ok, i've got a question: what do you all think are the best choices for an interior bathroom door, especially for a bathroom where a lot of steam is going to be generated? i need something which will last 20-30 years. don't care as much about the finish - assume painted.
i've used frp in commercial gigs where the weather resistance is paramount, but never in an interior door. right now, i've been using mdf since it warps the least, but they almost all have panels. i'd rather go flat slab, since these will have to be cleaned every day. basically, i'm looking for a daily use hotel bathroom quality door. something that's an alternative to wood veneer over a solid core, since i don't think the wood veneer will hold up well (and laminates are out for the same reason - all the humidity and heat will kill the adhesive over time).
Is this a super high-end application, or are you looking for something fairly basic? If the latter, I'd probably just use a painted hollow metal door. Not much to look at, but it's durable as hell. I think most of the hotels I've stayed at (we're not talking Four Seasons here) have had metal doors throughout.
spar urethane sounds right and, yes, if anything penetrates the coating (paint), you'll have some serious issues with the mdf. one reason i'm trying to stay away from it.
need something fairly basic -hollow metal isn't going to work from a long term rust standpoint (scratch it and it's the same issue).
louvered sounds interesting - might have some acoustical privacy issues but it would do ok on the steam side.
seems like someone would have tackled this before - all the research i've done comes up with some frp or other fiberglass doors, but they're all exterior. maybe i'm just over analyzing the issues with wood (solid core for sure), but just doesn't seem like they'll really last 30+ years...
the trick to sealing wood is to thin out the clear coat first... half clear/half thinner... this will help the sealer soak into the wood deeper. most clears lay ontop if the wood.
if it's for a steam room type of condition, i would use a solid wood door. dont use veneers since the glue that holds the veneer might fail.
spar urethane is for moisture/uv/exterior conditions. you could also look into a teak type oil or even a wax if possible.
What sort of application is this for, an actual steam room, or merely a bathroom where people take hot showers?
If the former, almost every steam room I've used has had an aluminum/glass storefront door, with an aluminum frame.
For just a bathroom like you'd find in a regular hotel guest room, painted metal or a wood door would be more than adequate assuming the room has a proper exhaust fan (which is usually required by code anyway).
sorry for the confusion: it's not for a steam room or sauna, just a regular bathroom which will get used much like a hotel (meaning people taking very long, hot showers multiple times a day, every day). it's in a rental unit situation, so i don't expect people to be very considerate about how they abuse it and i'd just prefer, in an ideal world, not to have to have the owner switch out doors every 10 years. we'll certainly have some serious exhaust fans, but i'm thinking more redundancy than not.
western red cedar is an interesting idea, i guess. and thanks for the tips cryz.
we can probably let this thread go - thanks for the input everyone.
Nov 26, 08 1:03 pm ·
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interior bathroom doors
ok, i've got a question: what do you all think are the best choices for an interior bathroom door, especially for a bathroom where a lot of steam is going to be generated? i need something which will last 20-30 years. don't care as much about the finish - assume painted.
i've used frp in commercial gigs where the weather resistance is paramount, but never in an interior door. right now, i've been using mdf since it warps the least, but they almost all have panels. i'd rather go flat slab, since these will have to be cleaned every day. basically, i'm looking for a daily use hotel bathroom quality door. something that's an alternative to wood veneer over a solid core, since i don't think the wood veneer will hold up well (and laminates are out for the same reason - all the humidity and heat will kill the adhesive over time).
thanks in advance
polished aluminum with a clear coat
if you use wood, then use an epoxy clear or spar urethane (not polyurethane)
how thick is the door?.... vertical or horizontal application?
mdf will swell up once moisture gets inside
b
Is this a super high-end application, or are you looking for something fairly basic? If the latter, I'd probably just use a painted hollow metal door. Not much to look at, but it's durable as hell. I think most of the hotels I've stayed at (we're not talking Four Seasons here) have had metal doors throughout.
do you want to keep the steam in. Otherwise a louvered door would work just fine imho
[///////////////////////////////]
don't want to necessarily keep the stain in.
vertical application.
spar urethane sounds right and, yes, if anything penetrates the coating (paint), you'll have some serious issues with the mdf. one reason i'm trying to stay away from it.
need something fairly basic -hollow metal isn't going to work from a long term rust standpoint (scratch it and it's the same issue).
louvered sounds interesting - might have some acoustical privacy issues but it would do ok on the steam side.
seems like someone would have tackled this before - all the research i've done comes up with some frp or other fiberglass doors, but they're all exterior. maybe i'm just over analyzing the issues with wood (solid core for sure), but just doesn't seem like they'll really last 30+ years...
'steam' in...
(dammit - edit those posts before you hit submit)
the trick to sealing wood is to thin out the clear coat first... half clear/half thinner... this will help the sealer soak into the wood deeper. most clears lay ontop if the wood.
if it's for a steam room type of condition, i would use a solid wood door. dont use veneers since the glue that holds the veneer might fail.
spar urethane is for moisture/uv/exterior conditions. you could also look into a teak type oil or even a wax if possible.
b
couldn't you just use Western Red Cedar for the door and call it a day?
What sort of application is this for, an actual steam room, or merely a bathroom where people take hot showers?
If the former, almost every steam room I've used has had an aluminum/glass storefront door, with an aluminum frame.
For just a bathroom like you'd find in a regular hotel guest room, painted metal or a wood door would be more than adequate assuming the room has a proper exhaust fan (which is usually required by code anyway).
sorry for the confusion: it's not for a steam room or sauna, just a regular bathroom which will get used much like a hotel (meaning people taking very long, hot showers multiple times a day, every day). it's in a rental unit situation, so i don't expect people to be very considerate about how they abuse it and i'd just prefer, in an ideal world, not to have to have the owner switch out doors every 10 years. we'll certainly have some serious exhaust fans, but i'm thinking more redundancy than not.
western red cedar is an interesting idea, i guess. and thanks for the tips cryz.
we can probably let this thread go - thanks for the input everyone.
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