One of the main benefits of using an outswing door is that it's a safer option than doors that open inward. Safety is especially important for public buildings, as an inward swing door can make it nearly impossible for a group of people to exit due to an emergency.
While most exterior doors do, in fact, swing inward, some of them swing outward. Outward-swinging exterior doors are more resistant to severe weather than inward-swinging doors. When installing outward-swinging exterior doors, homeowners and building managers may want to use security hinges.
Just like public buildings are designed to open outwards in case of a fire, the front door of your home is designed to help you. Doors that open inwards are much easier to break down by fire crews to get into your property.
When a mob of people rushes an exit, it's very hard for somebody to open the door inward -- everyone pushes up against the door, and there is no room for it to open. For this reason, an effective emergency exit needs to open outward, moving with the force of the mob.
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.
Most people don't, but they do have the option, and there are plenty of reasons to choose one over another. There are definite advantages to both inswing and outswing entrance doors, but, which swing direction is right for you, and what building codes, if any will apply to your specific desires.
Although their hinges are on the outside, outswing doors may be your better option for security. Because they don't swing inward, they're pretty difficult to kick in. It's also possible to get security hinges that robbers can't take advantage of to get into your home.
Should exterior doors open in or out? Exterior doors tend to open inwards for security reasons. For the door to open outwards, the hinge mechanism would be located on the outside of the home. However, any hinges located outside pose a big risk to your home's security.
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.
Safety Reasons
Many believe that doors which open outwards are safer as it allows for easier escape access.
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.
Door Swing Direction
Door leaves are required to swing in the direction of egress travel only if any one of the following three conditions exist: The door serves a room or area with an occupant load of 50 or more, The door assembly is used in an exit enclosure, The door opening services a high-hazard contents area.
Outswing patio doors maximize your indoor living space while inswing doors maintain usable space on the outside of the door. On the other hand, if you have a small patio but have adequate room in the home's interior, an inswing patio door would be ideal.
Yes, all of our front/entrance doors can open both inwards (the more traditional way) and outwards. But why would you want your front/entrance door to open outwards? Well, the main reason would be space.
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).
The reasons for the change to this “fashion" is that doors are technically better if they open outwards. Norway has a lot of weather with wind, rain and snow, and it is easier to keep the water out of the house if the doors open outwards.
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.
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.
A reinforced steel door is one of the most secure types of front doors you can buy. They're made with thick, heavy-duty steel that's designed to withstand a lot of force. And, they usually have multiple locks to keep intruders out.
Ultimately it's all a matter of preference. If you want to maximise internal floor space, get French doors that open outward. If you want French doors with better weatherproofing that maximise patio or garden space, chose to fit it so your french doors open inwards.
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.
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.