Should my front door swing in or out?

Author: Lyric Davis  |  Last update: Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Exterior doors that swing inward are usually more secure than their outward-swinging counterparts. The hinges will only be visible from the inside of the home or building. Therefore, burglars and other nefarious individuals won't be able to easily remove them.

Is it better to have an inswing or outswing front door?

From a fire safety perspective, outward-swinging doors are generally considered safer than inward-swinging doors. Here are several reasons why: Egress in Emergencies: Outward-swinging doors allow for easier and quicker exit during emergencies.

Should a screen door swing in or out?

Usually the screen door is on the outside, but either way works, so it's all about selecting the option that suits your taste. In addition to a screen door, have you considered a sunroom for your home? Sunrooms allow you to enjoy the outdoors without having to worry about the weather or any pesky insects.

Should a kitchen door swing in or out?

Most kitchen doors connect the kitchen to a hallway or dining room, and most kitchens house both interior and exterior doors. For this reason, it is wise to have interior kitchen doors that swing into the room as this does not affect traffic in the corridors and adjacent rooms like the dining room.

Are front doors supposed to swing in or out?

Exterior doors that swing inward are usually more secure than their outward-swinging counterparts. The hinges will only be visible from the inside of the home or building. Therefore, burglars and other nefarious individuals won't be able to easily remove them.

Re-hanging door to open the other way - door restoration project (part 2)

Which way should kitchen doors open?

Therefore, you want the doors to open in a way that won't restrict your movement. The best way to do this is by having them open outwards in opposite directions. In other words, the left side door's hinges are on the left and the right side door's hinges are on the right.

Should a patio door swing in or out?

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.

Should your storm door match your front door?

If you're wondering if your storm door should match your front door's color, the answer is that it doesn't need to. You can contrast it with bolder colors or coordinate with neutral or earthy tones.

Do commercial exterior doors swing in or out?

In order to ensure everyone can exit quickly, exterior doors swing outwards in commercial buildings.

Is there a code for which way a door swings?

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.

How do I choose a door direction?

How to choose interior doors for a flat. Door leaves can be divided into two main types: right-hand and left-hand doors, and their classification depends on the direction of opening. A right-hand door should open to the right when the user is facing it, while a left-hand door should open to the left.

What are the disadvantages of outswing doors?

Below are some of the potential disadvantages of installing outswing doors in your home:
  • Space requirement. Outswing doors require more outdoor space than inswing doors to ensure they can be opened safely. ...
  • Safety concerns. Outswing doors have their hinges positioned on the outside.

Can my front door open outwards?

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.

Why outswing the door?

One of the main benefits of an outswing door is the increased security it offers. With the hinges on the outside, it becomes much more difficult for intruders to tamper with or remove the door. Additionally, outswing doors can provide better protection against strong winds and extreme weather conditions.

Which way should a door swing in?

Generally, interior doors will swing into the room, opening towards the nearest perpendicular wall in the room. You'll want the door to allow the most open space in the room when the door is open. After you determine door swing direction, you can use the above method to determine the hand of the door.

Which way should a porch swing face?

You also need to decide how to orient your swing. Do you want to face the street (or yard, if this is your side or back porch) or turn it perpendicular to the street, which creates a bit more privacy and the porch can then be part of a conversational area with other seating.

Do outswing doors leak?

Doors that are designed to swing out tend to have a better threshold design to shed the water that drains off the door (see photos below where an in-swing door had water leaking under the sweep).

Why do doors in Florida open outward?

Because of hurricane-force winds, Florida communities are now seeing the concept of outward opening doors as an advantage.

Which direction is good for front door?

The main door direction as per Vastu should always be to the northeast, north, east or west, as these directions are considered propitious. Avoid having the main entrance gate in the southwest, south, northwest (north side) or southeast directions.

Can I change my front door to open outwards?

It's possible to reverse an inswing door to outswing, and this comes with a ton of benefits, including more safety and convenience. This is not to mention the extra space that you'll create for further DIY designing and decoration.

Which way should a porch door open?

As we've mentioned, inward-opening doors tend to be more secure, as their hinges are concealed on the door's interior. But this isn't always the case. Clever designs effectively prevent the hinges from being removed or otherwise tampered with.

Which way should a house door open?

Exterior side entry doors typically swing inward for security reasons, but in areas with high winds or water penetration, an outward swing is preferred. Safety is of paramount importance when determining the preferred swing direction of exterior doors.

Which way should patio doors open?

In Summary

When it comes to patio door installation, they will almost always open outwards, especially French style patio doors. Patio doors are meant to allow a flow from the house into the garden.

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