Door swing question

He seems dead set against it, so let's give him two votes against. That should make him feel better. ;)

R
Reply to
RicodJour
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If you ever _had_ a house with an out opener, you would never again want one opening in...assuming you don't have a little bitty stoop outside it. Why? Because it saves an amazing amount of space inside.

As for the 'stepping back' bit. Why is it any different than when you want to go out of an in-swing one? The arguments _against_ an out- opener are mostly nonsense. The one about 'easier to pull it off' is really nonsensical. True I suppose if you hook a car or something to it but the average burglar isn't going to be doint that. He for sure is not going to be able to kick-in an outopener.

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

In all the years I these "in/out" discussions have been conducted, that 'code' thing keeps being mentioned. Odd that not once have I ever seen a cite for it...

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

Come over and look at the books, it's in there.

Reply to
Tony Miklos

I'll note that in my last house I changed the sealed building plans to have the rear/kitchen door swing out instead of in so it didn't hit you in the butt if you were cooking, (it was a little tight). The inspector saw it and said it was a problem, I needed 2 doors that open inward. I then showed him the bedroom that was modified to be my home office... complete with a door that opened inward. He said OK, no problem. (front door also opened inward)

Reply to
Tony Miklos

Never had an out opener. And never noticed the in openers taking an amazing amount of space. They open into an "entryway" in every house I've lived in. While the door is open it covers a part of the wall. Big deal. I don't put a TV there anyway. Biggest difference is "space" I would see is we'd store our boots/shoes 32" closer to the door. Might make a difference in a real tiny house or a mobile home.

--Vic

Reply to
Vic Smith

I'm wondering if the inspector was addressing issues other than solely the direction of the door swing.

I couldn't find anything for Pennsylvania online that prohibited an out-swinging door. Mainly checked the PA Uniform Construction Code.

And the IRC addresses out swing doors, providing conditions for them, so they are allowed.

From the 2006 IRC.

- R311.4.3 Landings at doors. There shall be a floor or landing on each side of each exterior door. The floor or landing at the exterior door shall not be more than 1.5 inches (38 mm) lower than the top of the threshold. The landing shall be permitted to have a slope not to exceed 0.25 unit vertical in 12 units horizontal (2-percent).

- - Exceptions:

- - - 1. Where a stairway of two or fewer risers is located on the exterior side of a door, other than the required exit door, a landing is not required for the exterior side of the door provided the door, other than an exterior storm or screen door does not swing over the stairway.

- - - 2. The exterior landing at an exterior doorway shall not be more than 73/4 inches (196 mm) below the top of the threshold, provided the door, other than an exterior storm or screen door does not swing over the landing.

R
Reply to
RicodJour

I don't think so. How would the extra office door at the other end of the house effect the code for the kitchen door that was allowed to swing outward? Having that extra office door swinging in made it pass code... it was the 2nd exit door that opened inward.

Correct, there is nothing prohibiting doors that swing out, they let me do that in the kitchen. But somewhere there is a code that requires at least 2 exit doors that swing in.

Maybe it was a local thing? All I know is I heard it firsthand from the inspector, and I've heard of it second (or third or fourth hand) from other people.

Now that I think of it, the modular home builder first balked at the kitchen door swinging out until I told him the added office door would swing in and be the 2nd exit.

Reply to
Tony Miklos

Well, building inspectors are only human - at least that's the theory, and they do make mistakes. I've had some tell me doozies over the years. And they're 100% percent _certain_ that they're right. Unfortunately my normal tendency to stick a pin in the balloon has to be tempered with the knowledge that if you piss on the inspector's shoes, he'll shit on your project and there's not a lot you can do about it.

Local codes do get quite wacky, but I would bet dollars to donuts (I can't lose with that one - I love donuts), that it's some urban myth about the door swing code prohibition. People extrapolating from commercial egress codes and that sort of thing.

There are two possible reasons to prohibit a particular direction of door swing - emergency situations and local climactic conditions. In either case allowing one door to do something different because another door complies makes little sense. But that brings us full (or is that fool?) circle back to inspectors and people that write local codes.

I'd be really interested to read the exact wording of your local code that addresses the door swing direction. Maybe there's a clue in there about what they were thinking. If you find it, please post it. Thanks.

R
Reply to
RicodJour

First, I said maybe it's a local code, I didn't say it is.

Second, there is the company that built the modular house for me, they don't build any without 2 exit doors that swing in unless you give them a written waiver. (at first they wanted me to sign a waiver until they realized there would be the 3rd exit door, which opened in.) They were located in PA but about 100 miles away. They deliver custom built modular homes to 5 or so different states, all with 2 doors that swing in.

Third, I moved 600 miles from there so I doubt I'll trade time with my family and grandchildren to read up on the ol' codes while I'm up there.

Reply to
Tony Miklos

Spending time with your grandkids is more important to you than figuring out code for a door...? Man, you are an odd duck! ;)

Tony, what I was hoping to achieve is some resolution on this topic, as this question comes up frequently. People searching in years to come will run across this thread, and others. I thought it would be nice to leave a fully answered question to posterity. I guess it'll have to wait for another time...

R
Reply to
RicodJour

So you can't supply a cite. I suspected as much.

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

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