Swinging laundry room door & high effic. fan
#1
05-04-07, 05:15 PM
Swinging laundry room door & high effic. fan
My laundry room is "conveniently" placed in the middle of the hallway path from garage to kitchen and is in the middle of the house, just off the kitchen. The noise is irritating, and the two doors (one swings in from the kitchen and the other swings in from the hallway, which also gives access to the guest bath, guest room and garage interior) are a hassle when your arms are full of laundry. Plus the heat while drying clothes in summer means that I've always got the exhaust fan running and these doors shut. So, short of moving the entire laundry room outside to garage (which I've priced at about $4K), I'm thinking of getting the swinging type of doors the can swing in or out of a room --the ones like restaurants have in the "back of house" areas to screen the main kitchen noise and work from the paying customers. I can't figure out what to call these or who makes them. Also, a high efficiency but quiet exhaust fan would be needed. Since these doors will likely cost a small fortune, any ideas on alternatives? Any ideas? or recommendations on HE fans?
Last edited by kroach; 05-04-07 at 05:17 PM. Reason: mispelled
#2
05-04-07, 05:56 PM
Member
Would Dutch doors be an option? They could be left open on top for ventilation, but closed when needed for noise control and closing off the area from guests. Lever handles could be opened with the elbow while arms are loaded with laundry.
Too, just simply increasing the size of the exhaust fan in the laundry room to exhaust excess heat & humidity and adding lever handles that could be opened with the elbow might be all that it is needed. Many builders tend to install fans with too few CFMs (cubic feet/minute exhaust) for bathrooms and laundry rooms. Some fail to install exhaust fans.
If wanting doors to swing both ways like on a kitchen restaurant door, you would have to change out your hinge to one that swings both ways. These are often called cafe door hinges or swinging hinges. Even if your laundry room doors were more easily accessible with lever door handles or swinging door hinges, this would not address the excess heat and humidity. You will still need to increase the size of your exhaust fan. While many restaurants do have the swinging doors to the kitchens, there are those who have undersized kitchen exhaust fans which leave diners with burning eyes from the fumes and excessive food odors where you go back to your car smelling like the restaurant.
Too, just simply increasing the size of the exhaust fan in the laundry room to exhaust excess heat & humidity and adding lever handles that could be opened with the elbow might be all that it is needed. Many builders tend to install fans with too few CFMs (cubic feet/minute exhaust) for bathrooms and laundry rooms. Some fail to install exhaust fans.
If wanting doors to swing both ways like on a kitchen restaurant door, you would have to change out your hinge to one that swings both ways. These are often called cafe door hinges or swinging hinges. Even if your laundry room doors were more easily accessible with lever door handles or swinging door hinges, this would not address the excess heat and humidity. You will still need to increase the size of your exhaust fan. While many restaurants do have the swinging doors to the kitchens, there are those who have undersized kitchen exhaust fans which leave diners with burning eyes from the fumes and excessive food odors where you go back to your car smelling like the restaurant.
#3
05-05-07, 08:41 AM
Not sure about the dutch doors since noise really is as much of the issue as is the heat. But, love the idea of the lever handles instead, which I presume is much easier and cheaper to do than change out hinges. Thank you!
If you or anyone else has any manufacturer recommendations on the high efficiency quiet exhaust fan, I'd love to hear them.
thanks!
If you or anyone else has any manufacturer recommendations on the high efficiency quiet exhaust fan, I'd love to hear them.
thanks!
