Which way should doors swing?

I need some advise about door swing in/out/left/right...
Here is the floor plan of my family room.
http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w67/143house/family%20room/doors.jpg
On the lower left it opens to a hallway that turns south to the west side of the house, and on the lower right it opens to a hallway that will go pass one suite then turns south to the east side of the house.
I am trying to decide which ways the east and west doors should swing into / out of the hallway and whether it's left or right. It seems if I make the best decision at each location individually, then those two doors will not swing in a consistent manner as you walk past one to the other.
One restriction, the lower right door cannot swing right to the glass door entrance. It also cannot swing left into the hallway because there is a major electrical box there for many light switches. The lower left door cannot swing left into the hallway obviously because it will end up blocking the hallway. Also, both doors probably will be left opened 80% of the time.
Is there a "right" way to do this?
Thanks,
MC
Add pictures here
✖
<% if( /^image/.test(type) ){ %>
<% } %>
<%-name%>
Add image file
Upload

of
/
blocking
time.
Why do you even need doors there?
Add pictures here
✖
<% if( /^image/.test(type) ){ %>
<% } %>
<%-name%>
Add image file
Upload

To close off the bedroom quarters or other sections of the house when I am entertaining outside but opening up that room only, or for noise control.
Add pictures here
✖
<% if( /^image/.test(type) ){ %>
<% } %>
<%-name%>
Add image file
Upload

I'd put in the "bottom" door (relative to page) because the other door interferes (overlaps) into the hallway leading to the bath/bedroom.

Add pictures here
✖
<% if( /^image/.test(type) ){ %>
<% } %>
<%-name%>
Add image file
Upload
On 11 Feb 2008, MiamiCuse wrote

I don't know if there's any code about this, but all other things being equal I'd say that having both swinging into the room -- against the south wall -- minimises their intrusiveness and gives a bit of symmetry.
--
Cheers,
Harvey
  Click to see the full signature.
Add pictures here
✖
<% if( /^image/.test(type) ){ %>
<% } %>
<%-name%>
Add image file
Upload

Usually doors swing inwards towards the wall in the room or space. The exception is exiting doors. In commercial buildings the doors swings as a code required outward as a means of exiting. Residential doors swing inwards towards the near wall in the entrance space.
CID...
Add pictures here
✖
<% if( /^image/.test(type) ){ %>
<% } %>
<%-name%>
Add image file
Upload

Why are they doubled? It seems to create door "parking" issues for you, and the openings would seem to be serviceable with a single leaf. Why not just use a very big single?
--


MichaelB
www.michaelbulatovich.ca
  Click to see the full signature.
Add pictures here
✖
<% if( /^image/.test(type) ){ %>
<% } %>
<%-name%>
Add image file
Upload

What is doubled? Something got lost in the translation.
Add pictures here
✖
<% if( /^image/.test(type) ){ %>
<% } %>
<%-name%>
Add image file
Upload

If those are single doors, then the only one that's a mistake is the one swinging against the fireplace. You get more wall hanging space (if you want that) with the doors swinging out of the room, but the feeling of them swinging into the room is nicer upon entry.
--


MichaelB
www.michaelbulatovich.ca
  Click to see the full signature.
Add pictures here
✖
<% if( /^image/.test(type) ){ %>
<% } %>
<%-name%>
Add image file
Upload

On the right side, I cannot swing the door right into the family room, I cannot swing the door left into the hallway because there is a series of light switches there to operate the hallway lights upon entrance from the glass door. I cannot swing right into the hallway because it will block the glass door. So the only viable option is to swing left into the family room.
On the right side, I can swing right into the hallway or swing right into the family room, both do not match the action for the right side. May be swinging into the family room, with the door against the south wall is the best that can be done.
If you swing into the hallway wouldn't the person walking in the hallway towards the family be looking at the opened door all the time?
Add pictures here
✖
<% if( /^image/.test(type) ){ %>
<% } %>
<%-name%>
Add image file
Upload

Works for if it works for you.

You mean the left side of the drawing?

