Key Takeaways
- The direction of a door’s swing is not only a decorative choice; it’s also a practical design element that affects the flow, safety, and accessibility of a space.
- There are three easy steps to figure out the swing of a standard door: find the outside, watch the swing, and check the hinge side.
- Knowing about door swing and handing is useful, especially when planning renovations, building new spaces, or replacing doors.
- To find the “swing direction” for certain types of doors, like double doors, you must take a slightly different approach, focusing on the swing and handing of the active leaf.
You may love your home, but even a well-loved home has quirks, like that one door that drives you up the wall. It could be in the dining room, where the door swings into a chair whenever someone enters, or a bedroom door that covers the closet when left open. If you plan to renovate or build a new home, having your doors open exactly how you want can make a big difference. This guide will help you understand why door swing direction matters, how to determine which way your door swings, and what to do if you need to change it.
Why Door Swing Direction Is Important
Door swing direction shouldn’t be a random choice. It’s a design element that affects how we move in and out of spaces and has some practical reasoning behind it.
- Flow: If your door swings in the wrong direction, you’re potentially blocking traffic flow into the room. This can make it tricky to place furniture and hard to get in and out of the room. A door should swing towards an open area or a wall rather than the main traffic path.
- Accessibility: If the swing direction is wrong, people in wheelchairs or other mobility aids may have trouble getting through doorways. There needs to be enough open space for them to move around.
- Safety: During an emergency, people can get trapped if someone has fallen or things have piled up near the door. This makes it harder to help them if your door isn’t swinging in the proper direction.
How To Determine Door Swing Direction
Although most interior and exterior doors in Toronto are inswing, knowing the swing direction is still important. Let’s find out if you have a left- or right-swing door:
- Find the Outside of the Door – For exterior doors, stand outside of your home or building. For interior doors, stand in the hallway or main room, outside the room you’re looking at.
- Look at the Swing – Does the door open towards you or away from you? If it opens towards you, it’s an inswing door. If it opens away from you, it’s an outswing door.
- Check the Hinges – This is referred to as handing, which tells you which side the door’s hinges are on – left or right. Whatever side the hinges are on determines the type of door you have. Hinges on left = Left-hand door, hinges on right = right-hand door.
- Combine Information – Together, swing direction and handing tell you exactly how a door moves when you open it, helping you choose the right replacement door. This door swing chart can help you find the correct swing and handing.
| Hinges Location | Swing Direction | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Left | Inward | Left Hand Inswing |
| Right | Inward | Right Hand Inswing |
| Left | Outward | Left Hand Reverse/Outswing |
| Right | Outward | Right Hand Reverse/Outswing |
Double Doors:
Perhaps you don’t have a regular door but instead have double doors. While some of the same steps can be taken, you’ll have to look at both sides to determine the swing and handing.
- Find the Outside of the Door – For exterior doors, stand outside of your home or building. For interior doors, stand in the hallway or main room, outside the room you’re looking at.
- Look at the Swing – Each door (or leaf) will generally have a different door swing direction. You need to figure out whether each leaf swings inward or outward. It’s also important to find the active leaf, which is the door that opens first and usually has the hardware (handle, latch).
- Check the Hinges – This step is only for the active leaf. Find out what side the hinges are on the door to tell if it’s left or right. The other door might have different hardware, like bolts, but its “hinge side” won’t matter.
- Combine Information – For double doors, you’ll combine the swing direction of the active leaf with its handing. You can use this door handing chart to help.
Final Thoughts
Even a minor detail like the direction of your door swing can greatly impact your space and life. You can make smart choices about your current and future spaces if you know how to determine the door swing and consider what it means for flow, safety, and accessibility.
If you’re not comfortable taking on a door installation yourself, call in the professionals. Delet Door Systems is locally owned and operated, and puts safety and professionalism first. Their skilled installers know how to meet the specific needs of Toronto homeowners and use high-quality materials to complete your door installation.
FAQs
Someone with basic carpentry skills and tools can change an interior door from an in-swing to an out-swing. It would involve modifying the frame and possibly the door. Changing an exterior door is difficult because of weather sealing and how the door and frame are built. It’s better to replace the whole unit with an out-swing door.
It makes a difference which side of the hinge goes on the door and which side goes on the frame (or jamb). Keep track of which hinge leaf has the most screw holes, and mount that side to the door frame for the best strength. Also, keep the hinge pin facing upwards.
The best door swing depends on where the door is, how big it is, and how the rooms and hallways are laid out for safety and accessibility needs. Think about these things carefully for each door in your space.
