Doors for bathroom and toilet: types and choices

The main difference between the door to the bathroom and any other interior design is its size - usually it is slightly smaller. But this is far from the only parameter to which attention should be paid. It is necessary to choose the material of the canvas, consider the type of ventilation, the option of closing, and also select all the necessary accessories. In addition, you should decide on whether you will install a dull canvas or give preference to products with glass. In this matter, there is not only a decorative, but also a practical moment.

The choice of toilet doors must be approached with all responsibility. If, when acquiring models for other rooms, owners focus on appearance, then products that are placed in bathrooms and shower rooms must meet some basic requirements:

• the material from which the doors are made must be resistant to temperature extremes and constant high humidity;
• it is very important that the door has high soundproofing parameters;
• It is necessary to install the highest quality fittings, as the bathroom is a room of frequent use.

Any interior doors include an internal frame and external cladding. The frame is usually made from wood massif of expensive species, as well as from wood-shaving materials - chipboard or MDF. All of them react poorly to moisture, although manufacturers promise that the door frame and the panel itself will be resistant to moisture up to 50-70%.Most destructive is water and hot steam acting on a door made of natural wood, while MDF and chipboard are considered more resistant.

Every door to the bathroom has a couple of “weak” zones. In many products, the protective coating is first applied to the canvas, and only then to the edge of the structure. As a result, an invisible joint remains between the canvas and this very edge. Usually it is not airtight and through it moisture penetrates into the array, which eventually leads to damage.

The ends of the door (both upper and lower), as a rule, are not processed by a hydrostable composition. Of course, moisture is not likely to get into these sections of the canvas, but through them it begins to absorb moisture from the room. It is most correct to process these areas with enamel or special varnish, all the more so when it comes to doors to the bathroom.

Doors for bathrooms are distinguished by their design features. The most popular models are considered swinging open, folding, as well as sliding models.

Swing doors - classic model, which is placed in most houses and apartments. In addition to the standard design, they have the ability to mount thresholds. This greatly improves the soundproofing of the bathroom.

Sliding doors - a very economical option, allowing the most ergonomic use of available space. Such doors are usually placed in small bathrooms. At the same time, you don’t have to immediately run to the store for similar models, especially when they are offered to you in their standard version. The fact is that between the sheet and the floor in these models there are always gaps, and therefore, they almost do not provide the necessary thermal insulation and noise absorption, which is a very significant drawback for any bathroom.

If, due to circumstances, you cannot install any other door, it’s best to choose cassette options — they open when moving into a wall. When buying such products, you should discuss all the rules of warranty service, as if suddenly the cassette doors fail, then you will have to partially disassemble the wall.

Folding constructions can be called a separate type of sliding door, but with a small caveat: they do not need a separate space for opening. From a structural point of view, they are performed in two versions: “Accordion” or “book”. The first includes 3 or more wings, the second - only 2.

Among the main disadvantages of such options, users distinguish low sound insulation. In addition, the doors simply “conceal” an impressive part of the entire doorway when folded. As a result, from 50-60 cm in fact, only 40-45 cm remains.

If the room does not have enough high-quality ventilation, then after each hygiene procedure you will encounter condensation on the walls and pretty misted windows that will have to be wiped so that they do not lose their operational features.

Condensation is formed due to the temperature difference between the structure itself and the heated air after washing. In order to reduce this difference, Either purchase a canvas with integrated ventilation grilles or install them separately later. This issue needs to be resolved before choosing a design for your bathroom, since a separate installation of the ventilation grille will require drilling the canvas, and this is not always desirable.

One of the most popular materials for doors to the bathroom and toilet is considered wood. Its advantages are undeniable: it environmental friendliness, exceptional quality, practicality, presentable appearance and long term of use.

However, wood is hygroscopic, which means that it must be periodically treated with protective compounds against the effects of high humidity. At the same time, the cost of natural wood is quite high. High-quality doors have a very high price and this is the main reason that many users have to look for alternative options.

Today, the most common models are toilet doors made of MDF and particleboard - Their affordable price and a wide range of products attract a large number of consumers. These practical and cheap materials are wood-fiber or chipboard with a water-resistant facing layer that protects the canvas from steam and moisture. Modern technologies when creating plates use special impregnations that improve the operational parameters of the material.

