Doors for bathroom and toilet: types and selection

The main difference between a bathroom door and any other interior design is its size - usually it is slightly smaller. But this is far from the only parameter that should be paid attention to. It is necessary to choose the material of the canvas, think over 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 blank canvas or give preference to products with glass. In this issue, there is not only a decorative, but also a practical moment.

The choice of toilet doors must be approached responsibly. If, when purchasing models for other premises, the owners pay the main attention to appearance, then products that are installed 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 sound insulation parameters;
• fittings of the highest quality should be installed, since the bathroom is a room of frequent use.

Any interior doors include an inner frame and outer cladding. The frame is usually made from solid wood of expensive species, as well as from wood-shaving materials - chipboard or MDF... All of them react poorly to moisture, although the manufacturers promise the resistance of the door frame and the door leaf itself to humidity up to 50-70%.Water and hot steam have the most destructive effect on a door made of natural wood, while MDF and chipboard are considered more resistant.

Each 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 inconspicuous joint remains between the canvas and this very edge. Usually it is not sealed and through it moisture penetrates into the array, which eventually leads to its deterioration.

The ends of the door (both upper and lower), as a rule, are not treated with a hydro-resistant compound. Of course, the ingress of moisture on these areas of the canvas is unlikely, but through them it begins to absorb moisture from the room. It is most correct to treat these areas with enamel or special varnish, especially when it comes to the doors to the bathroom.

Doors for bathrooms differ in their design features. The most popular models are considered swinging open, folding and sliding models.

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

Sliding doors are a very economical option, allowing the most ergonomic use of the available space... Such doors are usually installed in small bathrooms. At the same time, there is no need to immediately run to the store for such models, especially when they are offered to you in their standard version. The fact is that between the canvas itself 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 is best to choose cassette options - they open by moving into the wall. When buying such products, you should discuss all the rules of warranty service, since if suddenly the cassette doors fail, then you will have to partially disassemble the wall.

Folding structures can be called a separate type of sliding doors, but with a small caveat: they do not require a separate space for opening. From a structural point of view, they are carried out in two versions: "Accordion" or "book". The first one includes 3 or more valves, the second - only 2.

Among the main disadvantages of such options, users highlight low sound insulation. In addition, the doors simply "hide" 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 high-quality ventilation, then after each hygienic procedure you will encounter condensation on the walls and pretty misted glasses, which will have to be wiped off so that they do not lose their operational characteristics.

Condensation is formed due to the temperature difference between the structure itself and the heated air after washing. In order to reduce this difference, you should either purchase a canvas with built-in ventilation grilles, or later install them separately. This issue must be resolved before choosing a design for your bathroom, since a separate installation of the ventilation grill 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 action of high humidity... Moreover, the cost of natural wood is quite high. Quality doors are very expensive and this is the main reason that many users have to look for alternatives.

To date, toilet doors made of MDF and chipboard are considered more common models. - their democratic cost and wide assortment attract a large number of consumers. These practical and cheap materials are compressed wood fiber boards or particle boards with a waterproof facing layer that protects the canvas from steam and moisture. When creating slabs, modern technologies use special impregnations that improve the operational parameters of the material.

The advantages of MDF and chipboard door panels 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 the highest demand. This coating is the most common paper, fixed to 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 web to swell.

If possible, you should give preference to laminate. - this is the same laminate, but with higher performance properties. For its production, thicker paper is used, and the resin coating is applied in 3 or more layers. As a result, the final quality of the product is much higher, however, and 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. This material is not afraid of moisture, it can be cleaned with any detergent, it is highly resistant to mechanical damage. At the same time, the film can be made in a variety of shading solutions and have a wide variety of textures, therefore the problem of choosing a door to the bathroom by color in this case will be irrelevant.

If the inner filling of the door is made of budget wood species or of chipboard, then the outside is covered with veneer of more valuable varieties. It is generally accepted that wooden door structures should not be installed in rooms with high humidity levels. Nevertheless, if the doors are covered with high-quality varnish or enamel, then no moisture will have a detrimental effect on the 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 distinguished by resistance to external adverse influences.

