Door widths in Residential
Dennis Orr
From D.G.Orr;
Using door width minimums in current design is in my mind designing for a 1920s size man. Unless I am directed to use minimum size doors by the owner I always use the36” door width and the 84” door height. That is exterior and interior. My own home has these door dimensions and it is great. I do not bump into door jambs anymore and as has been noted, moving things around the home is a breeze.
As we age, the necessity for handicapped appliances is unavoidable. For a person using a wheelchair, or one who has girth problems requiring the use of patient lifts, the 36” wide door is essential. Also, one never knows when you are going to “break a leg” , hip, knee replacement etc. Then there is the size of the bathroom itself; they should be larger than the 60”x 96” common standard. Provide room on one side of the toilet for an assistant to help when and if necessary.
I know that in the East, sizes were really minimum. In our second home, there was only 24” in front of the toilet; when my wife broke her leg you might imagine the full length cast conflict. If the setbacks had allowed, I would have punched out that wall another 24”. That bathroom was designed to code in the 1940s.
Frank Lloyd Wright designed for his generations sizes; I like the designs, but would not want to live in one of them.
Dennis Orr
