In a commercial setting, exterior doors should always open outwards for safety reasons. If a large crowd of people needs to evacuate from a public building, such as an office block, shopping centre, or place of worship, it would be much more time-effective and safer for them to escape through an outward opening door.
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.
For homes in areas prone to severe weather, like hurricanes, outswing doors might be preferred since they can better resist wind force pushing against them. However, the threshold and sealing for outswing doors need to be designed well to prevent water damage.
Egress in Emergencies: Outward-swinging doors allow for easier and quicker exit during emergencies. In a panic situation, people can push against the door to exit, which is especially important in crowded areas where people may be pushing from behind.
There's no rule that spells out which way the doors should swing in your home—that's ultimately up to the homeowners. There is a general consensus, however. Inside most homes, the doors swing inward into a room. There are a few key reasons why most people choose to have interior doors swing inward.
It is recommended that the main door always opens in a clockwise direction. Additionally, the entrance should face north, northeast, east, or west to promote prosperity and positivity. Doors opening in an anticlockwise direction are considered a Vastu defect and should be corrected.
The Basics of Door Etiquette
In the spirit of courtesy and in line with common sense, door etiquette is simply another aspect of being mindful of other people. When you approach a door that pulls open, reach out to open it then, continuing to hold the door open, stand aside so the person you're with may enter.
While there are areas of the country that may vary, there is no universal building code that forbids the use of residential exterior doors that open outward. Because of hurricane-force winds, Florida communities are now seeing the concept of outward opening doors as an advantage.
In certain cases, exterior doors will open outwards. For example, most exterior doors in public buildings are outward opening. This is for safety reasons. If a large crowd of people attempt to escape from a building, they will all have to back up to open an inward opening door.
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.
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).
While inswing doors save space and offer better weather resistance, outswing doors provide enhanced security and larger openings for easier movement of large items. When deciding between the two, it's essential to consider factors such as location, accessibility, size and space, security, and weather resistance.
Apartments in Scandinavia were traditionally built quite compact. External doors opening outwards can create a feeling of spaciousness. Where you're restricted on size, it's natural to want to make your home feel quite roomy and outward opening doors go some way to achieve this by not causing any internal obstruction.
Should bedroom doors open in or out? No law determines bedroom doors opening inwards or outwards. With outswing bedroom doors, you get more space in the bedroom and door hinges can be removed from the outside in case of emergency. However, there are more advantages to doors that swing into the room.
The FSRI strongly recommends sleeping with your bedroom door closed for added protection, as part of your overall bedroom fire safety plan.
Front Doors
Both options will help make your home safe and secure, as both options provide security against intruders. The outcome of our tests on our steel front doors shows that front doors that open outward provide the best protection against intruders as it is harder to break through the door.
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.
In both commercial buildings and residential homes, the standard door height is 80 inches, which is typically required by building codes. Door widths vary more frequently, but you can find an average exterior standard door width of 36 inches, and an average interior standard door width of between 28 and 32 inches.
Most exterior doors swing inward for security purposes. As previously mentioned, most doors will swing in the direction of the knuckle. Hinges consist of two leafs that join together to form a knuckle. With that said, the leafs are connected to each other with a pin.
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. However, there are also some factors to consider when choosing an outswing door.
Converting a French Door from inswing to outswing is definitely possible!
The “Open Door” rule requires a trial court to exercise its discretion to decide whether a party has, in fact, opened the door to otherwise inadmissible evidence. In doing so, the court must determine whether and to what extent the evidence/argument that is claimed to have opened the door is INCOMPLETE OR MISLEADING.
Optimizing Door Placement and Design
The placement and design of your front door are equally important in front door Feng Shui. Your front door should be easily visible and accessible, free from obstructions that may disrupt the flow of positive energy.
Don't be intimidating, and don't approach the door in a big group. Knocking in pairs is usually the best format, for not overwhelming people, for your security and also so you have some company and can get feedback from each other on how it went. Remember to smile; don't go if you're in a bad mood.