24" vs 48" vs 60" deep closet spaces in ADA dwelling units

[Yikes]

Had an interesting discussion with a CASp yesterday regarding depth of small spaces such as closets.

If the door to the closet provides less than a 32" opening (e.g, smaller than a 6' pair of sliding doors), then a person in a wheelchair cannot get into the closet. In that case, the maximum reach-in depth from outside face of wall to back of closet is 24". In practicality, this will only work for hanging clothes if the bypass doors are very thin, such as masonite doors. Thick doors won't leave enough rod space. Another option is to use a pair of swinging doors. Since these doors are not intended for path-of-travel, typical ADAS 404 clearances don't apply.

Next, and this was the interesting part: if you can roll into the closet, then you better not make it deeper than 48", or else you will have to provide a turnaround inside the closet, and make it 60" deep.
Why?
Because ADAS 809.2.1 requires an accessible route connecting all spaces and elements which are part of a residential dwelling unit. So if you go in the closet 48" or less, the back of your 30"x48" wheelchair (ADAS 305.3) is till touching the accessible route in front of the closet door.
If you make it deeper than 48", now the wheelchair goes in further, and it needs a way to turn around, because the closet has become a room in its own right. That means you need a turning circle or T, and you need maneuvering clearances for both sides the closet passage door.

In conclusion, depending on the available closet opening width, the closet either needs to be:

• max 24" deep from outermost face of door/adjacent wall to back of closet, if door opening is less than 32" wide
• max 48" deep if 32" or greater opening is provided, but you don't have space for a turnaround or door clearance inside the closet
• min 60" deep x 60" wide for a closet that is any greater than 48" in depth.

 

[Mr. Inspector]

Which door face do you measure from in the case of two sliding doors?

 

[Yikes]

Rick18071, according to the CASp, you measure out to the furthest obstruction.
As an example:
If you have a closest that's 5' wide, and it has a pair of 30" sliding doors, the opening will be less than 32" wide. (In fact it will more likely be about 26" wide if your idea of accessible door hardware is a handle instead of a recessed cup.) So now, the max. reach is 24" from the front of the wheelchair to the back wall of the closet. What is limiting the position of the wheelchair at a 26" wide opening? Well, it's not only the door face, it's now actually the wall face in the bedroom, or perhaps some trim casing at the opening.

So let's say you decided to install full 1.375" thick bypass doors, with the outer door face flush with the outer wall face, and no trim. What the remaining minimum depth inside of the closet to hang clothes?
24" - 1.375" - 1.375" = 21.25". depth from back of closet wall to innermost face of innermost door.
Now, let's say you use a standard shelf and pole hardware, which sets the pole 12" away form the back wall. That means that your remaining space for 12 the width of a coat hanger is only 9.25". Most coat hangers are around 8.5-8.75". Bottom line: the clothes will hang at an angle, and scrape against the doors.

My takeaway for ADA units is to try and design closets with bypass doors to be at least 6' wide, and if that can't be done, then consider using swinging doors instead.

 

[Paul Sweet]

The 24" reach distance should only be a problem if you hang clothes on pegs on the back wall of the closet. You only have to reach 12" plus the wall thickness to hang clothes on a rod 12" from the back wall.

 

[ADAguy]

Other options:
Consider use of exterior barn doors that the leave the opening flush when opened (allowing for 27" clr vs 24")
Use of hinged rods by Hefele that swing out similar to overcounter shelves in kitchens with pocket doors, (better if use 6' opening with sliders)?
Note that hangers with overcoats are more than 24" wide (duh?)