Hello everyone,
We had a carpenter install a sliding door between the kitchen and the living/dining room. The door was supposed to fully disappear into the wall, but it actually sticks out about 10cm (4 inches) beyond the door frame. The installer’s explanation was that otherwise, the door couldn’t be pulled out of its slot since the recessed handle would always have to remain on the outside.
I thought there were small fold-out hooks or an additional recessed handle on the edge of the door panel for this purpose.
Unfortunately, we did not specify the sliding door details carefully, as I assumed it was standard practice for a built-in door like this to fully slide into the wall.
What are your thoughts?
And could a hook or recessed handle be retrofitted on the edge of the door panel with a reasonable amount of effort? Unfortunately, the guide rail at the bottom has already been screwed into the parquet flooring, so there would likely be visible drill holes left behind, as the rail would also have to be recessed into the wall.
Best regards
We had a carpenter install a sliding door between the kitchen and the living/dining room. The door was supposed to fully disappear into the wall, but it actually sticks out about 10cm (4 inches) beyond the door frame. The installer’s explanation was that otherwise, the door couldn’t be pulled out of its slot since the recessed handle would always have to remain on the outside.
I thought there were small fold-out hooks or an additional recessed handle on the edge of the door panel for this purpose.
Unfortunately, we did not specify the sliding door details carefully, as I assumed it was standard practice for a built-in door like this to fully slide into the wall.
What are your thoughts?
And could a hook or recessed handle be retrofitted on the edge of the door panel with a reasonable amount of effort? Unfortunately, the guide rail at the bottom has already been screwed into the parquet flooring, so there would likely be visible drill holes left behind, as the rail would also have to be recessed into the wall.
Best regards
haeusle-in-bw schrieb:
The door was actually supposed to be completely recessed into the wall, Did you communicate that clearly?
We also have a sliding door that runs into the wall, and like yours, it sticks out because of the recessed handle.
Does it bother you, or is it just about the appearance?
It doesn’t bother us.
ateliersiegel13 Dec 2024 16:35If there is enough space to fully recess the door, I would try to retrofit that. Of course, it works as it is, and there’s no need to stress about it, but having it completely flush looks much cleaner. One question is whether there are reasons other than the handle that prevent it from fully disappearing, which might not be visible from the outside. In any case, the handle itself is not a real obstacle. It can also be installed on-site.
Of course, it’s better to communicate something like this in advance. However, it is the case that a tradesperson, who often claims the so-called “craftsman’s honor,” should consider themselves a qualified professional and inform me as a layperson about the different options available. From my perspective, the tradesperson owes a duty to the paying layperson/customer. If the customer doesn’t know about these options, they can’t ask about them; I probably wouldn’t have thought to mention it specifically either.
Recently, I have been visiting the dentist more often, and they explained all the options available. Each solution had its advantages, disadvantages, risks, and costs, and in the end, I, as the customer, decided which of the viable options I preferred. That’s how it should be. Whether it is the tradesperson carrying out the work or the one responsible for the selection process, I definitely see a duty to provide advice from that side.
I cannot share the partly uncritical views of previous commenters on this matter because this “carpenter” actually claims that it cannot be done any other way. That is clearly and unquestionably a lie, and they know it too. They should have said that they always do it that way or that it looks better like this, but to say that it is absolutely impossible is clearly not true and, in my opinion, not a respectful way to deal with the customer.
Maybe I have an old-fashioned expectation of a tradesperson, but they nowadays charge well for their work, and I pay for it. For that, I expect good workmanship and the necessary information, and I want to be satisfied afterwards.
The general remark “you could have asked” seems inappropriate to me, especially given the many details involved in building a house that a layperson cannot and need not be aware of. That is exactly why you hire a so-called professional, not some random amateur.
Recently, I have been visiting the dentist more often, and they explained all the options available. Each solution had its advantages, disadvantages, risks, and costs, and in the end, I, as the customer, decided which of the viable options I preferred. That’s how it should be. Whether it is the tradesperson carrying out the work or the one responsible for the selection process, I definitely see a duty to provide advice from that side.
I cannot share the partly uncritical views of previous commenters on this matter because this “carpenter” actually claims that it cannot be done any other way. That is clearly and unquestionably a lie, and they know it too. They should have said that they always do it that way or that it looks better like this, but to say that it is absolutely impossible is clearly not true and, in my opinion, not a respectful way to deal with the customer.
Maybe I have an old-fashioned expectation of a tradesperson, but they nowadays charge well for their work, and I pay for it. For that, I expect good workmanship and the necessary information, and I want to be satisfied afterwards.
The general remark “you could have asked” seems inappropriate to me, especially given the many details involved in building a house that a layperson cannot and need not be aware of. That is exactly why you hire a so-called professional, not some random amateur.
M
MachsSelbst14 Dec 2024 00:39The usual daydreaming: "The contractor should just know what I wanted..."
No, they don’t. And the fact that the client is an amateur doesn’t change that. Even a non-professional can be expected to express their wishes in a reasonably clear way. The sentence “I want the sliding door to disappear into the wall” can easily be said by my 7-year-old daughter and even written down without mistakes… so I certainly expect an adult to manage that as well.
Accusing the carpenter here of lying. Well. Perhaps it’s a carpenter very set in their ways who genuinely can’t imagine another solution. Allegations of lying and fraud are accusations that should be made with the utmost caution…
No, they don’t. And the fact that the client is an amateur doesn’t change that. Even a non-professional can be expected to express their wishes in a reasonably clear way. The sentence “I want the sliding door to disappear into the wall” can easily be said by my 7-year-old daughter and even written down without mistakes… so I certainly expect an adult to manage that as well.
Accusing the carpenter here of lying. Well. Perhaps it’s a carpenter very set in their ways who genuinely can’t imagine another solution. Allegations of lying and fraud are accusations that should be made with the utmost caution…
haeusle-in-bw schrieb:
I thought there were small fold-out hooks or another milled handle recess on the front edge of the door leaf for that. Yes, there are quite a few options you can order additionally when you look at a door retailer’s website. A door is basically a modular system like anything else. If nothing is specified, you basically get the bare-bones version.
haeusle-in-bw schrieb:
I thought it was clear and "standard" for an internal door like this that it would completely recess into the wall. Well, what is standard? There are multiple standards. Take your kitchen window—that’s not standard. A sub-window is ordered separately.
For me, an oven at eye level is standard; is yours something below that standard? Definitely not.
haeusle-in-bw schrieb:
Would it be possible to retrofit such a hook or recessed handle on the front edge with reasonable effort? I would leave it as is. I’ll admit, I find it more elegant and it seems to fit well with the rest of the interior, which is a bit more “playful” than a high-gloss house.
Fully recessed doors are not as quick and easy to operate as this: just put your fingertips in the handle recess when passing through and the door closes, instead of fiddling with a knob. I would choose full recessing where the door only needs to be closed tightly about three times a year at most.
MachsSelbst schrieb:
The sentence "I want the sliding door to disappear into the wall." can easily be phrased by my 7-year-old daughter and even written without mistakes... so I trust an adult can manage that as well.And that’s exactly the mistake: the door does disappear into the wall, but not completely. Probably the phrase “flush with the surface” should have been included as well.Similar topics