When choosing your walk in bath there are a number of decisions to be made to suit your needs, one being a very important part of the bath and your bathroom – the bath door.
Should you choose an inward or outward swinging door?
The older style walk in baths normally have an outward door but the inward door style is becoming very popular and the new designs are now mainly inward doors.
Below are the main points to consider when deciding between an inward and outward opening door.
Watertight Seal around the Door
The inward door has a watertight seal which should prevent any leaks whilst in the bath as the water pressure holds the door shut, but with the outward door there is a chance the water could leak around the seal causing a risk of slipping when you exit the bath and causing possible damage to your bathroom floor.
Opening and Closing the Door
To open and close the outward door you have to reach out and open from the outside of the bath but with the inward door you open from inside the bath which is much easier whilst in the sitting position. Also there is no obstruction from the inward door if left open but the outward door could cause an obstruction making it a potential risk to persons using the bathroom and if the bath has just been used the water could drip from the door onto the floor making it slippery.
Space to use the Door
With an outward opening door you have to take into consideration where the sanitary goods are in the bathroom as this could prevent the outward door opening as the goods could be in the way. You won’t need to worry about this if you choose an inward opening door as it only takes the space inside the bath.
On most designs even though the door is opening inside the bath there should be enough space for you to get in and out easily. This would be advisable to try when you are looking at the models as it is important you can get in and out with ease.
Opening the Door whilst in the Bath
The outward door can be accidentally opened whilst the walk in bath is being used but this is not the case with an inward door due to the water pressure closing the door tight. You can get out of the outward opening door quickly which is an advantage if there is an emergency but with the inward door you have to wait until all the water has been drained away.