Door swing question

I watch TV programs like Miami, Dade County SWAT.

Lots and lots and lots of front doors on people's houses swing OUT. I know that sometimes they can flip the editing, and things get reversed, but that would be impossible for front doors. I guess it's so people can't kick them in so easily, but then, they get pulled off a lot easier.

Anyone know about this practice? They sure look funny, and wouldn't be the best way to mount a door. Bang someone in the forehead, or knock them off the stoop, or get it wet when it's raining.

Steve

Heart surgery pending? Read up and prepare. Download the book $10

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Reply to
Steve B
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It is a hurricane strategy. The wind is less likely to blow them open and the harder it blows, the tighter they seal against driven rain.

Reply to
gfretwell

I designed and built my present house in western NC, making both the front and rear doors opening out. My reason ... the back opens into a screened porch and can be left open and not be in anyone's way. On the front door, it just made sense from how it looked, however, it could have been either way. One problem is that you have to use non-removable hinge pins or something similar to avoid break-ins, or should I say, "remove pin -ins". Also, we have no hurricanes here.

Reply to
Art Todesco

How would you install a storm door on a door that opened out?

Reply to
Ken

Most doors around me have additional storm doors, so they HAVE to swing in.

greg

Reply to
zek

In commercial situations doors swing out. It's a safety thing. In the early 1900's there was some incidents where entire crowds were killed. If you have 60 people running from a fire they will push up against the door and prevent it from opening inward in their panic.

Reply to
jamesgangnc

Actually there have bee incidents in this century. The "Great White" night club fire in 2003 had people trapped behind an in swing door.

Reply to
gfretwell

In commercial situations doors swing out. It's a safety thing. In the early 1900's there was some incidents where entire crowds were killed. If you have 60 people running from a fire they will push up against the door and prevent it from opening inward in their panic.

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You might be thinking of

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which had a single revolving door and other doors that opened inward against the mass of people

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where exit doors were bolted to prevent workers from sneaking out

But I suspect it's the Iroquois Theatre fire that you're thinking about. It resulted in significant changes to fire and building codes worldwide, among them the "panic bar."

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The ITF killed 605 or more in 1903, making it the most deadly one building fire in American history. Deaths there were mostly caused by iron gates, meant to keep people from swarming the stage, at the bottom of the staircases. Generally, the place was a firetrap and inspectors, who had noted the deficiencies, were told not to anger the powerful syndicate that built the theater. Allegations of bribes were also made (it was Chicago - what else is new?).

Some perished while trapped in dead ends or while attempting to open "doors" that were in reality windows designed to look like doors. The Iroquois doors used bascule locks that were not familar to theater patrons and thus hard to open in the dark What's a bascule lock?

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-- Bobby G.

Reply to
Robert Green

My doors swing in. I wouldn't be able to get out after two feet of snow if they swung out.

---MIKE---

Reply to
---MIKE---

With conflicting results?

Steve ;-)

Reply to
Steve B

you put the storm door on the inside. LOL! Well it wouldn't be any more ridiculous than having the regular door swing OUT! LMAO!!

Reply to
Steve Barker

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If I ever have sixty people in my house, I would probably run out screaming. For the other times, I just have never ever really seen an out swinging door, except as in some of the special circumstances noted. I just thought that the proper install was IN.

Steve

Reply to
Steve B

When I was up in PA it was code to have at least 2 exterior doors that swing in. I think it has to do with emergency exits during a fire. Too much snow and the doors aren't going to swing out. I'm not sure how storm doors get around that?

Never seen a storm door swing in... uh except for in my old basement going to the Bilco Doors. With the bilco doors open and the backwards storm door, we got lots of daylight and also some direct sun in the middle of winter.

Reply to
Tony Miklos

They don't. I went out twice during a recent snowstorm to shovel away the snow or I wouldn't have been able to open the storm door. The second time I had to squeeze myself out so I didn't stress the door too much. OTOH most storm doors I've seen are flimsy and have removable inserts, so even if snow was half way up it, you could manage to get out. I don't think snow blockage has much to do with door design. You're supposed to grab a shovel before you get trapped.

--Vic

Reply to
Vic Smith

Or, if you really want the door to swing out, you can use a rolling screen, if you need one.

Reply to
Art Todesco

Robert, thank you for an intelligent and concise answer. This has become so extremely rare on usenet. It is the type answer that made usenet possible and popular.

It is tragic to see the depths to which it has come with politics and name calling. I miss the usenet we once had.

Reply to
DanG

Still, you gotta wonder why people would want to literally push someone off their stoop so they could come inside. And have the door open outwards and get rained on. You knock on the door, then have to jump back or step backwards off the stoop because a door is coming at your face. Doesn't make any sense to me. Just thought we might have some LEOs or druggies who might chime in with their take on the question.

For commercial buildings, it is just plain common sense, although it did take a few disasters for everyone to get on the same page.

And I agree about your Usenet comments. But this is just like the real world, rude people and all.

Steve

Heart surgery pending? Read up and prepare. Download the book $10

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Reply to
Steve B

That's no different than an in-swing door with a storm door. People on both sides still have to step back.

People are pretty good about not getting hit in the face with a door, and other people are pretty good at not hitting other people in the face with a door. Usually happens once and then they learn. It's a vertical learning curve.

R
Reply to
RicodJour

I read that link and then looked for some pictures of a bascule lock. I couldn't find any. The description of the look says that the lock was operated by turning the lever either way - kind of like retracting a latch with a cylindrical latchset. You can turn the knob either way to open the door. So I really don't understand why the bascule lock presented such problems. Press either side of the lever either up or down and it opens. Where did the problem come in?

R
Reply to
RicodJour

I understand that an outward opening door would not be a problem to people who lived there, or who were knowledgeable about how the door worked. For everyone else, people with groceries in their hands, new visitors, small children who don't understand to get back, and people who might have to step back and DOWN a step or five on the stoop just to swing the door open so they could get in, an outward opening door is something that I can not understand being installed in that configuration. That makes as much sense as putting an INWARD opening door in a tiny closet so that you could not open the door once you threw anything in there, nave no floor storage space, couldn't open the door if anything fell off a shelf and blocked the door, nor have access to any shelf behind the door. To me, an outward opening door looks like it belongs on a crack house. They are just not "common", and makes as much sense as installing shingles from the top down, leaving the shingles to collect instead of repel water.

Steve

Heart surgery pending? Read up and prepare. Download the book $10

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Reply to
Steve B

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