Bridgewater, Somerset County
Doorway Widening in Bridgewater, NJ
Doorway widening in Bridgewater, NJ is usually a smaller job than in an older house, because newer drywall walls open cleanly. The first step is knowing which wall you have.
Your house in Bridgewater
- A narrow bath door and a walkerA small gain may solve it with a swing-clear hinge.
- A wheelchair and a door under the 32-inch referenceThe opening needs to be cut wider.
- A partition wallIt can be opened with an ordinary header.
- A bath already being rebuiltThe door can be done at the same time.
Questions people ask
How can I tell if my Bridgewater door can be widened?
Look at what the wall carries. A contractor can tell from the framing direction and what sits above it.
Will a swing-clear hinge be enough?
For a walker in a slightly narrow opening, it might. A wheelchair may need the opening itself widened.
Are bathroom doors in 1980s Bridgewater homes wide enough?
Often not for a wheelchair. Measure the clear width and compare it to your device.
Can the new door open outward?
Sometimes, but an outward swing needs clear hallway space. A pocket door may be neater.
Doorway widening in Bridgewater
In a house from 1981, bath doors are often the narrowest interior doors. That may be close to what a walker needs, and the gap can be small enough that options exist before any walls are cut. A swing-clear hinge, a smaller door slab and trimming the stop can add some width.
Source: Census Bureau, median year built
If those do not reach the 32-inch clear-width reference, the wall is next. Bridgewater homes were framed with standard studs and drywall, so cutting an interior partition is a simple job: a new header, jamb and casing, and drywall finishing. The one catch is bearing walls, which may include the walls along the central hall on the upper floor of a colonial.
About 30 percent of units here are not detached houses, many of them in townhouse and condo communities, and walls between units are not for cutting. Within your own unit, check whether the association wants a plan for a wider interior door.
It makes sense to do the work with the bath remodel, so the opening, shower and flooring are finished once.
The permit point
New Jersey lists replacing a door in the same opening as ordinary maintenance, but widening the opening changes the dimensions and framing and needs the construction office's view.
Doorway widening in Bridgewater NJ: newer walls, different problems
With a median build year of 1981, most Bridgewater homes have drywall on wood studs. Drywall is easy to cut and patch. Trim and paint finish the job.
The trouble spots are bath and bedroom doors cut for a standard house. A walker may fit through, but a wheelchair or a transfer chair often does not.
Measure the clear width, not the door. The Access Board's reference figure at a doorway is 32 inches, measured from the stop to the face of the door open at a right angle.
Sources: Census Bureau, median year built, U.S. Access Board
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Load-bearing walls under a second floor
In a colonial, a wall on the first floor may carry the bedrooms above. Cutting it needs a header sized for the load. In a ranch, only some walls carry the roof.
A contractor reads the floor plan, checks joist direction and may open a small test hole. Do not cut before that is done.
Ask for a line item for the header, the trim and the patching. It helps you compare quotes honestly.
Offset hinges, pocket doors and door swaps
If a full widening is too costly, there are smaller moves. Offset hinges swing the door clear and gain an inch or two. A pocket door slides into the wall and removes the swing. Replacing a door in the same opening is ordinary maintenance.
A wider opening changes the framing, so raise it with the Bridgewater construction office. For help with the whole list, see our doorway widening service page.
Pairing doors with a bathroom or a ramp
Widening the bath door often goes with a new shower. Plan them together so the crew only opens the wall once. See accessible bathrooms in Bridgewater for how the two jobs fit.
IRS Publication 502 lists widened doorways and hallways as examples of changes that may count as medical expenses. Some Medicare Advantage plans can cover them for chronically ill members. Ask your plan.
Older houses in Bridgewater: paint and dust
About 48 percent of Bridgewater housing units were built before 1980, and 20 percent before 1960. Older homes may have plaster and older paint.
Sources: Census Bureau, year built, U.S. EPA
EPA says a paid crew that disturbs paint in a home built before 1978 must follow lead-safe work rules. That is a separate cutoff from the census figure. Ask the contractor how the house's age affects dust control.
Check the route, not just the door
A wider door does not help if the hall beyond it is tight. Stand in the hall and picture a turn with a walker or a chair. Note where furniture, a radiator or a banister is in the way.
Sometimes the cheaper fix is to move a dresser or swing the door the other way. Other times the best plan is a new route, such as a first-floor room used as a bedroom. A contractor can compare the cost of each.
Thresholds count too. The ADA reference limit is half an inch, or three quarters if beveled.
Source: U.S. Access Board
Cost drivers and how to compare doorway quotes
Three things set the price of a wider door: what is in the wall, how big the opening becomes, and how much finishing is needed. A wall with wires or a duct costs more to open than a bare one.
Ask for each door to be priced alone. Ask whether trim, paint and flooring repair are included. A low price that leaves the patching to you is not a low price.
When you are ready, the form on this page puts you in touch with a local contractor. Read the three-day right to cancel before you sign.
Source: NJ Legislature
Doorway widening in nearby towns
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