When deciding if a new door should open inwards or outwards, it is worth taking into consideration the pros and cons of both choices, and there are many!
Inward-opening doors vs outward-opening doors
Choosing whether a door opens outwardly or inwardly will be influenced by where the door will be installed and whether it is in a commercial or residential setting. In this blog, we take a detailed insight into when a door should open inwards or outwards, how it’s dependent on the type of door, and the different requirements for residential and commercial settings.
Should exterior doors open in or out?
Generally, in the UK, the preference is for exterior doors to open inwards to enhance security and protect the door from the elements. When opened inwardly, the hinges of a front door would be inside the home, rather than on the outside, stopping any opportunistic intruder from tampering with the hinges to gain entry into your home. However, an exterior door with an outswing is very difficult to force open. While the hinges are outside of the house, they do have non-removable pins and are therefore not vulnerable to burglars.
If you walk down your local high street, you will notice public places will have outward-opening exterior doors. This is to ensure the safety of civilians should they need to evacuate the building. Fire escapes should ideally have fire doors that open out, to allow for a timely and safe escape route, in the event of a fire.
Do External Doors Have to Open Inwards?
No. Although this is the general practice in the UK for the security reasons we detailed above. At Latham’s, we believe that the security of the home is far more enhanced when a front door is installed to open outwardly as it is more difficult for an intruder to break through, especially if it is one of our steel front doors. It’s also worth considering where you would need to save space in your home. For instance, you might prefer patio doors to open outwardly to free up room inside your home.
Can Exterior Doors Open Out?
Yes, they can. If you are concerned about the hinges being exposed and posing a security threat, there are clever designs available that prevent the hinges from being removed or tampered with. A setscrew hinge locks the hinge pin to one side of the hinge, which conceals the hinges when the door is fully closed. Or you could use a stud hinge, where hinge plates are fitted with interlocking studs that prevent the door from coming away from the door frame when it’s closed. Another option is using a non-removable hinge pin that works the same way as a rivet and cannot be removed once it is installed.
When should exterior doors open outwards?
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. If they were faced with an inward-opening door, they would all have to back up against one another. This would pose a risk to life, as the escape route would prove to be difficult and time-consuming to get through.
Are there any laws about doors opening outward?
There is one piece of UK legislation that covers outward-opening doors. Section 153 of the Highways Act of 1980 focuses on doors and gates that open straight onto a highway. The legalisation states that if you wish to install an outward-opening door onto a highway, you must get in touch with local authorities to get consent from the highway authorities.
Please note:
If you fail to do this, it can lead to a £200 fine. It is always worth checking before installing a door so you have covered any eventuality.
Should interior doors open in or out?
Interior doors tend to open inwards in a home. This is because most interior doors are usually positioned off a hallway and having inward-opening doors will save space in the hall area. Doors that open outwardly can make the layout of a home awkward as people pass through. An outward-opening interior door may also encroach on space.
Residential Doors
Deciding on whether a particular door in a home should open inwardly or outwardly is an important factor when making a home safe and secure.
Front Doors
Choosing to have a front door that opens inwardly or outwardly comes down to personal preference. 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. The steel will also protect against the elements.
Garage Entry Doors
A garage entry door would benefit from opening outwardly to save space within the garage. It also provides better protection from burglars who may attempt to force entry through the garage.
Patio Doors
Patio doors are more likely to open outwardly to save on space in the home. You would need to consider installing a small hook to keep the door fixed open to protect against the doors from being damaged by wind.
French Doors
If your French doors open out onto a balcony or smaller garden, inward-opening French doors may be preferable, in order to save the minimal space you have outside.
Internal Doors
Internal doors usually open inwards in a home, as most are positioned off a hallway. It also keeps people safe from injury, as an outward internal door could open to someone walking by and it also takes up less space
Why Do Front Doors Open Inwards?
In the UK, it is generally preferred that a front door opens inward. This is down to various reasons:
Keeps your home secure
Inward-opening front doors keep your home secure. The door’s hinges are inside the home, rather than on the outside where they could be tampered with by would-be intruders. You can also fit extra security features, such as chains and latches, to keep burglars out.
Safety and Practicality
Opening a door inwards is more practical. It makes entering and exiting a home easier, especially if you are laden with shopping bags. There could also be a risk of injury if you were to open the front door outwardly into the person who has just rung the doorbell!
Protection from the elements
An outward-opening front door is exposed to the elements, such as wind, rain, and snow. It will experience more wear and tear over time. An inward-opening door is protected from the elements.
Can you buy a front door that opens outwards?
At Latham’s, we recommend having outward-opening front doors and we can custom-make a door to suit your needs. Our outward-opening steel front doors have always come out stronger in tests, due to the fact they are protected by the door frame should an intruder try and break through. As mentioned above, there are extra security measures you can take to conceal hinges to stop them from being exposed.
Commercial and Public Doors
In a commercial or public setting, the safety, security, and room type will determine the direction in which a door should swing open. The main aspect to consider is for passageways not to be blocked by an open door. This will pose some harm or danger, especially in times of emergency.
Office Buildings
Offices are busy places, with employees coming and going from meetings and leaving the building at different times. Main entrances and exit routes within office buildings generally have doors that open out. Doors that separate individual offices tend to open inward to save space and diminish any risk of opening a door onto another employee.
Shops
Big supermarkets will often have automatic sliding doors at the entrance, to ensure the safety of shoppers entering in and out, especially at busy times of the day. In smaller stores, an outward-opening exterior door would be preferable to ensure the safe escape of shoppers in the event of an emergency. It would also mean saving on space in a smaller premise.
Fire Escapes
Fire doors should ideally open in the direction of escape but there are exceptions, including if the door opens onto an escape route that obstructs the corridor. Some final exit doors may also need to open inwards to protect passersby. Fire doors should never be propped open and should be fitted with a self-closing device.
Inward vs. Outward – you decide
When it comes to exterior doors, there are many factors to consider and it may come down to personal preference. Security may be the most important aspect to consider, especially in your home, or the safety of others would come first if a door was being installed in a busy shop or office.
