• Welcome to The Building Code Forum

    Your premier resource for building code knowledge.

    This forum remains free to the public thanks to the generous support of our Sawhorse Members and Corporate Sponsors. Their contributions help keep this community thriving and accessible.

    Want enhanced access to expert discussions and exclusive features? Learn more about the benefits here.

    Ready to upgrade? Log in and upgrade now.

Hinged door not allowed for this bathroom design?

B

brokenMotor

REGISTERED
Joined
Nov 12, 2024
Messages
15
Location
California
I am planning for a remodel and letting my contractor comment on my plan before I officially submit it to the city of Sunnyvale, CA.

My contractor says my bathroom door design violates "building code". He says the door cannot sweep against the bathtub when it opens.

My contractor strongly advocates for a barn door but my wife hates it.

I think my design actually works. With a hinge pin door stop the door will not hit the bathtub when it opens. I also cannot figure out what "code" it violates.

Can someone offer your opinion? Please see the image and the door width is 28".

JoJdOpPl.jpeg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Why would you not want to swing it against the tub?

The other option with a barn door is to loose all that wall space.

Pocket door maybe, but ask for the code section
 
tbz said:
Why would you not want to swing it against the tub?

The other option with a barn door is to loose all that wall space.

Pocket door maybe, but ask for the code section
Click to expand...
My contractor is worried about someone who just finishes taking a shower being hit by a another person entering the bathroom.

I acknowledge it is a potential issue but not a unique one with this layout. My counter argument is that with some common bathroom layout where there is a door along the shorter 5' by 8' wall, someone who is brushing teeth in from of the vanity could hit by another person entering the bathroom as well.

An alternative is to switch the location of the toilet and bathtub but I am not inclined to do that because on the other side of the bottom wall is a bedroom of the other duplex unit. Putting a bathtub against that wall is going to make the bedroom on the other side noisy.
 
bill1952 said:
Reversing door swing would do same as swapping toilet and tub. But what happened to code argument?
Click to expand...
I would say almost the same. Whether the user is right handed or left handed makes a difference. There is some awkwardness with that layout though. Someone enters the bathroom to use vanity, but he would be cornered to the bathtub side to close the door and would bump into the shower glass door. The software I used to draw the floor plan (floorplanner) shows a smaller door than it actually is. The door is 28" but in the drawing the swing radius appears to be a little short of 24".

I will show my contractor this thread and move to other aspect of the plan ;) I have not actually signed the contract yet and not sure how much time he is willing to dig into specific code provisions. I have an impression that in practice most contractors do not actually read code but rely on books like "Code Check" to learn about building code in a visual way.
 
Yikes said:
So it's not a code issue.
How about installing a privacy lock on the bathroom door?
Click to expand...
Based on the feedback it looks like so and the contractor had a false impression.

The privacy lock would provide only marginal value. The user might forget to use it. If the user uses it it is just as good as a regular door knob with lock in a residential environment.
 
brokenMotor said:
I will show my contractor this thread and move to other aspect of the plan ;) I have not actually signed the contract yet and not sure how much time he is willing to dig into specific code provisions. I have an impression that in practice most contractors do not actually read code but rely on books like "Code Check" to learn about building code in a visual way.
Click to expand...


Disclaimer: I am a dinosaur. Contractors should know enough about codes to perform their construction in compliance, but in my opinion contractors should stay out of the design and leave it to the designers. As an architect who devoted considerable effort to producing designs that complied with codes, I hated contractors who whispered to owners that this or that "doesn't meet code" -- without ever being able to quote a single sentence from any code book to support their allegations.

If your contractor thinks that door violates some provision of some code, he should be able to show you the code or tell you the code and the section number so you can look it up and verify. Otherwise, he should shut up and sharpen his pencil. He brought it up, not you. If he's not willing to dig into the code enough to support his statement -- you may not want him to build your house. IMHO you're likely to encounter other problems.
 
Paul Sweet said:
I'd hinge it on the other side so you're not staring at the toilet if the door is left open.
Click to expand...
The drawback of this plan is explained in an earlier reply. If someone enters the bathroom to use vanity, he would be cornered to the bathtub side to close the door and would bump into the shower glass door.

The shorter wall is 60", vanity depth is 21", door is 28". When the door is perpendicular to the longer wall the gap is only (60 - 21 - 28) = 11".

The bathroom needs to be designed even longer to fit a person outside of the sweep area of the door near the bathtub.
 
Ask for a code section.
Under CA Residential code, door swings, in this case, are not a factor. Talk to the City Plan Checker.
He/She are not properly informed.
You may want to look to other contractors.
 
mark handler said:
Ask for a code section.
Under CA Residential code, door swings, in this case, are not a factor. Talk to the City Plan Checker.
He/She are not properly informed.
You may want to look to other contractor
Click to expand...
It really doesn't matter which way the door swings. Personally, I would swing it the other way, so you are not looking in, at the toilet.
 
broken motor, you didn’t say where your project is located. I believe that City of Los Angeles has a unique requirement that all interior doors be at least 32” wide, even in single family residences. If you are in LA, check with the building department.
up.codes

Chapter 63 Additional Provisions for Specific Uses: Additional Provisions for Specific Uses, Los Angeles City Building Code 2023 | UpCodes

UpCodes offers a consolidated resource of construction and building code grouped by jurisdiction
up.codes up.codes
 
brokenMotor said:
I would say almost the same. Whether the user is right handed or left handed makes a difference. There is some awkwardness with that layout though. Someone enters the bathroom to use vanity, but he would be cornered to the bathtub side to close the door and would bump into the shower glass door. The software I used to draw the floor plan (floorplanner) shows a smaller door than it actually is. The door is 28" but in the drawing the swing radius appears to be a little short of 24".
Click to expand...
I think there is a lot of room to turn and close the door if you simply take a half step toward vanity. You don't have to stand between door jam and shower tight against door wall. Lots of room outside of the door swing arc. Slide door 3 or 4" down sheet for even more room.
 
Seems to me it doesn't really matter which way the door swings if it is closed and swings inward in that situation.

Who ever is there is getting hit by the door!

Again a pocket door would work in the wall, a barn door kills all your wall space.
 
No code that I'm aware of, they make door pin stops.
Could swing it into the room, odd but no code issue.
Bi-fold door with painted loons on it?

Tell em you wife wants a curtain there now!

You need DOGE
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top