The advantages of door panels made of MDF and particleboard include:

• affordable cost;
• a large selection of models suitable for any style of bathroom and toilet;
• increased moisture resistance;
• the possibility of applying decor.

When buying a door for a bathroom, special attention should be paid to the option of covering the main canvas. Laminated products are in maximum demand. This coating is the most ordinary paper fixed on the canvas and treated with decorative resins. This coating is resistant to water, as well as hot steam and wear. But the difficulty is that the vast majority of toilet door manufacturers use low-grade laminate - it is quite thin, wears out quickly, and when moisture gets in, it often causes the fabric to swell.

Laminatin should be preferred if possible. - This is the same laminate, but with higher performance properties. Thicker paper is used for its production, and resin coating is applied in 3 or more layers. As a result, the final quality of the product is much higher, however, the cost also exceeds the price of standard laminated models.

Some manufacturers apply PVC film to the doors. In this technique, the main frame of the door leaf is made of MDF, and the film is attached to its surface. Such material is not afraid of moisture, it can be cleaned with any detergents, it is highly resistant to mechanical damage. At the same time, the film can be made in a variety of tinting solutions and have the most diverse texture, therefore the problem of choosing a door to the bathroom by color in this case will be irrelevant.

If the internal filling of the door is made of budget species of wood or of particle boards, then outside they are covered with veneer of more valuable varieties. It is generally accepted that door structures made of wood should not be placed in rooms with a high level of humidity. Nonetheless, if the doors are covered with high-quality varnish or enamel, then no moisture will have a detrimental effect on wood. Veneer is considered one of the most expensive coatings, since it is a completely environmentally friendly material, but at the same time it is resistant to external adverse effects.

The greatest demand in the Russian market is for doors, covered with ecointerline interval. This material is the same plastic, but made in a slightly different technique. It contains wood fibers, and the plastic binder, which does not contain toxic substances, acts as the main binder. In its texture, the coating resembles wood, but at the same time it is much stronger and denser than its “prototype”. Eco-veneer coatings are completely immune to water and even with prolonged heating do not emit components that are toxic to the human body.

A more practical and budget option for shower rooms are considered plastic door structures. They relatively recently appeared on the Russian market. It should be noted that such products have absolutely nothing to do with structures made of PVC profiles used for the manufacture of windows. Plastic doors for bathrooms are familiar to us interior models and look the same as all other interior doors.

They are made of cheap, but at the same time durable material. The main advantages include their resistance to moisture, in addition, plastic is not exposed to the pathogenic effects of fungi, mold does not multiply on it.

Typically, the cavity of such a door leaf is filled with polystyrene foam, because the products are distinguished by increased sound insulation, as well as retain heat inside the bathroom.

Well and finally glass doors. This option for a shower room is considered optimal in all respects. By aesthetic criteria and practicality, this material will give odds to any other types of door leafs, but at the same time there are also disadvantages.

• The glass cloth is quite heavy, therefore, he needs quality door hardware.
• These products are distinguished by high cost. You will have to pay for quality and beauty - the price of such a door is many times higher than the cost of all other models.

In most typical high-rise buildings, toilet doors are rather narrow. In accordance with the standard, their dimensions are 550x1900 mm. Such options are typical for all apartments of the times of the USSR.

Nowadays, paintings of such small sizes can hardly be found in stores, but if necessary, you can always make them to order. In modern high-rise buildings, the smallest size of the toilet door is 600x1900 mm. However, do not forget that interior structures include not only the canvas itself, but also the box, the dimensions of which also have to be taken into account.

When replacing doors in the bathroom, some homeowners simply replace the canvas itself, but sometimes in apartments it becomes necessary to install the structure in a complete assembly. It should be noted immediately that the cost of a door with a box will be slightly higher than the cost of the canvas itself.

In order to pick up the box, you must first measure the doorway. For this, measurements are taken at three points:

• partition height;
• opening width;
• septum depth.

Doors for the sanitary zone in the house should not only be practical and functional. It is very important that they fit into the overall design of the bathroom and the living room as a whole. Before acquiring a particular model, you need to think about how aesthetically pleasing it will look in the overall stylistic decision of your premises. For example, laminate doors can be almost identical in texture. This is very convenient if you intend to put such canvases in all other rooms.

