Interior doors to the bathroom and toilet: 8 tips for choosing

What should be the doors to the bathroom and toilet? First, they must withstand exposure to high humidity. Secondly, to provide sufficient sound insulation and be as airtight as possible. Thirdly, the doors should be aesthetic and fit into the interior of the bathroom. It is also worth considering the opening mechanism and think about fittings and other trifles. We have prepared for you a guide for choosing interior doors to the bathroom and toilet, in which we have collected all the key aspects of this issue.

Criterias of choice

So that among the vast assortment of interior doors the most suitable option, you should consider the criteria put forward to the door leaf in the bathroom:

• quality heat and sound insulation, which is ensured not only by the canvas itself, but also by the correctness of its installation;
• aesthetics;
• durability;
• moisture resistance - This is the most important requirement for the canvas. If small bathroom, a shower stall, sink and Washer standing close to each other and at arm's length from the front door, then spray will fly onto the canvas, and the steam will act decently. In such cases, it is better to choose the most moisture resistant material (glass and plastic). If the bathroom is spacious, with good ventilation system, then the choice is greatly expanding - you can look in the direction of wood paintings, particleboard and MDF. Manufacturers promise that they can easily withstand moisture up to 60-70%, and the MDF sheet will be more resistant to high humidity than solid wood.

The weak point of many doors is the junction of the facing of the outside and the end. As a rule, a protective coating is applied separately to the edge and separately to the canvas, a small gap is formed between them, where moisture can penetrate. In addition, very often the upper and lower ends of the doors are left without a protective coating. Moisture can easily get there, so it’s better to process these places before installation varnishif the manufacturer has not provided for this.

Material of manufacture and coating of doors

It’s easy to guess that all the main operational qualities depend on what material is the interior door made to the bathroom. The mass of options:

• solid wood - it's expensive, beautiful, but at the same time not very practical. The material retains sound and heat well, is environmentally friendly, durable with proper care. The tree reacts very sensitively to changes in humidity and temperature, because if you take the canvas from the array, then choose the most stable breed. The best in this regard are exotic breeds, including Merabu and Balau. But these are elite options - in domestic bathrooms oak and alder are usually used. Other species (ash, beech, pine) require more thorough processing and applying a protective coating;
• laminated doors - these are canvases, the basis of which is MDF, chipboard or inexpensive wood (solid pine), and the top finishing is performed with one of the following materials:
  • laminate - This is a multilayer structure, which consists of paper with a pattern applied on it and a protective coating of resins and varnishes. Quality laminate able to easily withstand humidity of about 60% and is not particularly afraid of mechanical damage.Some manufacturers use laminate - the same laminate, but with thicker paper and several protective varnish layers. In the economy segment, doors with a thin protective coating are presented, which are easily damaged, giving moisture the opportunity to get close to sensitive internal material. Such products for the bathroom are not suitable, so it is better not to save;
  • veneer - This is a thin slice of natural wood, all the pros and cons come from here. This is a beautiful finish with a unique woody pattern, but it is afraid of moisture. It can be used in the bathroom only if it is reliably coated with enamel or varnish, but it is still better to look for another option;
  • Pvc film must be applied in such a way that there are no joints on the finished web. In theory, each part of the door should be covered with a film in a special chamber, after which the individual parts are connected into a single structure. In this case, the risk of moisture getting to the base of MDF or cheap wood is minimal. Any pattern can be applied to the film, therefore it is possible to imitate any breed. Beware of cheap products that can emit harmful substances and exfoliate during operation, exposing the base;
  • ecointerline interval produced on the basis of wood fibers that are bonded with plastics. The material can be given not only any color, but also a texture, therefore it is possible to achieve a high-quality imitation of wood. The material is much stronger than ordinary PVC film, does not emit harmful substances, is not afraid of moisture, therefore it is ideal for bathrooms. Moreover, the eco-veneer is very thin and plastic, because it well bends around all the elements of the door leaf;
• plastic doors They are not afraid of moisture, temperature changes, mold will not appear on them. These are inexpensive and fairly lightweight canvases that are very easy to care for. To improve heat and sound insulation, the door cavity is filled with polystyrene foam. The main disadvantage is not too aesthetic appearance. Typically, such doors are made in white. In addition, under more or less strong loads, the web may deform;
• glass doors. Of glass, there can only be inserts in the door, and the entire canvas can also be made. Strong tempered glass is used, it can be frosted, corrugated, colored or with stained glass. Glass goes well with wood, often embedded in doors made of MDF and particleboard, and is rarely used as an independent material. Glass is a hygienic material that is not afraid of moisture and temperature changes, is not subject to formation fungus and moldcapable of withstanding impacts and loads. Many fear that the glass will not be able to provide sufficient heat and sound insulation, but if the installation is done correctly, there will be no problems in this regard, but the dull sheet will still be more "quiet". The disadvantages include the high cost, as well as the need to wipe the glass if splashes or vapors get on it, as well as the large weight of the glass.