Doors are in the greatest demand on the Russian market, covered with eco-veneer. This material is the same plastic, but made in a slightly different technique. It contains wood fibers, and plastic, which does not contain toxic substances, acts as the main binder. By 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 impervious to water and, even with prolonged heating, do not emit components toxic to the human body.

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

They are made of cheap, but 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.

Usually, the cavity of such a door leaf is filled with expanded polystyrene, because the products are distinguished by increased sound insulation, and also retain heat inside the bathroom.

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

• The glass sheet is pretty heavy hence, he needs quality door hardware.
• These products are distinguished by their 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, the toilet doors are rather narrow. In accordance with the standard, their dimensions are 550x1900 mm. Such options are typical for all apartments from the times of the USSR.

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

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

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

• partition height;
• opening width;
• partition 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 living space as a whole. Before purchasing this or that model, you need to think about how aesthetically pleasing it will look in the overall stylistic solution of your room. For example, laminate doors can be nearly identical in texture. This is very convenient if you intend to put such canvases in all other rooms.

Quite often, manufacturers design structures for wood or natural stone.Plastic doors are characterized by a wide variety of color palette, thanks to which each owner of a living space can always choose its 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, frosted and embossed. Quite often they are supplemented with metal inserts.

Special attention should be paid to transparency of the door leaf... Naturally, this does not mean complete transparency in the literal sense of the word, but the presence of matte or small tinted inserts in the canvas. Through them you cannot see what is happening inside the room, 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 preferences of each homeowner. From a practical point of view, you can focus on the following points.

• High level of noise isolation guaranteed by an exceptionally thick and rather dense fabric. Any glass insert, unless it is multi-layered, will impair sound insulation. If this moment is one of the critical ones, you will need a completely blind door.
• If there are inserts, the question is whether the bathroom is free or occupied, will be solved without any further ado - this advantage is especially appreciated in large families.
• The presence of glass inserts saves energy. Sometimes it seems that the lights in the house are extinguished everywhere, but it happens that this opinion is mistaken. You don't have to open doors for a quick check, as the light will be visible through the glass fragments.

Regardless of whether you have a separate bathroom or a combined one, the decision on purchasing a door for a bathroom and a toilet must be approached with all care.

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

Deciding which canvases to put in the toilet, largely depends on the footage 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, a sink in it, and at the same time there will still be free space, then the material from which the door should be made practically does not play any role, since water splashes are unlikely to fall on the canvas.

If the room is small and it is impossible to make a single extra step in it, there is a bathtub near one wall, a washstand near the other, 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 possible more moisture resistant.

If there is a hood in the shower and it works well, there are no problems with moisture. You should take into account the specifics of the room and when choosing fittings - hinges, as well as latches and handles, must certainly be much more durable than in any other interior structures.

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

The built-in retainer is a familiar budget constipation. The model is an ordinary handle with a latch mounted inside. In one of the positions, it prevents the entire mechanism from turning.

You can purchase the door handle and latch separately, and the heck can be both invoice and mortise... This type of fittings 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 the door to be fixed in the closed state and at the same time is locked with a latch, which is located inside the lock. The mechanism of operation here is the same as that of the latch with a built-in latch, but the constipation itself is much more reliable and requires more effort during installation.

In most Russian houses, the toilet doors are narrow, however, there is no 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.

Looks stylish double door block book.

The classic decor will be appropriate standard wooden models.

Country requires a mandatory wood finish - in this case, laminate or decorative film is most often used.

For minimalism suitable walls, "merging" with the environment, so usually in such toilets install plastic or glass products.

Art deco suggests luxury. Canvases will be appropriate here made of solid wood, decorated with carvings, patterns and designer tiles.

The following video will tell you about the nuances of installing MDF doors in the bathroom.