Security is enhanced. A very high percentage of home invasions and burglaries begin with the intruder simply kicking in a door. That's virtually impossible when the door swings outward. Windows may still offer a relatively easy way to access a property, but outward-opening doors will certainly deter many intruders.
Outward-opening doors are also more secure than inward-opening doors because they're less likely to be forced open from the inside. Additionally, outward-opening doors can be secured with locks and latches that are located on both the outside and inside of the door, making it difficult for intruders to gain access.
The rule of thumb is to install interior doors to open into the room. This approach prevents doors from becoming an obstruction in tight areas like hallways. Doors attached to tight spaces will often swing out to keep someone from getting trapped inside.
Safety Reasons
Many believe that doors which open outwards are safer as it allows for easier escape access. Anyone caught up in an emergency or fire, rushing to get away, would naturally push a door rather than pull it.
Steel doors are among the best front doors for security. It's nearly impossible to break through; even if beaten or abused, these doors are more likely to dent than come down. Having covered the advantages of steel doors, the best steel door is the Jeld-Wen's Camber Top Mission Primed Steel Door.
According to her research, an overwhelming majority of burglars enter homes through the doors and windows. Thirty-four percent use the front door, while 22 percent get in through the back door. Twenty-three percent use first-floor windows. And oftentimes, those doors and windows aren't even locked.
SECURITY EXTERIOR DOORS FOR RESIDENTIAL HOME
If the risk of burglary in your area is relatively low, a class 2 door (RC 2) is sufficient. The door frame, regardless of the security class, should be made of steel, extruded aluminum alloy or hardwood reinforced by steel plates, and have at least 3 hinges.
Florida has one of the most stringent building codes in the United States, as all exterior doors must open outward if you live in South Florida. Outward opening doors provide you with an added layer of protection, as an inward swinging door only has a latch and a deadbolt to prevent it from blowing into your home.
The front door usually opens outward, which is opposite of in Western houses. This is because Japanese people do not wear shoes in the house, they take off and line up their shoes at the entrance. If the door opens inward, the shoes will be in the way and could cause you to be not able to open the door.
Outward swinging doors are more weatherproof and easier to operate. They do require sufficient space on the outside to operate freely, which means your porch, patio or landing must be large enough to accommodate this need. They are also much harder to force open.
The top answer is security. The simplest door designs have exposed hinges, a security weak point. By positioning these hinges on the inside of a front door, it makes it harder for burglars to gain entry. It's also easier to open inward-facing doors just a crack to check who is outside.
The reason your front door swings inward is very purposeful. Even simple door designs have hinges and hinge pins to allow the door to open and shut. These hinges are a bit of a security weak point, and are placed inside the home to make it harder for would-be intruders to gain access to your home.
Check the hinges to see which way the door swings.
Unless the door is made of flimsy materials, kicking it down will likely only work if the door swings away from you. Hinges are located on the side of the door that swings forward, so if you see hinges, you should avoid kicking down the door.
Inward opening doors are generally regarded as safer because the hinges are on the inside, so no one can tamper with them. Exposed hinges are a security weak point and makes it harder for burglars to gain entry. If the hinges are easy to move, the room becomes less secure making you feel more vulnerable at night.
Well, to put it simply, despite not appearing in any building regulations, all bathroom doors should swing inwards. And there are a number of very good reasons for this, which we'll get on to shortly. As you go about your daily life, you shouldn't ever encounter outward-swinging toilet doors.
Outswing doors are more protective of the home's interior in heavy climates. Wind and water have more trouble infiltrating them due to the threshold design, plus basic physics. Inswing doors, on the flip side, are more susceptible to wind and water because of their design.
One legend posits that a large group of people once died in a single fire, and thus it was decreed that doors should open outward to allow for easier escape. Another theory suggests that at one time lodgings in Scandinavia were very small, and thus space on the interior of the property was at a premium.
The International Building Code states school doors (and most public doors) should open out. Anyone can quickly exit a room by pushing through the doors. Outward-opening doors provide easy exit access without the trouble of knobs or locks. In the case of locks, classroom doors must have outside locks.
If more than 25% of the windows and/or doors in a pre-Florida Building Code home are being replaced and the windows/doors are NOT impact glass, the windows/doors are required to have opening protection (such as shutters).
Not only will shutting the doors and windows help shield you from flying debris, it also will compartmentalize wind forces and reduce potential for roof failure or damage. If wind forces build inside a house, it can cause the roof to lift.
The most common way to install French doors is so that they open outwards, but it is possible to have them open inwards instead if you are short of space in your garden.
Homes in high-visibility places, like on corner lots, are far less likely to be broken into. There are simply too many potential ways to be seen. But townhomes, houses in the middle of the block, or houses in a cul-de-sac are much better targets.
Your attic is not likely to be visited by a burglar because they are usually hard to find and access. So, it is always a good idea to store valuables in attic storage containers. As an extra safety precaution make sure to mark them with labels like “winter clothes” or “old shoes” to throw a burglar off of your scent.