Hallways and Floors: Width, Rugs, and Light
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Hallways are usually the narrowest point on any route through a house, and they are almost always the least-lit.
Width
A wheelchair wants about 36″ of hallway for a comfortable straight run, and more where it has to turn into a doorway. A walker needs less, but still needs room for hands. Measure the narrowest point — usually where a radiator, a bookcase or a coat hook projects.
Rugs are not worth arguing about
Loose rugs and runners are one of the best-documented trip hazards in the home. Taping the edges helps a little; removing them helps completely. If a rug must stay, a full-area non-slip underlay is the minimum, and the edges must lie flat.
The strip where carpet meets tile is a small change in level and a common catch point for walker feet and shuffling steps. A bevelled transition strip fixed flat solves it.
Light
Continuous low-level motion lighting along the hallway is worth more than a bright ceiling light, because it works at 3am without waking anyone fully and without dazzling.
Clear the projections
- Coat hooks and shelves at head height in a narrow hall
- Doors that open into the hallway rather than out of it
- Anything stored along the wall “temporarily”