Darkroom door: open in or out?

[ParkerSmithPhoto]

I recently finished painting my darkroom and it's time to install the door. I'm going with a standard pre hung door and am wondering if anyone has any advice on the door opening INTO the darkroom vs opening OUTSIDE.

My main thought was that I'd like to be able to leave the door open when not using the darkroom and that if it was inside the darkroom it wouldn't interfere with my activities in the rest of the basement.

Let me know if you have any advice.

 

[Rick A]

Which direction works best, do you have room to swing it in or would it work better swinging out? If left open which direction would be less "in your way" for getting around. In other words, what is most convenient for you. More than likely, you will want to swing it into the room. Also, where did you put the light switch for the room, that will determine which side the hinges are on.

 

[winger]

My darkroom here already had a door and it opens in. Since it isn't light-tight on its own, that made it easier to add stuff to the edges to make it that way and they don't show from the outside.
My darkroom in MA had a door intended to be an exterior door and it had more around it to keep light out. I think it opened out?

 

[CropDusterMan]

My vote is for the pocket door...easier to light leak proof

 

[ToddB]

I swung my inside the darkroom. Consider an exterior door too. They typically have more felt baffeling on the frame to keep light out. as compared the plain Jane interior doors.

Todd

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I swung my inside the darkroom. Consider an exterior door too. They typically have more felt baffeling on the frame to keep light out. as compared the plain Jane interior doors.

Todd

I suggest swinging it open to the outside for safety reasonsin case several people are inside and have to leave quickly but don't think of this as too critical:confused:

 

[jeffreyg]

Opening out will give you more wall space in the darkroom if needed at some later time for example a shelf. Either way you go consider installing a light-proof vent in the door and an exhaust fan preferably above the sink.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

 

[frobozz]

I think the door should revolve!

http://www.eseco-speedmaster.com/doors.html

Duncan

 

[ParkerSmithPhoto]

Thanks for the feedback. I am now wishing I had planned for a pocket door, but alas I have already framed and drywalled so I have to live with it. I thought about maybe doing a double black curtain as well.

 

[Doremus Scudder]

I installed a pocket door for my own darkroom. I purchased a special gasket that drops down when the door is closed to seal light out of the bottom, however, it is for a regular swinging door, not a pocket door. It was custom cut for a 30" door and they won't take it back. If you need something like that, PM me, I want to get rid of it.

Greg,

I'm interested in seeing what kind of gasket you have. Do you have a photo or a link? I can't use yours, since my darkroom door is 32" (and swings in, BTW), but I'm always looking for a nifty light-proofing solution.

TIA

Doremus

 

[frobozz]

Thanks for the feedback. I am now wishing I had planned for a pocket door, but alas I have already framed and drywalled so I have to live with it. I thought about maybe doing a double black curtain as well.

The revolving doors slide into a normal opening!

No, seriously, if you look around you can find them being sold for a few dollars - Craigslist, eBay, etc. Sure, when you're looking, all the ones for sale will be on the other side of the country, but be patient, one will show up nearby eventually.

Duncan

 

[DWThomas]

Mine opens out -- if it opened in it would block access to much of my counter space in a very small room when wanting to operate with the door open (cleanup, etc.). When it is closed, the 3/4 inch stop strips around the perimeter do not show from the outside, making it look more "normal." I suppose in an ideal case one might consider whether the ventilation would generate pressure to seal the door shut or push/pull it open. But then, life is full of compromises!

 

[cowanw]

Or both.
My darkroom is entered through an exterior wall in the basement and the wall is a cinder block and two studs deep.
One door swings out and the other in and a 1/2 inch raised area in between light proofs well enough I can go in and out while in darkroom conditions; standing in between while closing one and opening the other.

