will be deleted.

Thanks

 

[bwringer]

NO NEVER NOHOW NO WAY on the barn door. These are becoming more common in hotels, and they're just plain awful.

They're not at all private visually, and let's just say they allow sound to escape as well as, um, er, "direct air exchange" that can be unpleasant.

If you can't put in a proper swinging door, then a pocket door would work. Just put in good automated ventilation so the door doesn't absorb moisture from the shower and then warp and stick.

I've stayed in a few fancy-schmancy hotels with all-glass mirrored open plan bathrooms. Because I guess some people are so vain they enjoy watching themselves on the potty and sharing the complete sensory experience with others.

The nearly universal lack of effective bathroom ventilation in high-end hotels is a whole' nuther rant... marinating the whole room must be something rich people enjoy or something.

 

[MovingAlong]

Have a barn door on the Master Bedroom, it is not as private but enough for us. Would not be tempted to duplicate it in a bath though. Had we oversized the barn door by 4-3 inches on all sides, top included, that might have helped. But wanted it to match the other doors in the hallway.

Not picturing how you'd put in a barn door at #4 if you're removing the wall...

And yeah, if you do go with the barn door, maybe not glass... some really odd setups in the nicer business hotels, especially when there is a mirror directly outside the glass door and you have to watch yourself sitting there no matter where the door is at..

 

[manwithtools]

Not picturing how you'd put in a barn door at #4 if you're removing the wall...

Agreed, this statement is confusing.

 

[mike93lx]

Barn doors are terrible even on barns. It's puzzling that they have ended up in houses

 

[MovingAlong]

Barn doors are terrible even on barns. It's puzzling that they have ended up in houses

My wife uses a wheelchair much of the time in the house. Retrofitting with a barn door was easier than a pocket door and fit our needs.

@bluedog225 mentioned ADA concerns and asked "who knows what the future holds?". Well, I know... We're all getting older and can lose our independence with getting hit by someone else causing a near fatal accident. Real life ain't for sissies...

 

[Rusted Nut]

I’d definitely do a pocket door. Not much privacy with a barn door; and very little sound deadening.

 

[bradleydavidgood]

I’m going to frame up my bathroom wall soon. I went ahead and put in the ADA toilet. And I’m going to put in a 32 inch door. Who knows what the future holds?

I can put in a pocket door without too much fuss. I have one on my master bathroom at home. It seals well and feels quite private when you’re in the bathroom. A simple slab door and done.

I was thinking of putting in a barn door out of the place. But don’t know if it will provide the same level of privacy that a pocket door would.

Does anyone have a barn door on their bathroom? And does it work out OK?

The door in question is at No. 4. The sink will be a pedestal and the wall at No. 4 will be deleted.

Thanks

I made a barn door in my rental, because before the renovation, two doors were always in the way of each other. It turned out really nice, and was a big selling point for the rental.

No, it is not private and does not have a seal. But that house has a second door you can close, and some people don't care about that stuff. And there is another private bathroom upstairs for those who do need to let air go in private.

I love it.

 

[Jeff Ivers]

ADA requirements for doors are 36" for wheelchair clearance. If you have put in an ADA toilet, why are you under sizing the door?

 

[kyrbz]

ADA requirements for doors are 36" for wheelchair clearance. If you have put in an ADA toilet, why are you under sizing the door?

According to the 2018 IBC code book, ADA compliant bathroom doors need to have a clear opening of 32". There are no restrictions on door width on R2-R3 occupancies as long as it is not part of a means of egress which would most likely apply to the OP's situation. That being said, I personally would use a 36" opening if there is the space. If one is worried about the potential of needing wheelchair access to a bathroom, one other ADA requirement worth considering would be a clear floor space of 30"x48". Again ADA requirements don't apply to private residences but they are something to consider as one becomes older and may eventually have accessibility issues.

 

[rmanrman]

No No to barn door for bathroom. Smells and sounds and privacy problems
I believe this is a tv remodeling show that shows fancy “fru fru “ stuff not practical it will disappear soon

 

[WisJim]

Usually a 32 inch door does not provide a 32 inch clear opening. Door stops, angle of the door when open, etc., all reduce the actual clear opening. And barn doors use up some wall space when open.

 

[ATC]

Ugh...barn doors ****, and pocket doors aren't much better. Another one of those remodeling show fads

 

[kyrbz]

Usually a 32 inch door does not provide a 32 inch clear opening. Door stops, angle of the door when open, etc., all reduce the actual clear opening. And barn doors use up some wall space when open.

