Inswing or Outswing Doors
How do I know if my door is inswing or outswing?
If the door opens inside interior (inside the room) it’s considered inswing. If it opens outside the room it’s an outswing door.
Is my door left hand or right hand swing?
When it comes to interior doors, they differentiate only by swing direction. Technically there is no difference between inswing or outswing doors. To determine if it’s a right hand door or left hand door stand in front of the door so it opens towards you. If door handle is on the left, it’s a LEFT HAND DOOR. If it’s on the right, it’s a RIGHT HAND DOOR. Another method is to stand in the door opening with door opened and hinges behind your back. If the door is opened on your right it’s a right hand door. If it’s opened on your left it’s a left hand door. Simple graphics to visualize door handing are below.
Exterior doors differ not only by swing direction (left or right), but by opening inside or outside of a house. Usually doors are not reversible. Locking mechanism, hardware, threshold may be different for inswing and outswing doors.
Single door diagram
When ordering doors from Ville Doors, refer to the diagrams below.
Double door swing configuration.
The diagram pertains to interior and exterior doors. One door is active, the one that opens first. The other door is kept closet by means of a flush bolt or a ball catch.
How to tell if I need an inswing or outswing door?
When it comes to exterior residential doors, answer is rather simple. No rule. However, check with your local building authority. Exclusions are high velocity hurricane zones, such as southern parts Florida where doors are installed to open outside. Outswing doors are more water and airtight. They serve better protection from strong winds.
There is no rule for interior doors. It’s a matter of convenience. Usually, doors swing inside a room towards a wall. You do not want to obstruct light switches or small passages of a hallway.