Of course, you must immediately choose a door that is protected from moisture. If you take the first available canvas with the expectation of applying a protective layer yourself, then you can spoil the product. A striking example is the application of one type of varnish on top of the varnish used by the manufacturer. If you do not guess with the composition, the production layer of varnish can dissolve, i.e. you need to know the manufacturing technology in the nuances. If you want to further protect the door, it is much safer to cover only the insertion points of the handles, hinges, and also the upper and lower ends of the door.

Opening method

Doors to the bathroom, as well as all other interior doors, according to the methods of opening are:

• swinging - The classic and most popular option. With such a cloth, you can set a threshold, and this is a plus to heat and sound insulation. In addition, swing doors securely fit door frame. The choice of models with such a design is huge, and the only negative is that the canvas needs a place to swing open. If this is the place in short supply (for example, with very narrow and small corridor), you will have to look for other options;
• sliding doors generally do not take up space near the doorway, since the canvas is shifted to the side with the help of guides and rollers. It is very convenient, beautiful, but not ideal in terms of heat and sound insulation, since there will always be a gap between the canvas and the floor. Since soundproofing for the bath is the first thing, it is better to look towards the sliding doors that hide in the wall. The main thing is to find a quality product, because in case of breakdowns you have to disassemble the entire wall;
• folding doors - the worst option for a bath. The canvas consists of two ("book") or three or more parts ("accordion"), which, when the door is opened, fold, freeing the opening. This solution requires less space than swing doors, but a folded canvas still takes up part of the space. The disadvantages also include poor heat and sound insulation, but there will be no guides in the wall or near it, as is the case with a sliding door;
• rotary doors in the bathroom - this is an option for those who do not like standard solutions. When opened, the canvas turns and moves off a bit, it can rotate in any direction. The advantages and disadvantages are the same as for swing doors, but such canvases are more expensive.

Door size

Most of the interior doors are 190 and 200 cm high, the width ranges from 60 to 80 cm, but can be found on sale in widths of 55 cm and even 100 cm. For standard apartments in multi-storey buildings, standard-sized doors are suitable - there should be no problems .

If the doorway is non-standard, then you have to contrive. The most expensive way is to order a door according to an individual sketch. Such a canvas will fully meet the design requirements and up to a millimeter fit under the opening. You can look for a factory that produces doors in a wide range of sizes. Such manufactures usually produce standard doors in large numbers, and non-standard ones in a small series. Another option is to reduce or expand the doorway, adjusting to the size of the door. Some craftsmen decide, on the contrary, to fit the doors under the doorway, but not every canvas can withstand such mockery. The room will pass only with a wooden door, and hollow boxes and doors in which the base is made of MDF or particleboard will not survive such changes, since moisture will enter the internal layers of the structure, causing damage.