I wouldn't worry about them being samey-samey since there's no point of view where theire sameness can be appreciated. If both in works then both in it is.

Someone has to look at it all the time, unless it's a pocket, and besides, doors can be things of beauty, specially as they close behind several types of persons walking away from you.
Add pictures here
✖
<% if( /^image/.test(type) ){ %>
<% } %>
<%-name%>
Add image file
Upload

Yes I meant the left side...I had one beer too many when I typed this. The beer was supposed to clear my lungs off the abestoes I breathed in during the cutting of the plastered walls.
Add pictures here
✖
<% if( /^image/.test(type) ){ %>
<% } %>
<%-name%>
Add image file
Upload
wrote:

Hear ya. I've got some pros coming in to do a mod-bit flat roof in a week or so, but after that I'm thinking about renting some scaffolding and doing second floor siding, soffits and fascia this spring...at least that's at least clean...except for all the blood spatter.
Add pictures here
✖
<% if( /^image/.test(type) ){ %>
<% } %>
<%-name%>
Add image file
Upload

Do you mean the red lines I drew? Those are potential locations of doors when I have them opened, no double doors, just single doors but want to figure out which way is best and that affects my electrical box and wiring locations as well.
Add pictures here
✖
<% if( /^image/.test(type) ){ %>
<% } %>
<%-name%>
Add image file
Upload

I can't read your dimensions but it looks like proposed door opening from the family room to the hallway and bedroom is only a little over 2'+. I would want that entry as visually open possible. Understanding that the door won't have frequent use, I would consider putting a pocket door there. The required framing/casing for a swinging door in that location would feel a little tight for a family room IMO.
Add pictures here
✖
<% if( /^image/.test(type) ){ %>
<% } %>
<%-name%>
Add image file
Upload

Don, I am not considering pocket doors there. Not enough room on the west side and the east side wall has alarm system and central vac ducts in them anyways.
Oh I forgot to mention, there is NO load bearing interior walls in my house except the west and east wall of the family room. Every other walls I have opened are non-load bearing, the space from slab to rafters is 100", so all the interior walls were erected such that the top plates do not even touch the rafters there were literally free standing walls. To make up the difference, 3" wood strips were nailed to the bottom plates to raise the 8' tall plaster wall with gypsum lath up to reach the ceiling for the finish. The two interior walls of the family is load bearing, the A frame rafters for the adjacent corner "rooms" rest on them.
Add pictures here
✖
<% if( /^image/.test(type) ){ %>
<% } %>
<%-name%>
Add image file
Upload

If you were silly enough to try and do it that way you might be right. IMO, the extra framing is not an obstacle in such a small project, the functionality and aesthetics are. The family room is over thirty feet wide, seemingly plenty of space. I would think about adding to what is there. It never crossed my mind to hack into the existing structure, nor do I typically think of pocket doors as a first solution. The OP has mentioned other obstacles that I can't speak to.
Add pictures here
✖
<% if( /^image/.test(type) ){ %>
<% } %>
<%-name%>
Add image file
Upload

Pocket dooors?
But, why do you really need doors there? Can the entryways not be open? Even widened? It looks like thre is enough baffling to cut down on any potential noise form the family room. Doors there seem IMO to be superfluous and confining, interfering with the flow of the space.
Add pictures here
✖
<% if( /^image/.test(type) ){ %>
<% } %>
<%-name%>
Add image file
Upload
in

Kris, I did consider having no doors, but there are a few factors that mandated doors. One of them being that my wife says so. She wants to be able to lock those doors so we may have sex in the family room, I have to respect that.
MC
Add pictures here
✖
<% if( /^image/.test(type) ){ %>
<% } %>
<%-name%>
Add image file
Upload
snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote in

OK, that was more info than I needed... Basically, you want them for privacy. Still, maybe some sort of pocket door or slider be an option. That was the gist of it...
Add pictures here
✖
<% if( /^image/.test(type) ){ %>
<% } %>
<%-name%>
Add image file
Upload

Site Timeline

Related Threads

HomeOwnersHub.com is a website for homeowners and building and maintenance pros. It is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.