Further, when commercial bathroom doors include durable framing and hardware, they can also contribute to long-lasting openings with minimal maintenance costs over their service life. This combined with their crisp lines and multiple finish options supports the modernization of commercial restrooms. Below are three ways sliding commercial bathroom doors can contribute to a beautiful and functional interior space.
Patient restrooms become more accessible with commercial sliding doors
Achieving the accessibility standards outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is important for all public buildings, but these standards receive added emphasis in healthcare settings. Not only is it crucial for healthcare services to be accessible for all, but also many surgical procedures may temporarily increase the accessibility needs of recovering patients.
Commercial sliding doors dramatically reduce approach clearances and require less maneuvering to operate, making them easier to be used by those with mobility assistive devices. In addition, top-hung sliding commercial bathroom doors do not need a floor track easing, entry and exit requirements. These doors can also be specified with ADA-compliant hardware and barrier free framing, further increasing their ability to accommodate multiple accessibility needs.
Finally, because sliding doors do not swing, they mitigate the risk of a fallen patient blocking the swing arc of a door. This helps ensure that medical professionals can help in the event of an emergency no matter where that emergency takes place.
Commercial bathroom doors in repeated units accumulate benefits
In addition to helping designers achieve accessibility standards in healthcare settings, sliding doors can offer a range of benefits for hospitality and multifamily residencies. When specified as bathroom doors, systems like SuiteSlide™ can contribute to a luxury aesthetic by fusing frosted glazing with a dark wood finish.
These doors can also save up to 30 square feet by eliminating swing arc trajectories. When they are used as commercial bathroom doors in occupancies with repeated units, they can help designers maximize the useable square footage in each room without significantly enlarging their footprint. This, in turn, can lead to more rooms being planned or other creative uses of the extra space.
Automatic operators support more hygienic commercial bathroom doors
Doors serve functions other than contributing to a building’s accessibility and aesthetic goals. They are also an integral part of building hygiene. Because door handles are some of the most touched surfaces within the built environment, they can host a multitude of bacteria and viruses. This is especially true for commercial bathroom doors.
Automatic sliding doors reduce touch points to support lowering the number of potentially contaminated surfaces a person comes into contact with while inside a building. They can also be equipped with a variety of access control devices to limit who can enter a restroom, improving the security and cleanliness of these spaces.
Commercial bathroom doors are only one use for sliding doors
Sliding doors can modernize commercial bathrooms in several ways, but their use extends beyond this application. They can be the key to unlocking contemporary designs in education, offices, retail, healthcare and more.
Because they support space-saving designs and provide premium acoustic performance, commercial sliding doors can be used throughout the built environment to create openings that meet a variety of occupant needs.
