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Property/DIY

Front door opening outwards?

30 replies

Madblondedog · 11/12/2015 18:26

It would work a LOT better for our new front door to open outwards.....would this be a silly idea?

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AbiBranning · 11/12/2015 18:29

Ours does and the only problem we have is grocery delivery people putting stuff up to the door, we have to yell round that the door that it opens outward and ask them to move the delivery.

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Madblondedog · 11/12/2015 18:36

Does it bother you other than that?

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BackforGood · 11/12/2015 18:41

It depends a LOT if your front door opens straight onto the street, or into your own private driveway, IMO

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Gusthetheatrecat · 11/12/2015 19:00

We visit a house where the door opens outwards, and I find it v annoying and stressful. Getting a buggy and scooters and small
children inside is a nightmare.
That said, I guess it's really quite convenient for the inhabitants!

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PigletJohn · 11/12/2015 19:01

if not in a porch, rain may run inside the door.

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DoctorTwo · 11/12/2015 19:22

It's far better for security. Try kicking in an outside opening door...

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FreeWorker1 · 11/12/2015 19:25

Its wrong. I have never been in any building where the door opened outward except a shed, temporary building, fixed caravan.

A house door should not open outward.

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Bearbehind · 11/12/2015 19:36

I have never been in any building where the door opened outward except a shed, temporary building, fixed caravan

Really Hmm you can't get out much then.

The doors in the very fast majority of public buildings/ shops/ hotels etc open outwards as it's easier to escape in the event of a fire.

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bluebolt · 11/12/2015 19:41

The only doors I have known to be outward opening have been glass to be able to see the person standing in front. Not sure if you would be liable if door swung open on someone like a postman?

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Madblondedog · 11/12/2015 19:48

It would open onto our driveway and there is a little storm porch thing. I guess water may get on the inside but surely that's no different from when you accidently leave a window open in the rain?!

gus does it not make getting out of the house easier though?

blue I guess knocking someone over could still happen when your open inwards as someone could be on the other side still Smile

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bluebolt · 11/12/2015 19:54

My front door opens in and my porch door opens out the difference is the wind catches my porch door so would more likely hit someone than my front door would. Even being glass people still do not realise to move out the way when after knocking.

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Deux · 11/12/2015 20:03

It's common place in Sweden for exterior doors to open outwards.

Our final exit door on the porch opens outward and it's great. We have more room in the porch so can have storage which would otherwise get in the way of an inward opening door.

Also when the weather is foul we can all get in the porch and close the door before opening the inner door.

Our porch door is usually unlocked and deliveries go straight into the porch without me having to answer the door.

We've had no problems with water ingress.

If you do do it, consider the kind of hinges you have as the wind can catch the door. We have a small rubber stop to prevent the door from catching in the wind.

And you don't get that tangle of doors you can get with an inward opening door.

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Onsera3 · 11/12/2015 20:10

They open out in places where it snows regularly I believe. Otherwise it would tumble into your house when you open the door I guess.

I wanted to change ours to outwards while keeping current door but apparently not that easy. We are really strapped for space so I wish ours opened out.

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GreenTomatoJam · 11/12/2015 20:17

Our porch door opens outwards and the house door (which used to be the only door until the porch was built around it) opens inwards.

It never occurred to me this was a thing - and it wouldn't be very convenient if the porch door opened inwards too - the kids wouldn't be able to put their wellies in the box without us all crowding in an closing the door.

If it's on a porch, let it open outwards. In my experience it's totally fine.

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VulcanWoman · 11/12/2015 20:20

I've seen them a few times, sorry but I find it a bit peculiar. For some reason I wouldn't feel as safe. Plus the person you're opening the door to would have to move backwards.

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IAmAPaleontologist · 11/12/2015 20:23

When we replaced our back door (the door we use all the time, front door gets opened once or twice a year) we went for outward opening, makes it so much easier to get the kids out of the house! Our entrance is really small so 3 kids scrambling to put shoes on, plus me, trying to open the door inwards and not squash a child who is hunting for their school bag and so on was a nightmare. Now we can fling the door open and herd them out.

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Madblondedog · 11/12/2015 20:39

Pleased to hear some people have had positive experiences of it.

It would work much better for us. I also feel if people fling it open they won't damage anything like they do if they fling it open and it hits an internal wall

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Cressandra · 11/12/2015 22:47

We had an outward opening door in a swedish-built house in the uk. It does surprise people a bit. We had a frosted glass panel next to it so people could see you coming to open the door somewhat, but that's maybe not ideal security wise.

We also had quite a big step up to the front door and a roofed bit outside. I don't recall any issues with water getting in. If anything it was drier, it never dripped on the carpet like a wet inward opening door. But people did use to remark on its oddness, and when answering the door to a stranger you end up opening it wider and having it less under your control, so perhaps not good for very nervous people.

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HopeClearwater · 11/12/2015 22:51

Some people with violent ex-partners have had their front doors changed (often by DV charities) to open outwards, because as a PP says, it's much harder to kick them down or to force your way in.

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Thankfulforeveryday · 11/12/2015 22:56

I live in a new build and our back door, the one we use the most, opens outwards, I didn't even notice until someone pointed it out. I have no problems with it. No rain issues either. It works well!

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Pipnposy · 11/12/2015 23:09

We have an outward opening front door (on to a porch). I hate it and think it's really dangerous. The wind catches it all the time and once it very nearly broke my ankle by slamming shut on me. When the wind blows in the opposite direction it flings the door back and the hinges are stressed and when we get deliveries it's annoying. The only plus is that we have more room in the porch than we would otherwise. Sorry if that's not what you want to hear!

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CanadianJohn · 12/12/2015 05:17

In Canada, most houses have double exterior doors... the inner door opens inwards, and the outer one (sometimes called a storm door) opens outward.

The storm door has a safety chain to prevent it being caught by the wind, and usually has a pneumatic (or hydraulic?) door-closer. The door-closer prevents the wind from slamming the door, and also closes and latches the door automatically, so when you enter or exit you only have to attend to the inner door.

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MariaV0nTrapp · 12/12/2015 06:08

I know someone that was followed home and attacked on their doorstep and has been repeatedly broken into. He has had his doors changed to external opening purely for the security aspect to it. As a pp has said.. Try kicking one in.

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Madblondedog · 12/12/2015 08:09

Where our front door is is quite sheltered from the prevailing wind direction here so I'm less worried about that. People keep opening our current door straight onto my nice newly plastered wall which is really frustrating

Really interesting to hear it's more secure as we live on a rural road so any addition security is great.

Could just put a little sign on it saying "this door opens outwards" to begin with

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7to25 · 12/12/2015 08:16

The whole of Boston is like this.....that explains it with the snow, including shops. You get used to it.

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