Doorways and Hallways
Some homeowners go to a lot of trouble to buy new sofa. They measure the space at home where the new couch will go. They measure the sofa they want to buy. They spend hours picking out the right upholstery. And they wait weeks for the delivery people to show up.
Then the big day arrives. And anticipation turns to horror. The couch doesn't fit easily through the front door. It gets stuck in the front hallway. It barely squeezes into the living room.
This doesn't have to happen to you. Just make sure your doorways and hallways are wide enough. Doorways should be at least 32 inches wide. Hallways should be at least 36 inches wide. Wider would be even better.
And keep this in mind. It's not just furniture that has trouble with narrow doorways. Wheelchairs can't fit through them either. Narrow doorways can lock a wheelchair user out of your home.
Building a New House
The best time to think about your doorways is when you are building a house. At that point, wider doorways add only 1 or 2 percent to the cost of building. You may not need that space right now. But making changes later will be harder and will cost more money.
Be careful that you measure the doorway correctly. Don't just measure the distance from one side of the door to the other. It's better to measure the door's "clear width." This is the actual space you can use when the door is open. This space won't be as wide as the door. You may need a 36-inch door to give you 32 inches of clear width.
Make sure that you leave space on both sides of the door, too. Someone in a wheelchair will need between 18 and 24 inches of space on the side of the door near the door handle. They will need 60 inches of clear space in front of the door. The same is true for someone who uses a walker.
Don't make anyone step over a threshold when they go through a doorway. This "lip" can stop a wheelchair in its tracks. It can also cause someone to trip. Try and make all your thresholds flush with the floor. Can't do this? Then make the threshold no higher than ½ inch.
Living with Narrow Doorways
Are you already living in a house with narrow doorways? There are still things you can do to make the most of the space you have. You can hire a carpenter to widen your doorways. But this could be hard if the doorways are on weight-bearing walls.
You can also take one of these steps:
1. Replace your door hinges. Install swing-clear hinges instead. These hinges can make your doorway 1½ to 1¾ inches wider. This might give you just enough space to get a wheelchair through the door.
2. Take the door off. This could give you two more inches of clear space. Take out the door hinges and you will get even more space. Only take the hinges off if you don't plan on putting the door back in place. Reinstalling a door hinge is a hard job.
3. Install pocket doors that slide into the wall when they are not in use.
AARP Resources
This Bold House
Take a tour of the world's most accessible house.
Other Resources
Creating
an Easy-to-Visit Home
The Iowa State University Extension tells you how to create a
retirement home that is easy-visiting, easy-living, and easy on
the budget. (Free
Adobe Reader required.)
Universal
Design Offers Something for Everyone
The National Association of Home Builders offers advice on
universal design homes. (Free
Adobe Reader required.)
