Question about exterior doors

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tommy2tone

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Hampton, VA 23666
I am drawing up plans for a shed. I want to put a small door on one side. Got the basic sizes from home depot (32, 36, 38). My question is about the outswing and inswing lefthand/right hand. Doing a search on the installation instructions it has four pictures. The outswing is what is puzzling me. Isn't right mean you use your right hand? The picture has the doorknob on the right side of the door (right handed) looks like your hand would be crossed if you stood on the outside grabbing the doorknob with your right hand.. The inswing doors seem to make scense.
 
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Where I live, domestic exterior doors are almost always inswing. I think the reason for that is in the winter, you can have a buildup of snow that would interfere with an outswing door.

I do recall seeing outswing doors on commercial buildings. In that case, I think its a matter of easing egress in the event of fire.

With the exception of commercial building applications of double doors, every door that I have seen has had the handle on the right side, even in the case of outswing doors where, as you point out, that would appear to be clumsey.

Obviously, you need to check your local building codes, but I would think that for a shop, an outswing door might be preferable because it would not mortgage as much of the interior floor space for door swing.
 
Louie I agree about an outswing not compomising any of the floor space. THe only thing is if you leave it open it is supported by the hinges. An inswing would be resting on the floor.
 
Tommy, a door should never rest on the floor, the hinges are designed to handle the weight. An inswing door is required on all housed buildings here, the room it takes up is minimal. How to tell right or left hand door: The way I do it: Open the door and put your butt up to the butt hinges. If the door is at your left, it is a left hand door; right hand. Hope this helps. Robbie
 
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It's all personal preference and the architectural look of the shed. I'm going to be adding one on the back of our garage which will share some of the same roof line. It will be sided to match the garage but I'm going with (2) 24" outswing doors and wide enough trim that I can have strap hinges carriage bolted through in lieu of tamper proof hinge pins.
 
Do they have to be symmetrical?

StephenM said:
.....I'm going with (2) 24" outswing doors....
Click to expand...

I have a pair of 28" doors into the basement shop and going in and out of one is as narrow as I would ever want to have. A 24" door and I, with a heavy coat, would almost be rubbing both sides with my shoulders. If the 48" is a max then consider the second door being smaller than the one used to get in and out normally.
 
robersonjr said:
Tommy, a door should never rest on the floor, the hinges are designed to handle the weight. An inswing door is required on all housed buildings here, the room it takes up is minimal. How to tell right or left hand door: The way I do it: Open the door and put your butt up to the butt hinges. If the door is at your left, it is a left hand door; right hand. Hope this helps. Robbie
Click to expand...

I think what he meant was that it was over the floor. More than just air as an outswing would be.
 
Curly said:
StephenM said:
.....I'm going with (2) 24" outswing doors....
Click to expand...

I have a pair of 28" doors into the basement shop and going in and out of one is as narrow as I would ever want to have. A 24" door and I, with a heavy coat, would almost be rubbing both sides with my shoulders. If the 48" is a max then consider the second door being smaller than the one used to get in and out normally.
Click to expand...


I plan on opening both to go in. It will just be for lawnmower, generator, yard tools, etc. I want the 48" opening, but I don't want to do it with 1 door.
 
If this is just a storage shed, probably not a problem with 24"doors. But if it is a space you frequently enter, like a shop, you will likely come to despise the two-door configuration, and end up squeezing thru and using just one of the doors. Think it through!

Steve
 
SteveG said:
If this is just a storage shed, probably not a problem with 24"doors. But if it is a space you frequently enter, like a shop, you will likely come to despise the two-door configuration, and end up squeezing thru and using just one of the doors. Think it through!

Steve
Click to expand...
I was going to put in a double door. That way I can open both if needed, but use the one for primary egress. Or maybe a garage door on one side and a standard door on the other.
 
