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 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.
Inward opening French doors may be better suited to you if you have the opposite – more inside space vs outside space – making this configuration ideal for balconies.
Safety. Inward-opening doors are the safest option. In the case of fire, it's easier for rescuers to smash their way through a door that opens inwards. Having the door open into the room will also prevent the possibility of opening the door into the face of an unsuspecting caller on the other side.
Pros: Outswing french doors vs inswing is a better choice for increasing the indoor space. The outside hinges provide the room with a cleaner appearance without having to match the interior decor's design and colour.
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.
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.
A common conundrum for customers when considering French doors for their property is whether to have them open inwards or outwards and the impact their decision might have on the current design of their home. It is possible for us to design, manufacture and install French doors to open in or out, but not both.
If you have double French doors, it is typical for the left one to open first from the exterior of the home. However, the opening direction of French doors can be adjusted based on personal preference, with options for opening inwards or outwards.
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.
If the doors open in, consider adding two door-jammer bars, one underneath each handle, to prevent each door from being pushed in. A third solution is a handle lock, which is a device that slips over each of the door handles, regardless of whether they are knobs or levers, and secures them together.
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.
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.
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.
French doors allow for both doors to actually open and function. A double door or two-section patio door has a "dummy door" that doesn't actually function, it stays stationary and only one door opens.
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.
One of the main differences between double doors and French doors is the material in which they are crafted. Double doors are often made of solid wood, whereas French doors are crafted with panes of glass which helps flood the space with natural light.
A “leaf” is referring to a single door panel, for double doors there are two “leaves.” Active Leaf: The active leaf typically contains the locking hardware, or it is the leaf that is generally used most often. It is also the leaf that needs to be opened first before the other leaf will open.
Interior doors typically swing outward. When opening a door inside of a home or building, you'll probably push it away from you. Exterior doors, though, typically swing inward.
Hinges on inswing doors are from the inside and outswing doors have them installed from the outside. Since inswing doors are more common, homes are designed to have more interior space to allow the swinging of the door to the inside.
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.
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).
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.
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.