AskCodeMan

Hi
Building a basement bathroom. The plumber mentioned that since there is no window for this bathroom that the door needs to swing out. His argunent that if someone inside the bathroom was having a medical emergancy they could possable block the door from swinging in for someone to get in. There for the door needs to swing out.
I live in a condo complexe that is 30 years old. Mine and many other units have bathrooms with no windows and all the doors swing in. So is this out swing code something newer than 30 years or just a plumber that doesn't know jack about construction?
FYI
I know some codes vary by state. This question is for Wisconsin.
Thanks
Bill

Hi Bill,

I would not say the plumber "doesn't know jack about construction", only that the plumber does not know about that aspect of construction.

The best way to address this with your plumber is to ask him how large the typical bathroom window is and how high they are typically installed (most bathroom windows are in the tub/shower wall, up high, and are small), and, when tells you that bathroom windows are typically installed up high and are small, then ask the plumber "Okay, so if I did have a typical bathroom window, you are saying that you would NOT be able to get into the bathroom through it anyway."

That should make him think about what he was saying.

The "bathroom" door is allowed to swing in, and, in fact, swinging the door into the bathroom allows the bathroom door to remain open and not interfere with the hallway. If the bathroom door swung out, the door would likely swing out into, and block, the hallway - which would not be good.

I will give the plumber some credit as the plumber just may be thinking about "tub and shower enclosure doors", which are required to swing out. The reason those doors are required to swing out is that if you feel in the tub or shower, you would be blocking the door and no one could open the door to assist you. With the tub and shower enclosure doors swinging out, if you fell in the tub or shower someone could open the door and assist you in getting up or getting help.

Thus, in the end, we can politely chalk this up to the plumber mistakenly applying the rule he is used to for tub and shower enclosure doors to the bathroom door itself.

An easily forgivable mistake, right?