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Are there simple techniques for making doorways in my home wider?

Last Updated: January 29, 2008

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If your door frame is too narrow, and tearing it out and rebuilding a wider door frame is too expensive or won’t work in your home, you may want to install swing-away hinges.

These special hinges help to swing the door clear of the opening, adding about 2 inches of additional space and increasing the clearance space in the doorway. Another no-cost way to make doorways wider, although not always practical, is to remove the door completely.

This information may be especially important if you are a caregiver for a person who uses an assistive device to move around, such as a wheelchair.

For more information, specifically about accessibility, visit www.extension.org/pages/Making_the_Kitchen_Safe_and_Accessible.

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