The left/right orientation of your door is determined by which side of the door the hinges are on when you are facing the side of the door where the hinges have their pins. Pins on the left = left hand door, pins on the right = right hand door. I had a similar problem with a door opening and solved it by installing 2 different sized doors, one 30" and the other 18". One is kept closed with pins on both the top and bottom while the other was a regular door with a key in knob and deadbolt. The 18" door has a full length angle iron installed to meet the latch side of the other door and the angle iron has openings for the latch and deadbolt for a very secure combination.
 
There is a major advantage to an outswing door on something like a workshop that houses a bunch of expensive tools. You can't give it a good swift kick and break the lock like you can an inswing door. You have to yank it toward you. Use security hinges though, with permanent welded hinge pens.
 
sbwertz said:
There is a major advantage to an outswing door on something like a workshop that houses a bunch of expensive tools. You can't give it a good swift kick and break the lock like you can an inswing door. You have to yank it toward you. Use security hinges though, with permanent welded hinge pens.
Click to expand...

That's why they invented deadbolts and steel doors.
 
My shop shed has double doors that swing out... they are both 36" doors and for just in and out I only open the right hand door... It's an out swing door... and using the where the door is in relation to your butt standing in front of the hinges... it's a left hand door... the door knob is on the left when outside facing the shed.

In summer and on warmer days, I can open both doors and get more light and air in the shop.
 
maxwell_smart007 said:
sbwertz said:
There is a major advantage to an outswing door on something like a workshop that houses a bunch of expensive tools. You can't give it a good swift kick and break the lock like you can an inswing door. You have to yank it toward you. Use security hinges though, with permanent welded hinge pens.
Click to expand...

That's why they invented deadbolts and steel doors.
Click to expand...

It isn't the door that fails, it is the jamb. Unless that deadbolt goes into a steel jamb, a hard kick will break it right out of the wood. All that is holding that door closed is the two inch long deadbolt going into a piece of wood. On an outswinging door it is against a wooden frame on both sides and the top. You have to yank it hard enough to PULL the deadbolt through the wood. Much more difficult than driving it through the wood by kicking it. (Best friend is ex Chief of Police. That is why all my outside doors have outward swinging steel safety doors over the inward swinging entry doors.)
 
sbwertz said:
maxwell_smart007 said:
sbwertz said:
There is a major advantage to an outswing door on something like a workshop that houses a bunch of expensive tools. You can't give it a good swift kick and break the lock like you can an inswing door. You have to yank it toward you. Use security hinges though, with permanent welded hinge pens.
Click to expand...

That's why they invented deadbolts and steel doors.
Click to expand...

It isn't the door that fails, it is the jamb. Unless that deadbolt goes into a steel jamb, a hard kick will break it right out of the wood. All that is holding that door closed is the two inch long deadbolt going into a piece of wood. On an outswinging door it is against a wooden frame on both sides and the top. You have to yank it hard enough to PULL the deadbolt through the wood. Much more difficult than driving it through the wood by kicking it. (Best friend is ex Chief of Police. That is why all my outside doors have outward swinging steel safety doors over the inward swinging entry doors.)
Click to expand...

Yep, I've had my front door on my house kicked in twice when I was in Houston... first time the police caught the young culprits as they were sitting in a part of the subdivision where they shouldn't have been counting their loot... and one of the dads paid for the door... second time they cleaned out all of my electronics and no one was caught, so I paid for that door as it was just under my deductible... both times, the door knob and door jam were destroyed.
 
One thing to remember too, is on an outswing door make sure you've properly sealed all 6 sides, especially the top and bottom. Since they are exposed to the weather, they tend to absorb moisture and will cause premature failure.
Cheers,
Rob
 
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For whatever it's worth, newer homes and doors in Florida are more likely to be outswing.
In part, because they offer better protection against the slamming winds of hurricanes--at least, that's what the builders and contractors are saying.
My shops have outswing doors with hinges set so I can open both doors more than 135 degrees.
Doing so provides access to the concrete pad without obstruction and is quite useful.
It makes the shop feel bigger too.
 
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