Do External Doors Open In or Out? (+ Why?)

You might not have considered it before, but in the UK, there is a convention that most front doors follow. Read on and learn whether British front doors open inwards or outwards, why, and whether it’s the same around the world.

Do External Doors Open Inwards or Outwards?

So, do external doors open in or out? Well, in the UK and when you’re talking about residential front doors, they almost always open inwards. Think about it, you probably can’t ever remember pulling rather than pushing a front door to get into any home you’ve lived in.

Things change, however, in the case of commercial properties. For those, their main external entrance and exit doors usually open outwards. That’s because there are other public safety considerations, such as the doors needing to be as easy as possible to exit through in the case of fire or other emergencies.

Why Do External Front Doors Open Inwards in the UK?

So, now we know that external front doors open inwards in the UK, the next logical question is why. There are several reasons why inswing front doors simply make more sense:

• Weather resistance – Inward opening external doors can stand up better to the ever-changing British weather. Their hinges are indoors, so are less exposed to rain and other potentially damaging conditions. If they opened outwards, too, they could easily get caught by a gust of wind and slammed against the wall.
• Security – Having their hinges on the inside also traditionally made inward opening front doors more secure as would-be burglars couldn’t tamper with them. Today, however, external doors are typically more secure all-round, especially if made from modern materials, such as in the case of Rockdoor composite doors.
• Accessibility – There are also a couple of accessibility advantages of having a front door that opens inwards. On one hand, it can make emergency access, such as by firefighters, simpler. On the other, it means door-steppers can’t stop the door from closing by standing in front of it.

Do External Doors Open Inwards Everywhere?

It makes sense, then, for external front doors to open inwards in the UK. Things are different, however, in a few places around the world, where there are specific reasons why their external doors typically open outwards:

• Scandinavia – Front doors often open outwards in countries like Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. There’s one main reason why; these countries are prone to more significant snowfall than the UK. If snow builds up against your front door, opening it inwards causes it to tumble into your hallway, which would need cleaning up and may cause damage.
• Japan – Cultural practices and habits also make a difference to whether a door should open inwards or outwards. In Japan, for example, it’s custom for people to remove and place their shoes at the front door as soon they enter a home. If the door opened inwards, it would immediately hit any shoes already placed there. Space is often at a premium in Japanese homes, too, so having a door open outwards can help save some room.

Which Types of External Doors Actually Don’t Open Inwards?

[image alt=”External bifold doors often open outwards to save space” file=”3 pane bi fold black”]

So far, we’ve been talking pretty exclusively about front doors when answering whether external doors open in or out. While that is what most people mean when they talk about external doors, there are obviously other types, and many of those don’t actually open inwards:

• External doors at the rear of your home – Doors that aren’t the main entrance of a home and which are found at the rear, such as patio doors or French doors, often open outwards. This saves space in the rooms they open from for interior furniture and also causes less obstruction to curtains or blinds.
• Doors with modern opening mechanisms – More modern styles of external door don’t technically have to open either inwards or outwards. Sliding doors are a good example, as are bifold doors that open with a kind of concertina mechanism.
• Doors where space is at a premium – Where there isn’t much room available, an external door that opens outwards makes sense as you can still use the internal space immediately behind it. For example, garage side doors might open out, to give more storage space or prevent the door opening into your car.

Looking for a New External Door?

Whether you want it to open inwards or outwards, Door Warehouse will have an external door for you. We’ve been supplying and fitting doors for over 30 years, so why not get in touch or pop into our Deeside showroom to see what we can do for you?