disabled access

[freddiemercurystwin]

All doorways have to have a clearance of 1m that are too be accessed by wheechair. You used to be able to fit 926mm doors which are plenty big enough, but now you have to cut them out of a door blank.Just another stupid idea by someone justifying there job.

Presumably you're referring to no non-domestic buildings as opposed to houses which don't require 1000mm wide doors at all!

The reason doors giving access to the disabled in non-domestic scenario's need to be so large is that manual wheelchairs max out at about 840mm wide, when you add on enough each side for a hand you end up with about 1000mm. I'm currently doing a job for a tetroplegic, what size doors do you think he's asked for? thats right: 1000mm.

 

[TDBOY]

NO. Iam running a disable adapt job at the moment at a domestic property and drawings state 1m wide doorways.The surveyor has said that these are the new regs.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

NO. Iam running a disable adapt job at the moment at a domestic property and drawings state 1m wide doorways.The surveyor has said that these are the new regs.

If it's work to a domestic property required to make it more accessible for the client then of course wider doors may well be required, as I mentioned I'm also working on a domestic project where the client has asked for 1000mm wide doors but this is being paid for by the client not the local authority or anyone else.
Doors in a new dwelling or an extension to a dwelling are not required to be 1000mm if they are to meet current building regulations.
There can be local authority driven regulations specific to converting dwellings accessible for the disabled especially where grants for the works are awarded. Is this work being provided by the LA? Nursing homes and hospitals also have their own regulations as Part M of the building regs concentrates more on public buildings and commercial premises ie libraries, schools, offices, shops etc. Only a small portion of it is concerned with domestic properties.

 

[jeds]

1000 wide doorways is for commercial newbuild only. The standard for existing domestic properties varies depending on the width and angle of approach to the door but it will be either 750 or 775mm clear opening.

Bear in mind that this is minimum building regulations standard. Local authorities often have their own standards that they insist on for grant aided work.

 

[TDBOY]

The job that i am running is for a local authority and a DFG job