Bathroom

A Useable Entry-level Bathroom

The doorway is the most significant difficulty. The preferred solution is a larger door. Pocket doors are helpful in situations where the swing of the door is a problem. Swinging the door out instead of into the bathroom will provide the extra travel space needed in some cases, and will improve others that are marginally accessible. (See the two Fair Housing designs on the previous page.) These illustrate as well that the kind of galley bathroom that is still used, with the 5' tub at the end dictating the width of the room can still provide 32" of travel space if the sink and the toilet are on the same side of the bathroom. If the vanity is omitted in favor of a wall-hung sink, a difficult obstacle is removed.

It is easier to clean and maintain a larger bathroom. Adding a few square feet to this area pays big dividends in ease and comfort for all household members and guests for the life of the home.

Although basic access does not necessarily include the placement of grab bars near the toilet or in the shower area, these are inexpensive features that increase the safety of the bathroom for everyone. At the least, it is a good idea to provide blocking (see Appendix 3 for details) so that grab bars can be quickly and easily installed . Grab bars can also substitute in some cases for towel bars.