I'm remodelling a small downstairs bathroom into a combined loo/utility area
and it would be pleasant to divide the space in two, with the washing
machine and storage behind a movable wall.

A set of sliding doors would do it, but does anyone manufacture a sort of
sideways roller-top-desk type of room divider or door? With something like
that (perhaps two leaves with a centre opening) I could have the entire
hidden space open up, rather than just one area of it at a time.

I've searched around of course but haven't yet found quite what I have in
mind; perhaps there's a technical term or description that I haven't thought
of. Many thanks.

On Monday, 29 February 2016 19:45:29 UTC, Bert Coules wrote:
A set of sliding doors would do it, but does anyone manufacture a sort of
sideways roller-top-desk type of room divider or door? With something like
that (perhaps two leaves with a centre opening) I could have the entire
hidden space open up, rather than just one area of it at a time.

The up-down ones are often called tambour doors or shutters.

http://waivis.co.uk/Caravans.aspx

Full room-height ones would need a proper track otherwise the door would snag.

I don't know if this could be adapted, but at £13 each a couple wouldn't be too hard on the pocket.

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produc...er/7012761.htm

Owain

Owain, thanks, that's very useful . It's described as being one panel,
which presumably means it's moulded with thinner "hinge" sections: I wonder
how effectively it would stay folded open rather than tending to spring
flat? But as you say, the price is more than reasonable enough for a spot
of experimentation.

Perhaps even more useful are those links to other similar products. Thanks
again.

Bert

Owain, I realised after I replied that I had misunderstood your suggestion.
The idea of adapting the concertina doors to run instead on tracks is a
fascinating one; thanks.

Bert

On 29/02/16 20:39, wrote:
On Monday, 29 February 2016 19:45:29 UTC, Bert Coules wrote:
A set of sliding doors would do it, but does anyone manufacture a sort of
sideways roller-top-desk type of room divider or door? With something like
that (perhaps two leaves with a centre opening) I could have the entire
hidden space open up, rather than just one area of it at a time.

The up-down ones are often called tambour doors or shutters.

I learnt the name "tambour" when trying to order one for work. Never
heard the term before!

Full room-height ones would need a proper track otherwise the door would snag.

Tambour cupboards come in versions with 2 sideways roller shutters, so
it is not a crazy idea - but yes, it would need a track - and the
shutter would need some rollers or wheels on the top or the bottom to
allow smooth motion (top if hung from a track).

I've never seen a room divider like this - usually they are concertina
panels, which might be easier to find.

Tim Watts wrote:

I've never seen a room divider like this - usually they are concertina
panels, which might be easier to find.

On another group someone suggested that concertina panels could possibly be
separated and adapted for tracked sliding, which is an intriguing thought,
though I suspect that the width of the segments in most models would need
too large a radius for a ninety-degree turn to be practical.

And "tambour" was new to me, too.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Bert

On 01/03/2016 09:36, Bert Coules wrote:
Tim Watts wrote:

I've never seen a room divider like this - usually they are concertina
panels, which might be easier to find.

On another group someone suggested that concertina panels could possibly
be separated and adapted for tracked sliding, which is an intriguing
thought, though I suspect that the width of the segments in most models
would need too large a radius for a ninety-degree turn to be practical.

And "tambour" was new to me, too.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Bert

About 20 years ago my company built a boardroom which could be
partitioned off so that 2 seperate meetings could be had at the same time.
From memory it had rollers top and bottom, it was heavy but also
soundproof.
It was made of wood and had to be hand cranked to close or open it, the
sections concertina opened from the centre and disappeared in to a boxed
section at each end, virtually invisible.
When closed for 2 rooms it was a perfect fit so obviously well made but
I hate to think what it cost.
Point being there are such things out there but I suspect this was not
an off the shelf but built by a commercial company.

SS,

Yes, I've seen something similar. As you say, it was heavy and a touch
cumbersome to operate, but very effective: I don't need anything on that
scale, and I don't have the space to accommodate a cut down version.
Actually, this discussion has helped to clarify my thinking, which is
heading in the direction of deciding that the basic idea is a bad one and
not really workable.

But thanks to you and everyone else for the contributions.

Bert

On 01/03/16 14:48, ss wrote:

About 20 years ago my company built a boardroom which could be
partitioned off so that 2 seperate meetings could be had at the same time.
From memory it had rollers top and bottom, it was heavy but also
soundproof.
It was made of wood and had to be hand cranked to close or open it, the
sections concertina opened from the centre and disappeared in to a boxed
section at each end, virtually invisible.
When closed for 2 rooms it was a perfect fit so obviously well made but
I hate to think what it cost.
Point being there are such things out there but I suspect this was not
an off the shelf but built by a commercial company.


NYC "Swiss Army knife" apartment's walls open, fold & slide
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLwQHd0BYcc

Probably worth looking through Kirsten Dirksen's other videos on her
youtube channel.

--
Adrian C

On 01/03/16 14:48, ss wrote:

About 20 years ago my company built a boardroom which could be
partitioned off so that 2 seperate meetings could be had at the same time.
From memory it had rollers top and bottom, it was heavy but also
soundproof.
It was made of wood and had to be hand cranked to close or open it, the
sections concertina opened from the centre and disappeared in to a boxed
section at each end, virtually invisible.
When closed for 2 rooms it was a perfect fit so obviously well made but
I hate to think what it cost.
Point being there are such things out there but I suspect this was not
an off the shelf but built by a commercial company.


Yes indeed - Imperial College (Computing, Huxley) had a refurb a few
years ago and a seminar room on level 2 had one that sounded exactly
like this - monster heavy, had a little winding handle, very solid.

In article ,
Bert Coules wrote:
I'm remodelling a small downstairs bathroom into a combined loo/utility
area and it would be pleasant to divide the space in two, with the
washing machine and storage behind a movable wall.

A set of sliding doors would do it, but does anyone manufacture a sort
of sideways roller-top-desk type of room divider or door? With
something like that (perhaps two leaves with a centre opening) I could
have the entire hidden space open up, rather than just one area of it
at a time.

I've searched around of course but haven't yet found quite what I have
in mind; perhaps there's a technical term or description that I haven't
thought of. Many thanks.

Is there individual access to the two areas via two doors to the outside?

If not, and it's just to make the area better looking, a blind of some
sort? Those concertina room dividers always looked so naff to me.

--
*I'm not as think as you drunk I am.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Dave Plowman wrote:

Is there individual access to the two areas via two doors to the outside?

No. It's probably clearer if you think of the "inner room" as just a large
cupboard. I take your point about the concertina doors, but I'm not
convinced about a blind. As I said in an earlier post, I believe I'm going
to rethink the whole idea.

Bert

In article ,
Bert Coules wrote:
Dave Plowman wrote:

Is there individual access to the two areas via two doors to the
outside?

No. It's probably clearer if you think of the "inner room" as just a
large cupboard. I take your point about the concertina doors, but I'm
not convinced about a blind. As I said in an earlier post, I believe
I'm going to rethink the whole idea.

So is the idea to screen off the loo from the utility room area - or the
other way round?

--
*Of course I'm against sin; I'm against anything that I'm too old to enjoy.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Dave Plowman wrote:

So is the idea to screen off the loo from the
utility room area - or the other way round?

The idea is, or rather was, to hide the laundry/storage area and all its
gubbins, exposing it only when needed. But that's not going to happen now,
at least not in quite the way I originally envisaged.