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Modern sliding doors to separate kitchen from laundry?

17 years ago

I believe the previous owners took out the walls separating the laundry and dining room and kitchen. I am wondering if there are any nice contemporary large sliding doors that I can close when there is company to hide the laundry room, but open when I am home to open the room up.

Thanks,

jenny

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Comments (9)

troubleseekeral
17 years ago
You could do a double pocket door setup if there is enough room. Use any style door blank you want.
mahatmacat1
17 years ago
Oh jennye, they're all over the place! You can use Ikea PAX sliding doors, you can use doors from the sliding door co. (google them), you can make your own and use sliding mounts from Johnson Hardware...

We're making our own for our closets, floor-to-ceiling sliding doors on exposed slides from Johnson. We don't have the room for the Ikea (only one size), and the sliding door co. is too expensive for us but gorgeous (they advertise in Dwell a lot, in the back--you can find them there too).

Wwe're going to take plywood, reinforce it on the back to try to prevent warping, and either paint it or veneer or laminate it on the front. Unless we decide to go ahead and get the teak plywood...there are all sorts of plywood with exotic wood veneers available, mostly for marine use.

If you want translucent panels, I'd recommend one of the two I mentioned above, depending on size.

They're so much fun :)
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jennye
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks guys! When I hear sliding door, I think of the ugly things from the 70s and 80s. I did find one store called bartel that has beautiful doors, but doubtless too much $$$. But Ikea! I NEVER would have thought to look there. I just thought only home depot or special order. But use my own wood veneer? Oh my gosh. How fun that would be!!!!!! I also like frosted glass. Please post your door when done flyleft. It sounds like it will be awesome.
lazypup
17 years ago
Careful here..If you have a gas dryer adding a door may make the laundry room a "confined Space" and if so you will also be required to install combustion air ducts.

By Code a confined space is any room that has less than 50cubic feet of volume for each 1,000btu/hr of burner size.

Typically a laundry dryer has a 35,000btu/hr rating which means a confined space is any room with less than 35 x 50cu.ft = 1750cu.ft.

Allowing an 8 foot ceiling that would then be a room equal to 1750 / 8 =218.75sq.ft (14'x14' or equivalent).

If there remains an open doorway between the laundry and kitchen the doorway permits a free transfer of combustion air so the kitchen volume in included in the equation but if you install doors you will be required to vent in additional combustion air.
mahatmacat1
17 years ago
Uh-oh, lazypup...our laundry room, as originally designed and as sold to us and as passed by our inspector (who was worth precisely nothing, but that's another story, just saying he didn't even comment on it) is only 7x8 and it's got a gas dryer (stacked units)...but it's got a vent fan too--does that help? Is that what you were referring to wrt venting in additional combustion air?
jennye
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks lazypup! I checked and all I see is a fat cord going to an outlet and the vent hose thing going outside. WHEW! Does this mean I am okay?

flyleft, I hope that you will be okay to install your sliding doors. It seems that nothing is easy in this remodeling business!

jenny
mahatmacat1
17 years ago
I don't know, jenny--that's just the dryer vent, I think...do you have a vent fan too? If not, it's possible to install one, just needs an outdoor opening (e.g. up the roof, if possible from that location).

But did you see the current issue of Sunset? There's a pic of beautiful and rather inexpensive (2x6s on a frame) exposed-mechanism sliding doors covering a washer/dryer in a very beautiful kitchen :). Wish they'd identified the mechanism (hm, I haven't checked the resources page yet)
jennye
Original Author
17 years ago
Hi flyleft. The room will be in between two doors, one going outside, but I imagine I could have a fan installed.

I have not seen the latest Sunset. I will check it out at Borders. I need another mag. to peruse for ideas. And I am a little befuddled on the kitchen/laundry room. I went to Borders last Sunday, and I already had one of each of the kitchen, bath, architecture, design mags. I have remodeling mags. all over this house and the car! I was so disappointed when I went Sunday and found there werent any new ones out!

jenny
mahatmacat1
17 years ago
That's like our arrangement--except it's between the front hall and the garage (the two-door thing).

If you were closer, you could come over and peruse my quasi-library of books/mags...but speaking of library, at least our local library had several books that were worth checking out as well. Somewhat more dated than "last month", but far from obsolete. So that could be another source...yes?

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