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Oak Doors for Wheelchair Access
Wheelchair users usually require an internal door that is no less than 32 inches, or 813mm, in width, and often wider. That requirement narrows the choice of styles and can make it harder to find a door that suits the home it is intended for. UK Oak Doors offer a range of wider leaves that let a wheelchair user pass through easily while still giving a natural oak grain finish. The measurement that really decides this is the clear opening, not the size on the leaf's label, so it is worth understanding the difference before you choose.
Clear Opening Widths Under Part M
The clear opening is the actual gap you pass through with the door open, and it is always a little narrower than the door leaf once the frame and stops are taken off, usually by around 50 to 60mm. Approved Document M, the building regulation that covers access, sets minimum clear opening widths for internal doorways in the home, which vary with how you approach the door. In broad terms these are:
- 750mm for a straight-on, head-on approach
- 775mm or 800mm where the approach is at an angle or the corridor is narrower
- 850mm in homes built to the wheelchair-user (M4(3)) standard
Choosing the Right Leaf
Because the clear opening is narrower than the leaf, the leaf itself needs to be wider than the figure you are aiming for. An 826mm leaf is taken to satisfy a 775mm clear opening, so the wider leaves are the ones to choose for comfortable access. A 32 inch (813mm) door gives roughly a 750mm clear opening, which meets the basic minimum, while a wider 33 inch (838mm) door gives more room again. If you need a larger clear opening than a standard leaf allows, or the opening is an odd size, a made-to-measure door can be built to fit, and you can compare every width on our popular door sizes page.
Styles to Suit Your Home
A wider door does not have to mean a plain one. The range covers both traditional and contemporary styles in solid oak, with some designs also offered as an oak veneer over an engineered core, so an accessible door can still complement your home's existing look. What matters most is choosing a leaf wide enough to give the clear opening the room actually needs, so it is worth measuring the structural opening before you decide.
The measurement that matters is the clear opening width, which is narrower than the door leaf once the frame and stops are allowed for. Approved Document M sets a minimum clear opening of 750mm for a straight-on approach, rising to 775mm or 800mm where the approach is at an angle or the corridor is narrower, and 850mm for wheelchair-user homes. Because a leaf loses roughly 50 to 60mm to the frame, the widest standard leaves are the ones to choose.
A 32 inch leaf gives a clear opening of roughly 750 to 760mm once the frame is allowed for, which meets the basic Part M minimum for a straight-on approach but leaves little margin. Where a wider clear opening is needed, a 33 inch (838mm) door, or a made-to-measure door, gives more room.
For the largest clear openings, such as the 850mm needed in homes built to the wheelchair-user standard, a single standard leaf may not be wide enough. A made-to-measure door can be built wider, and where there is room a pair of doors widens the opening further. Measure the structural opening first, then choose the widest leaf, or leaves, it will take.
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