Individuals who rely on wheelchairs for day-to-day mobility find themselves at times with unnecessary doorway challenges. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), doors must be a minimum of 32” to satisfy accessibility requirements. However, traditional handicap door hinges consume entryway space and therefore fail to meet ADA 32” requirements. As a result, Waterson stands out as the best option for ADA compliance. But how can Waterson Swing Clear Hinges fulfill the wheelchair door access requirements?

Waterson hinge wheelchair-door-access

What is the Common ADA Solution for Wheelchair Door Access

Here are a couple of possible wheelchair door access solutions:

  • Remove Doors or Trim – You can improve clearance by removing the entire door, however, this may pose privacy, noise, and safety problems. This is not a great solution for those who work from home.
  • Widen the Door Frames – A more intrusive solution involves widening the door frame, which requires a significant modification. This is a big commitment of time, money, and effort, not to mention the question of space availability.

Sadly these aforementioned solutions lead to costly and time-consuming renovations that involve frame modifications, changing doors, etc. These are possible solutions, but they will undoubtedly cause higher costs and effort.

Swing Clear Door Hinge

Why Waterson Swing Clear Hinges Work Best for ADA Clearance 

The Waterson swing clear door hinges (K51L-SW) uniquely combine swing clear design with our patented self-closing function in an innovative and attractive stainless steel component. Easy to install and heavy-duty, the ada door hinge meets the Fair Housing Act (FHA) code, and thus provides a minimum 32” clearance when using a 34” door slab. The increased clearance afforded by Waterson’s state-of-the-art design greatly improves wheelchair door access without requiring complicated renovations.

Besides, here are some other outstanding features of Waterson handicap door hinges:

  • Opening Force: Doors should open with less than 5 pounds of force to accommodate all users, including those with disabilities.
  • Door Closer Adjustment: Self-closing mechanisms ensure doors take at least 3 seconds to close from 70 degrees to 3″ from the latch, with adjustable closing speeds.
  • Anti Slam: Designed to prevent door slamming, ensuring safety.
  • Stainless Steel: Durable, aesthetically pleasing material for modern looks.

Waterson ADA Self Closing Swing Clear Hinges

Waterson Self Closing Swing Clear Hinges combine an overhead closer and hinge into one attractive component with optional hold-open and door stop features. These hinges are ideal for commercial openings, gates, and glass doors. These closer hinges are easily installed and adjusted to comply with ADA & ICC A117.1 requirements for opening force and to assure quiet, secure closing. Made with stainless steel, Waterson closer hinges meet NFPA 80 and are UL 3-hour fire-rated, as well as being one of the best door hinges for both interior and all-weather exterior openings. See all our features.

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Please note that Waterson Closer Hinges start from a size of 4″x4″. If you’re in need of smaller self-closing hinges, we’d recommend checking out some other resources! Also, we only provide single acting closer hinges. Thank you.

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