Have you ever tried to fit something through a doorway, just to find that the door itself was in the way? Just ask anyone who has ever been confined to a wheelchair at some point in time, they will tell you that most doorways are too narrow to begin with.
One solution is to remove the door altogether, but in modern homes today, the only rooms that have a door are bedrooms and bathrooms. A little privacy please?
A great solution to this problem are Swing Away Hinges (also called Offset Hinges). These hinges swing the door completely out and away from the opening, adding almost 2" of clearance.
The last time I checked, a pair of Swing-Away Hinges were selling for around $20 on Amazon.com. Now isn't that cheaper than a reciprocating saw?
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Cynthia Larsen
Broker/Owner - Safe Haven Realty
Sonoma County, California, USA
(707) 332-2560
Very helpful information! I can not tell you how many time I have seen this problem! I have never heard of the swing-away-hinges! I will definitely let my clients know about this! Thanks!
Thanks for stopping by, Donna. I was amazed the first time I saw these in action ... they certainly make a difference.
Hi Cynthia ...Wow !! What a great item .... Very helpful hint ....
There are some really great items ...to make our lives easier and better !
Thanks for the information
I am really enjoying this series, Cynthia... so great of you to share. And, offset hinges... who knew?!
Robert - the swing away hinges certainly make it easier for folks with walkers, wheelchairs, oxygen tanks etc.
Peggy - thanks ... I love this stuff!
Hi Cynthia.....great information.... I never saw that type of hinge....with all of the adult communities, I should know this stuff.
Barbara - so many cool things are being invented to help seniors stay in their homes for as long as possible. It's hard to keep up!
Wow, I had no idea that they even had these specialty hinges. Good to know!
Thanks for stopping by my blog about my profile picture. I guess I should change the old one out soon. :)
In some areas a 'Pocket' door makes for a great space saver also.
Never heard of them. I like them a lot. I like pocket doors... mom used one in her house and I'm thinking I'll use them where I can in my next house too.
Jennifer - thank YOU for stopping by, nice to meet you!
Randi - yes, pocket doors are nice, but they are definitely limited to available space and design.
Tammy - I want to see the plans to your next house ... sounds like you are thinking about all possibilities.
The males in my family will be impressed when I suggest a swing away hinge the next time they encounter a tight doorway. I can see the looks from my three sons now--priceless.
Norma - what's priceless is your comment. Too funny!
Swing away hinges do sound preferable to battering a door down out of frustration. In this day and age, we really should be making our homes and businesses more friendly for people with disabilities Cynthia, and while these hinges are really such a small thing, they could make a huge difference to someone in a wheelchair.
Malcolm - these hinges are probably the biggest bang for the buck when it comes to widening doorways.
I've seen these hinges in use and they are amazing. Hopefully they will become easier to find.
Iris - Amazon.com actually has quite a selection of them. I haven't looked in a hardware store yet, I plan to do that today.
I have pocket doors in my house. It's like having a door and not having a door.
That is such a simple great idea Cynthia . I have had several applications where this would have been perfect...
Charita - pocket doors can be great, I've had them too.
Paul - I've taken a door off more than once ... these hinges could have made my job easier.
Cynthia those hinges can be useful when wheel chair access is minimal too.
Charles - precisely the point ... the hardware stores will be selling these like candy when us boomers get old.
I have never heard of these. But it sounds like a pretty good solution to me. Thanks! -Kasey
We are familiar with all the 55+ communities here and we have never seen these before...great information!
What a great idea. I have one door that is way too narrow. Love it.
What a great idea and bringing beds or couches in I've certainly had my fare share of knuckle rubs. I think I'm going to go buy some of these for our bedroom at the least.
Excellent idea Cynthia for more than one reason! We were thinking about furniture just like Todd Clark!
Kasey - and affordable too!
Larry & Sheila - these will come in handy even in 55+ communities where doors are usually wider than in older homes.
Jane - for your "to do" list when you get back from India :)
Todd - I hear ya with the knuckles ... ouch!
Al & Peggy - whoever invented the door wasn't thinking about furniture!