Glass inserts

Deaf door leafs seem boring to many, because manufacturers in a wide assortment offer doors with glass inserts. From the point of view of security, you should not be afraid of such doors - the multilayer triplex can withstand even strong blows, and if it is damaged, then all the fragments will remain on the film, which is held together by several layers of glass. Glass is fastened using a special technology, it is reliable enough, so when choosing a model with glass inserts it is better to think about how well it fits into the interior.

Among the advantages of designs worth highlighting:

• the ability to immediately determine if someone is in the bathroom or not. This is a huge plus for large families;
• it’s clear that you have not left the light on somewhere;
• beautifully.

On the other hand, keep in mind that:

• glass inserts worsen soundproofing;
• large glass elements significantly complicate the design;
• if the door to the bathroom is in the bedroom, then light will pass through the glass inserts, interfering with the rest in the bedroom. A compromise option - very small inserts made of the most frosted glass;
• if the entrance to the bathroom is in the corridor, where blind doors leading to other rooms are already installed, then it is better to take the canvas to become available.

We pay attention to the fittings

Even the best quality door leaf does not live up to expectations if poor fittings are installed, so it is so important to pay attention to trifles, which, in fact, are not trifles:

• door knob. The most common option is to install separate handle and lock. The handle can be with a bolt or just plain round so that you can only grab it. With such a handle you can install the most ordinary latch. You can choose the more interesting option - plumbing wrapper. This is an analogue of a conventional mortise lock, only in its simpler variation. Castle can be mortise or laid on. Another option is knob handle, a latch is already integrated in it. If you turn it into a vertical position, then the door cannot be opened outside. Simple and inexpensive solution;
• hinges. In most cases, you can do with conventional overhead hinges, but if there are increased requirements for aesthetics or the door leaf is very heavy (for example, from solid wood), it is better to choose mortise hinges;
• ventilation grill necessary if the existing ventilation system does not cope with its tasks. A small hole with a grill installed in it will help to avoid a lot of problems: from condensation on the mirror and doors to fungus and mold, resulting from the constant presence of high humidity. The ventilation grill will slightly reduce the heat and sound insulation, but you will have to sacrifice something. It is better to immediately choose a door with a ventilation grill than then make a hole in the canvas;
• with a shortage of space on the door, you can hang hooks and shelves for storing towels, pockets for all sorts of little things, etc. The fittings must match the weight of the items that it will hold.

Since the bath is a room with high humidity, the fittings should be resistant to corrosion, therefore it is better that all metal parts are made of stainless steel or brass, have a protective coating of nickel or chrome.

Path to the bathroom entrance

In fact, whether or not to make sills at the entrance to the bathroom is an issue that is decided on an individual basis. The point here is not only and not so much in aesthetics as in security. A small sill can hold water in case of flooding for 15-20 minutes, and you will have time to solve the problem and not jeopardize flooring in the apartment.

Powders can be arranged in several ways. The classic version is a small barrier with a height of not more than 2 cm, while the floor in the bathroom and the adjacent room remains at the same level. Such thresholds are perfectly combined with swing doors. Can do bathroom floor slightly lower than in the next room, which is important when installing swing doors.

Color and design

Color of interior doors depends on your preference, interior features and the shades used in it. Ideally, if all the interior doors in the apartment would be made in the same color and design. You can choose a shade based on the color of the flooring - this is the easiest and most win-win option.

• White and light doors look appropriate in almost any interior, work on expanding spacemakes it lighter.
• Saturated Dark Doors They look luxurious and elegant, perfectly in harmony with the dark flooring, but are absolutely not suitable for small rooms.
• Bright Doors look bold and unusual, but successfully fit them into the interior yourself can be difficult - you need the help of a designer. It is important that the shade of the door overlap with other interior details.

As for the design, there are a million options.The door can be absolutely smooth and deaf, it can be decorated with moldings, glass inserts with stained glass or sandblasting. Smooth canvas can be decorated photo wallpapermaking the interior of the bathroom unique.