I keep forgetting the doorways are smaller than me
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
United States
July 8, 2017 11:47am CST
I have a mental list of the things in this house that annoy me. In the four years we have been here many of those items have been crossed off that list. Unfortunately, there are a few things I cannot change - and the size of the doors/doorways is one of them.
As you can see in the photo, this house has a lot of wood and the door frame and most of the trim has sharp edges. They should have knocked down the edges before applying the finish. I have cut myself several times and have the scars to prove it.
This morning I was on my way to the computer and for a split second I took my mind off of that and forgot to conform to the opening and I whacked my knee pretty darn hard on the door frame. I said ouch several times, but the pain went away and the knee just has a slight tingle with I touch it.
I would like to wrap my hands around the throat of whoever designed such small door openings. Everyone that comes here mentions how narrow they are.
Photo is mine.
17 people like this
18 responses
@GardenGerty (161006)
• United States
8 Jul 17
Small doorways seems to be a foolish economy on the part of the builder. I was pleasantly surprised as this house is older, but has nice wide openings. It will be wheel chair friendly if we get to that point.
4 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
8 Jul 17
We don't have a kitchen door - it's an opening and it's only 24 inches. These people planned for a walk in shower and it's big enough for a seat, but they made small doorways, makes no sense. But if we get to that point we won't be living here anyway- if we can't walk we can't take care of the place.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
8 Jul 17
Ha Ha - that would be a good way to solve the problem!
@TiarasOceanView (70022)
• United States
8 Jul 17
Oh thats not good.
Is there nothing you could cover those sharp edges with Abby?
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
8 Jul 17
would have to be sanded smooth and then a new finish and that would mean: A big mess and a stain that would not match what is there.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29413)
• Eugene, Oregon
9 Jul 17
That is an odd way to design door openings. Our kitchen cupboard have edges along the bottom that are quite sharp. We have both suffered cuts from them.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
9 Jul 17
They crammed too much stuff into rooms and the small openings in this room was the only way to go.
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
9 Jul 17
The movers had no problem getting things in that's for sure. The exterior doors are normal size.
1 person likes this
@RubyHawk (99405)
• Atlanta, Georgia
11 Jul 17
@AbbyGreenhill I love your beautiful hard wood floors.
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
12 Jul 17
I know how frustrating that is. When I had my foot surgery I was on a walker for a couple of months. The stupid bathroom doors were too narrow for the walker. We talked about replacing the doors but the cost is prohibitive.
I hope your knee doesn't bruise.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
12 Jul 17
It is fine. I will live LOL! Replacing doors isn't always possible either. The two narrow ones are narrow for a reason.
1 person likes this
@BettyB (4117)
• Summerville, South Carolina
12 Jul 17
@AbbyGreenhill I'm glad you didn't seriously hurt your knee. I can see from the picture that you have a nice little office space even if the door is narrow. Have a good day!
@celticeagle (168542)
• Boise, Idaho
9 Jul 17
I love wood but these doorways wouldn't make me very happy either.
@celticeagle (168542)
• Boise, Idaho
9 Jul 17
@AbbyGreenhill ......Can't you fix them and make them wider?
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
9 Jul 17
@celticeagle there isn't an inch to spare to do that... Which is why they are narrow.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
9 Jul 17
I learn to live with them.,,, I just forget once in a blue moon.
1 person likes this
@silvermist (19702)
• India
8 Jul 17
I think the only way is to be alert whenever you walk through the door.
@silvermist (19702)
• India
11 Jul 17
@AbbyGreenhill May be you can hum a song like " remember.remember" when you have to pass through doors.
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
8 Jul 17
I know, I have to always remember!!!!
1 person likes this
@Hate2Iron (15727)
• Canada
8 Jul 17
LOL... we have "short" door leading into cubby holes to store things. I use it a lot and would forget about the height when we first moved. Game myself a few good headaches before I remembered!!
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
8 Jul 17
Ouch! I'm glad my doors are tall enough.
1 person likes this
@Hate2Iron (15727)
• Canada
8 Jul 17
@AbbyGreenhill It must have taken me a good few months before I remembered. The sad thing is that I don't think that they had to be that short.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
8 Jul 17
@Hate2Iron Maybe the person who built the house was very short LOL!
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
8 Jul 17
It is less than 24 inches,but this is the smallest one, but it's also a very small room!
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
8 Jul 17
Less than 24 inches. But that's all the space there is for a door. The room is very tiny....just computer room.
@LadyDuck (472124)
• Switzerland
10 Jul 17
@AbbyGreenhill You would not NOW, but if you should decide to move to another location it will be a problem.
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
10 Jul 17
@LadyDuck The movers had no problem moving everything in here. It is only the door to this room which is my office and my furniture is small to begin with - no problem. the other small opening is one of the ways into the kitchen - there is also an oversized outside door in that room...no problems at all getting stuff in or out.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
9 Jul 17
Why would we move the furniture?
1 person likes this
@sueznewz2 (10409)
• Alicante, Spain
8 Jul 17
That does seemvery narrow...i'm glad you didn't injure yourself too badly...
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
8 Jul 17
Yes, less than 24 inches, but you would think I should be used to it after 4 years.!
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (80906)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
8 Jul 17
That sounds dangerous. Do be careful. Perhaps padding the door frames???
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
8 Jul 17
My husband would get a kick out of that - no we won't pad them!
1 person likes this
@Blondie2222 (28611)
• United States
11 Jul 17
They do look pretty small and narrow. Hopefully someday you can remodel and make the doorways a bit bigger.
@jstory07 (140051)
• Roseburg, Oregon
8 Jul 17
Those door frames should be a lot wider. We looked at a house where you would have to tuck to get into each room. I did not want that house for that reason.
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
8 Jul 17
These are tall enough, it's just this one and one opening to kitchen that are very narrow...the rest are quite normal.
@PatZAnthony (14749)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
11 Jul 17
It is just strange @AbbyGreenhill
Were the people really small?
Even then, it seems a standard size for everything would make sense.
@andriaperry (117172)
• Anniston, Alabama
8 Jul 17
Cut them bigger! Since the house is all wood it would not be that hard to cut the space bigger and buy doors already in frames to just sit into the bigger openings, I do this all the time with the rental houses I buy.
Actually I am about to make a front door smaller, its a block house with a metal inset door frame and its 50 years old and beat up, I will have the door framed out in wood that is attached to the old metal frame and buy a whole door to insert. Problem solved. They put a 36` door when it was built and I will drop down to a 34` front door. Actually around here 32` is common but I will make it a little bigger in case it will be used for a wheelchair.
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
8 Jul 17
Impossible to do - the way they are spaced out it would not work. And it's not all wood, just 1/2 of the rooms. I don't want or need that kind of mess. Most of the doorways are fine, it's just this one and the one to the kitchen and no way can that be opened up - plus, there is wiring involved. No, I'll survive and my scars are war wounds.