Quite often, manufacturers draw up designs for wood or natural stone.A wide variety of color palettes are characterized by plastic doors, so that every owner of a living room can always choose her desired shade, successfully combining the canvas with decorative elements of the entire apartment.

However, modern designers pay the most attention to glass doors. They are often decorated with stained glass ornaments, multi-colored glass, silver or gold plating. The use of sandblasting technology for decorating the bathroom door is in high demand. Glass doors are mirrored, matte, as well as embossed. Quite often they are supplemented with metal inserts.

Special attention should be paid door leaf transparency. Naturally, this does not mean complete transparency in the literal sense of the word, but the presence in the canvas of matte or small tinted inserts. Through them, what is happening inside is not visible, but at the same time they make it possible to determine whether someone is washing in the shower or not.

When choosing a door decor, there simply cannot be any advice - this is a matter of personal preference for each homeowner. From a practical point of view, you can focus on the following points.

• High sound insulation guaranteed by an exceptionally thick and fairly dense canvas. Any glass insert, unless it is laminated, will impair sound insulation. If this moment is one of critical - you will need a completely blank door.
• If there are inserts, the question is whether the bathroom is free or busy, will be decided without any unnecessary words - this advantage is especially appreciated in large families.
• The presence of glass inserts saves energy. Sometimes it seems that the light in the house is everywhere extinguished, but it happens that this opinion is erroneous. In order to conduct a quick check, you do not have to open the doors, as the light will be visible through the glass fragments.

Regardless of whether you have a separate bathroom or a combined bathroom, you must carefully approach the solution of the issue of acquiring a door for a bathroom and toilet.

When choosing the optimal design it is necessary to take into account the dimensions of the rooms and the location of the plumbing in them. Very important, so that the doors contribute to high noise insulation and heat retention inside the bathroom.

The decision about which sheets to put on the toilet largely depends on the size of the bathroom and on the number of people who use it. If the room is spacious, it is possible to place a shower cabin, a large bathtub, as well as a toilet bowl, sink and still have free space, then the material from which the door should be made does not really matter, since splashes of water are unlikely to fall on the canvas.

If the room is small and it is impossible to take a single extra step, a bathtub is installed near one wall, a washstand is located next to another, a washing machine is located a little further - the canvas will definitely be exposed to water all the time and it must be selected so that it is as good as possible more moisture resistant.

If the shower has an extractor fan and it works well, there are no problems with moisture. It is necessary to take into account the specifics of the room and when choosing accessories - hinges, as well as latches and handles, must certainly be much more durable than in any other interior structures.

If, when buying accessories in a bedroom, a nursery or a living room, it is not necessary to mount a handle with a lock, then this is a real need for a bathroom. There are several options for locking mechanisms and which one to prefer, it is necessary to decide the owners of the premises based on the characteristics of the canvas material and their personal wishes.

The built-in latch is a familiar budget constipation. The model is an ordinary handle, inside of which a latch is mounted. In one of the provisions, it prevents the rotation of the entire mechanism.

You can purchase the door handle and latch separately, while heck can be both laid on and mortise. This type of hardware is the simplest and most durable.

Enjoys great demand plumbing lock. From a technical point of view, this is a typical mortise lock, but with a simplified design and only one tongue. It allows you to fix the door in the closed state and at the same time it is locked with a latch, which is located inside the lock. The mechanism of operation is the same as that of the latch with an integrated latch, but constipation itself is much more reliable and requires great effort during installation.

In most Russian houses, toilet doors are narrow, however, you do not need to despair - even in such conditions you can always choose a stylish and aesthetic option.

Very effective and at the same time ergonomic are sliding doors, coupes and sliding models.

It looks stylish double door block book.

In the classic decor will be appropriate standard wooden models.

Country requires compulsory wood finish - in this case, most often use a laminate or decorative film.

For minimalism walls that "merge" with the decor are suitable, so usually they are installed in such toilets plastic or glass products.

Art deco suggests luxury. Here the canvases will be appropriate. solid wood, decorated with carvings, patterns and designer tiles.

The following video will tell about the nuances of installing an MDF door in the bathroom.