Yes, a 32" door with the door open at 90 degrees might yield a clear opening around 29.5". My experience with code compliance has been it's based a lot on the Building Official and his interpretation of the code. If I was specifying doors for ADA bathrooms, I certainly wouldn't take a chance on 32" doors. A 36" door would yield around 33.5" clear opening and no question about ADA compliance. I've noticed, not necessarily on new construction, but renovations of older commercial spaces, I've seen a lot of 32" bathroom doors get a pass despite the 32" clear opening requirement.

 

[bluedog225]

Sorry guys. Deleting wall No. 3. Original edited

A rare almost unanimous condemnation of barn doors on bathrooms. I appreciate y’all‘s input.

I’m pretty happy with the pocket door at home. It shuts tight and nestles inside the jam guides. Very private.

The pocket door kits I’ve looked at are often able to be cut down. I’ll probably start with a 36 to make sure I have a minimum of 32 clear. I might stretch that depending on how it shapes up after I start framing.

Thanks!

 

[SouthernIllinois]

I am putting a barn door to a utility room / bathroom / closet

........IN A POLE BARN.

About the only place I would do it and I am doing it for practical reason (space) not cosmetics

 

[ericm]

Well I'm going against GJ this time- my new house will have three barn doors. One to the master bath. It's going to be open 95% of the time anyhow. The other two probably will be as well. I think a barn door looks better when open. The bath has a toilet room with its own door. Pocket, not because we like them but because it fits the space better.

 

[jar944]

Ugh...barn doors ****, and pocket doors aren't much better. Another one of those remodeling show fads

Agree on the barn doors, strongly disagree on the pocket doors.

 

[jar944]

Yes, a 32" door with the door open at 90 degrees might yield a clear opening around 29.5". My experience with code compliance has been it's based a lot on the Building Official and his interpretation of the code. If I was specifying doors for ADA bathrooms, I certainly wouldn't take a chance on 32" doors. A 36" door would yield around 33.5" clear opening and no question about ADA compliance. I've noticed, not necessarily on new construction, but renovations of older commercial spaces, I've seen a lot of 32" bathroom doors get a pass despite the 32" clear opening requirement.

A 32" pocket door, will be 31 & 3/4 to 7/8 clear depending on the door slab you started with.

 

[kyrbz]

Sorry guys. Deleting wall No. 3. Original edited

A rare almost unanimous condemnation of barn doors on bathrooms. I appreciate y’all‘s input.

I’m pretty happy with the pocket door at home. It shuts tight and nestles inside the jam guides. Very private.

The pocket door kits I’ve looked at are often able to be cut down. I’ll probably start with a 36 to make sure I have a minimum of 32 clear. I might stretch that depending on how it shapes up after I start framing.

Thanks!

I think that's a good solution. As I mentioned, you don't have to comply with ADA code in a private residence, but there's nothing wrong with planning for your comfort and convenience in the future. I have a similar situation with a property I'm renovating. The bathroom will have one regular door that opens to the main part of the residence, but I'm planning a pocket door between the bedroom and bathroom. I plan on using a solid core door for sound dampening and privacy. Additionally like you mentioned, I'll use a 36" door with a slightly smaller opening and use a door pull like this one. I like this pull because your door can be completely recessed into the pocket and it still allows you to be able to grab it.

 

[jar944]

I like this pull because your door can be completely recessed into the pocket and it still allows you to be able to grab it.

There are a bunch of pocket door mortise locks/pulls that will allow that. I'm personally not a fan of any that require cutting out a chunk of the door stile.

Obviously these are not modern styling but the concept is the same.

 

[no704]

As to Ada I’m pretty sure commercial is a bit different than residential.
You can get zero clearance hinges to gain a couple inches on a swinging door.

 

[bluedog225]

I haven’t even thought about a swinging door. I guess it would open outward opening from number four to number five in the plans?

 

[ericm]

I haven’t even thought about a swinging door. I guess it would open outward opening from number four to number five in the plans?

It seems like it would get in the way. Our current house in CA has a toilet closet with a swinging door. If you did the same it'd be hinged at the top of opening 4 and open inwards. It's TIGHT. It barely clears the extra short model toilet. It's a good thing we're not large people. Fixing that was in the plan for the interior remodel we didn't get around to before deciding to move.

 

[walta]

To my eye that bathroom would be next to impossible in a chair.

Imagine trying to transfer between the chair and the toilet without your legs. Consider when one is new to the chair someone else might need to assist you and the room is way to compact for that.

Ideally there would be a 5-foot circle of clear floor space to turn around.

Any 32 inch passage is going to collect wall damage with zero margin for error.

Note getting the tubs plumbing in a wall with a pocket door is going to make the wall a lot thicker.

When you order the pocket doors make sure you pay for the upgrade to ball bearing.