 

[removed account4]

hi ParkerSmithPhoto

i opted NOT to even have a door, instead, i
hung 4-5 floor to beam black canvas drapes.
no light leaks from the door area, and i tray process sheet film.

good luck with the finishing touches of your darkroom !
john

 

[Ken Nadvornick]

Agree with Ralph. My door, also pre-hung a frame, swings outward for safety. If something bad were ever to happen, especially quickly, the outward swing of the door would be working with, not against, my panic instincts. The last thing I want to do is to pause and back up toward the danger in order to open the door.

Another thing you might also consider is the type of pre-hung door you install. I completely solved the light sealing issue by purchasing a hermetically sealing door. These also are sometimes known as weather doors or magnetic seal doors.

Mine is solid wood covered with painted sheet metal. The inner edge of the door frame is ringed with a flat-sided flexible magnetic strip that, when the door closes, strongly sticks itself directly to the sheet metal covering. This is exactly the same arrangement as a refrigerator door seal. The only difference is that there is also a floor piece (I forget the term) that mates with a triple set of flexible sweeps attached to the bottom edge of the door that completes the bottom seal.

Once closed and sealed, the door becomes both airtight and light-tight. This is nice because from the user's point of view it then operates as just a normal swinging door like any other. I purchased mine from one of the big home improvement chains maybe 12-14 years ago and it's still perfectly light-tight to this day with no further maintenance on my part.

Ken

 

[grahamp]

I would not have had space to have a swung door, so I went with a pocket door and set it up with a black slot on the floor and opening side. It does mean I do not have a flat floor entry, so it would not work for a commercial space.

If I had the option of a swung door, and I had the space to allow for it, I think I would have it open into the darkroom. That way I could put on a security chain and a black drape to reduce the risk of someone barging in at the wrong moment

 

[John Koehrer]

Outward swing would be safer. When you pass out with an inward swinging door, they'll have to break it on your head to open it.

 

[Tobywan]

With a swinging door you may want to replace the door stops(the strip of wood around the perimeter that the door touches when it closes). I used 3/4 inch wood strips instead of the 3/8 inch and was able to use 3/4 inch foam to get a light tight seal. On the bottom(my floor is concrete) I used one of the draft tamers from Wal-Mart cut to the proper length

 

[Roger Thoms]

Another option for the bottom of the door is a bumper threshold. I just had a exterior door custom prehung and I opted for a bumper thresholds, now I have weather stripping all the way around the perimeter of the door. The door is very close to being light tight. Some flat black paint and a small adjustment on the strike plate and it would be. Could help thinking that it would make a great darkroom door. Unless your darkroom is fairly large I would opt for the door to swing out, but that's just me. Without seeing a floor plan it's really hard to make much of an recommendation.

Roger

 

[Mark_S]

The revolving doors slide into a normal opening!

No, seriously, if you look around you can find them being sold for a few dollars - Craigslist, eBay, etc. Sure, when you're looking, all the ones for sale will be on the other side of the country, but be patient, one will show up nearby eventually.

Duncan

I have a revolving door, which installed into a normal door opening - and did not cost that much - I found mine on E-Bay, and paid double the asking price to have it delivered - it was worth well over what I paid!

 

[frank]

Yes.

 

[gleaf]

Stair to basement gave me double wall to stair wall openings. Instead of doors I bought a few yards of stage scenery grade black out cloth from a theatrical supply house. Spring loaded curtain bar did the rest of the work.
Next generation was going to be pre hung. Hmm pocket. Gave up on revolving as it as most are too tall for my finished basement height. Basement fits through man door but into no height to stand it up once in.

 

[MattKing]

If you are carrying a wet print out to look at it in different light, it is a lot easier to push a door open than it is to pull it open.

 

[Steve Goldstein]

There's your answer, right there. Turning a doorknob with chemical fingers just to have a quick peep at the print out in the real light, not handy.

Get a lever-type door handle, not a knob. You can work it with your elbow if need be.

There may be local building codes that require the door to open outwards, not inwards. Opening out of the darkroom makes sense for the reasons cited by others.

 

[canuhead]

just to add, if one is starting from scratch and have the room, I'd skip the door outright and make a light trap entrance. otherwise, open out.