Which Direction And Way Should A Door Open Into A Room?

There is a lot of thought that goes into door installation, and many people have stories of installing a door that does not swing the right way or needs to be pulled open instead of pushed.

The tragic Victoria Hall incident in 1883 mandated that public buildings needed to have exterior doors that opened outwards, but for homes it is often the opposite, and most house doors open inwards.

The reason for this is a straightforward matter of security; an outward opening door would expose the hinge, which an enterprising burglar could simply unscrew or break open and easily get into your house. It also helps avoid problems with weather blowing a door open.

As for internal doors, this can often depend on the design of the house itself and where the doors are least in the way once opened. Typically, this means that they will open inward, as an open door into a room is not in the way of anyone in the hallway.

This could be different for under-stairs rooms, which tend to have oddly-shaped doors that necessarily have to open outwards, and other small rooms such as storage cupboards, walk-in wardrobes and en-suite bathrooms will tend to have doors that open outward.

As for which direction the door should swing, this can depend on a wide variety of factors, but the general rule of thumb is that the door should swing away from the wall closest to the light switch.

If people have to walk around the door to turn on the lights, this is not only frustrating but could potentially be rather hazardous.

The rules also are somewhat less clear for sliding and bi-fold doors, which can open a wide variety of ways depending on the most convenient place for them to rest in a given place in the home.

Ultimately, a trusted expert will let you know the best way to have a door open in a given situation based on the layout of your home.