Walta

 

[earl84]

If in a bathroom that is not used by guests, I'd do a barn door. If total privacy is needed, barn doors are not a good solution. I hate pocket doors, seen way too many that are really hard opening, and if anything goes wrong, they are very hard to fix.

 

[75gmck25]

I'll reiterate - When you buy pocket door hardware, make sure you spring for the upgraded version. Its not much more and it has more rigid supports and better bearings. There are also some German-made products that are near commercial grade, but they are also way more expensive.

 

[jar944]

If in a bathroom that is not used by guests, I'd do a barn door. If total privacy is needed, barn doors are not a good solution. I hate pocket doors, seen way too many that are really hard opening, and if anything goes wrong, they are very hard to fix.

Its all about the install. Nothing is difficult about installing a pocket door, you just need to pay attention to the details.

 

[The Cobbler]

I'll chime in, I don;t like either, especially for a bathroom, but a pocket door would be the lesser of 2 evils for a bathroom. a barn door has no sense of privacy or noise /smell reduction.
I installed 2 bathroom pocket doors for friends when they moved to a small condo about 5 yrs ago, they are happy with them.
and yes, use good hardware

 

[Adaylate]

A hard NO on the barn door.
We had a pocket door on the master bath in our last house, we lived there for 45 years, no problem.
My brothers 116 year old house has double pocket doors between the dining room and parlor they still work fine.
I would agree with others, installation is critical for longevity.
Good luck!

 

[Metal-Marc]

and pocket doors aren't much better. Another one of those remodeling show fads

Pocket doors have been around for over a century. Well before TV was a thing.

 

[snorvet]

I made a barn door to replace the French doors we used to have in our master bath. Toilet is in its own mini closet at the far end of the bathroom.

 

[HoosierMark]

if you really want to make the bath handicapped friendly install a slider into the walll across from the tub 36” and eliminate door 4 and wall and door 5. Consider a walk in shower. I built my house with all 36” wide doors and walk in shower. Don‘T forget if a walker or wheel chair is involved you need room to maneuver them. I spent two months with a walker in 2022 and my barrier free plan worke great.

 

[CraigStu]

We have a pocket door in the upstairs hallway bath closing off the toilet area. All I can say is that if it were in our master bath it would have been replaced several years ago. It works fine but it is heavy and the tiny, maybe 3/8" deep recess you use to move it is a huge pain

 

[bwringer]

One thing I've never figured out is how barn doors are even legal in hotels.

Basically, one of the functions of a bathroom, in a hotel or home, is as a last-resort refuge from things like fire, tornados, and aliens. A swinging door can keep fire, fumes, wind, and tentacles out, at least for a little while, but barn doors are useless. A pocket door can also work for this, but is also a lot more likely to trap you if there's any damage to the door or tracks (seriously, pocket doors are ALWAYS a broken pain in the *** to use.).

Do construction codes in tornado country require decent bathroom doors? The usual advice is to retreat somewhere on the inside of the house with no windows, which in many houses is either a bathroom or walk-in closet. A bathtub also offers some protection if something is demolishing your house.

 

[shoot summ]

We have a pocket door on our master bathroom, I put a barn door on my office bathroom as it was the easy button for more space in a small bathroom. The office bathroom is off of our living area. I feel like people can hear everything that happens in there. I close the door on my office to help but it does not seem to have the sound privacy the pocket door has.

 

[NUTTSGT]

The biggest problem I see with a barn door is losing the wall space where the door slides when open.

 

[ericm]

The biggest problem I see with a barn door is losing the wall space where the door slides when open.

Yes. But if you want to fully open a regular swing door so its not sticking out in the aisle, you need to reserve space on the wall too. So if that's part of your plan it's not much different.

Fortunately Oregon doesn't get tornadoes and the last alien invasion was quite a while ago, so there's no code requirements for fully sealing off bathroom doors.

 

[mike93lx]

the last alien invasion was quite a while ago,

That's just what they want you to think.

 

[dougf]

When we built our house my wife was pretty dang insistent on a barn door for the bathroom. I'm sure we built at the peak of the "modern farmhouse" fad which didn't help when I tried to push back on it a little, so of course we ended up with one. I absolutely HATE it. No matter how slow you open or close the door its loud as it slides on its track and will wake up whoever is sleeping, It routinely bounces back open if you close it too fast, sometimes comes off its tracks and needs to be reset, the metal bracket/tabs that guide the barn door along its desired pathway on the floor get in the way and the door need to be reset within the tabs if closed too quick, light/sound escapes past the door easily, and it looks stupid since my bathroom isn't a damn barn. Absolutely do not do it.