Here's a"stupid" question.

[Gene83]

Thank goodness for Google...


TLC Home "Why do the entry doors to most homes open inward, while in most public buildings, the entry doors open outward?"

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Lish]

I'm surprised none of our Florida members haven't commented on this. In Florida it is common (the norm?) for a homes front door to open outward. I lived there for a year and was surprised to see this was the way all (or most) homes were built, at least in Southeast Florida where I lived. I was told it is done that way because of hurricanes and heavy storms.

My door in central FL opens in, I think the ones when I lived in Jacksonville and Ft Lauderdale did too but it's hard for me to remember for sure. Miami Dade building code (which most of the state adopts) states the doors for both residential and commercial be impact resisant due to wind borne debris or have shutters, but I don't believe it addresses which way the doors open. It may be a pre and post Andrew thing though, a lot of codes changed then. From a hurricane standpoint I'd rather have a door going out than in, luckily I'm inland now or I'd make my husband change the hinges on it tonight now that you've got me thinking about it! LOL

[Jdp751]

I would rather my door open in, if somebody wants to break in you will not stop them either way, but if you are answering your door and somebody tries to push their way in you can pushback with equal force using your whole body , if the door opens outward you only have a small handle to pull on, not using your bodyweight pushing against the door. And you can place a brace behind your door

[dukalmighty]

When I built my garage I made the steel man door swing out, mainly so I could squeeze 5 or 6 cars in and still enter & exit easier. I took the mig and tacked the hinge pins so they couldn't be easily driven out. Now after I turned it into the man cave... It'd be nice to have it swinging the other way so I could enjoy looking out a storm door. I cant swing it in now even with a new door. The racedeck flooring system laid down is 1/2" thick and won't allow a standard door the clearance to swing. I'd have to cut into the header and sheetrock to gain clearance. If I just leave it open I'll be fightin the dad burn skeeters and biting gnats :(

Why couldn't you shorten the door/frame by cutting the bottom off 1/2" ?

[GunGeezer]

I live in central Florida and my front door opens out. When I bought the house, 15yrs. ago, it had double, heavy wooden doors that both swung out. I could break in without tools. I replaced them with a fiberglass single door and fiberglass sidelites. No more painting. I have a retractable screen door on the inside that works just fine.

[gbball98]

When a door opens out it leaves the latch/deadbolt and edge of the door exposed making it easier to pry the bolts and or door open with a crowbar or screwdriver.

[Smitty901]

Most modern home they just go though thin walls along door reach in and unlock it. Many homes and apartment you can stick you fist though the wall just past the door jam.
Seen it done a few times.
Don't madder how it swings it is about how it is attached.

[Reaperman357]

If this is about security I'd suggest you just get a steel door and katybar it I had to kick it one of those once it took forever and was seriously annoying.

[Beretta96]

Hinges could be altered. But, that's one good reason. The only one I can come up with.

There are residential hinges with non-removable pins.

[BugDude]

Building codes in different areas have different requirements. Also depends on when your home was built. In Virginia, my first house was built in the late 70s and all exterior dors opened in and had full length glass storm doors. My next house in VA was built 4 years ago and the front door (under a covered porch) opened in and all other exterior doors (not under covered porches or overhangs) were required to open outward (which negated the option of screen or storm doors so we installed french doors). I inquired as to that because of the amount of snow we got there and having to push a door out against it and it was a building code requirement. I still don't understand it. My current house in FL the front door under a covered porch opens in and back door opens out. Not sure why here either. All of my other houses in other states, new or older, all exterior doors opened in.

[gobbly]

yep, hinges, along with the anticipated side they will be opened from would be the reasons I would imagine for opening inward.

[Hoganbeg]

I think it is a very good question. For one, I'd be willing to bet that most people don't know the answer. For another thing, it makes us think on a deeper level about the security compromises inherent in one vs the other.

[Sky Pilot]

The OP's opinion of a storm door as unnecessary and obsolete is his own and not mine.
I have a storm door, it has a dead bolt, this adds another layer of keep-out.

[ep1953]

It is so I can hide behind the door when I see my daughter coming home from work, then wait for it.....waaaaaait for it..... and then reach from behind the door, grab her shoulder and scream.....and then watching her turn to into either a murderous she devil....or a quivering jello bowl.....and it is fricking hilarious ever single time!

Uh, she doesn't pack heat yet. Once she gets her CCL I doubt I will thattry any longer because I am severely allergic to lead and copper injections.......

Two little stories might lead you to discontinue your little game of scaring your daughter.

Back in the 80's I had a programmer working for me who was a very nervous guy. Every time I would walk into the computer room (which was noisy due to the cooling) he would practically jump out of his skin when he would notice me. Bear in mind I wasn't trying to scare him, he was just that jumpy. One day he decided you would "get me back" so he called me into the computer room and hid behind the door. He jumped out at me and got the result he wanted in that he scared me. What he wasn't expecting was my instinctive reaction which was to punch him in the stomach. Needless to say that was the last time he tried to scare me.

The other was a very tragic news report I read a few years ago. A father had come home in the evening expecting to return to an empty house. His daughter had come home early and hid in the closet. She made noise in the closet to scare her dad and when he opened the door to investigate, she jump out at him and he shot her once in the chest. As she died in his arms she said "I'm sorry daddy".

[Crowman]

Cause...