Take a swing at understanding the two main types of doors
Whether you're choosing a new front door or finally replacing the wonky one on your closet, comparing inswing vs. outswing doors will likely be your first step. Understanding this door-industry vocab allows you to order the correct model that ensures ease, safety, and even weatherproofing in the event of a big storm. Let's get the swing of this terminology.
Inswing and outswing are exactly as they sound on a basic level. You either push an inswing door into a space or pull it toward you away from a space. When it comes to exterior doors, inswing doors push into the interior of the home and outswing doors pull toward you onto the porch or patio.
Inside a home, determining inswing vs. outswing doors depends on whether the door pushes into the room it's closing up or pulls away from it. For example, when walking from a hallway into a bedroom, an inswing door swings into the bedroom while an outswing door pulls out into the hallway. Closet doors typically swing outward into the room, instead of into the closet.
When you call your local door installation team, they will ask whether the door is an inswing or outswing model as well as whether it is a right- or left-handed door. Figuring this out can drive you batty if you don't know the trick. Stand in the frame of the door and raise your arms out to either side. If your left arm swings with the door, it's a left-handed door, and vice versa.
Determining whether a door is right vs. left-handed, as well as inswing vs. outswing, is crucial to ordering the correct model, hinges, and locking hardware.
As we touched on above, an inswing door swings into a house or a room. If you're entering the space it encloses, you will push the door away from you. Inswing doors include hinges on the inside of the room or house. When you're standing on the outside of a house or in the hallway outside of a bedroom, for example, you will not be able to see the hinges.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| No need to weatherproof hinges | Require additional seal for waterproofing |
| Interior hinges offer more security | Not allowed in commercial buildings |
| Safer in snow-prone area | Easier to force open |
| Save space in hallway or on porch | Eat up space inside a room |
Best for:
Exterior doors in areas prone to heavy snowfall
Interior bedroom and bathroom doors
Exterior inswing doors include hinges on the inside of your home, which has its ups and downs. On the upside, it means that they can be made of a larger range of materials. You won't have to worry about rusting, corrosion, and exposure to ice. Interior hinges also mean that no one from the outside of your home can access—and potentially—remove your door.
Some building codes require inswing interior doors for homes in snow-prone areas. Let's say a large snow drift blows up against the outside of your door. An inswing door always ensures there's a way out.
On the other side of things, wind and rain can permeate an inswing door more easily, so they require additional weatherstripping and a sweep gasket—just one of the important parts of a door—to close entirely.
Inswing doors are also easier to breach since they can be pushed open. However, this is an easy fix by choosing the right type of lock and latch.
An outswing door pulls toward you as you enter a space. In other words, exterior outswing doors swing toward the outside of a house, into a hallway, or into one transitional space that leads to another. If an ensuite bathroom door pulls toward you into your bedroom or your linen closet door pulls into a hallway, it is an outswing door.
Outswing doors are more commonly used for security doors since it is harder to pull an exterior door open than to push it. That being said, the hinges do sit outside a home or a room, exposing them to anyone on the other side.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Seal easily without extra gaskets | Hinges require waterproofing |
| Weatherproofed against wind and water | Not ideal for snow-prone areas |
| More secure against force | Exterior hinges lower security |
| Preferred for public doors | Take up space in transitional room |
Best for:
Home exteriors in hurricane-prone areas
Interior storage closets and pantries
Interior entryway into small rooms
Outswing doors will never take up space in the room or foyer you're entering, making them an ideal choice for closets and homes with small foyers. Additionally, the doorframe of an outswing door has a stop that ensures a tighter seal and makes it easier to open, even if the doorframe faces harsh weather. Outswing doors are also more difficult to pull open and are safer in public spaces in the event of an emergency—due to the chance of crowds rushing the doors.
The hinges on exterior doors sit on the outside of the frame. You'll need weatherproof materials, such as stainless steel, galvanized steel, brass, or aluminum. You may also not have the option of an exterior outswing door in areas with large snowstorms. And while outswing doors are harder to break open, access to hinges on the outside of a home does lower security a bit.
Can you truly put inswing and outswing doors head to head? There's a reason you see two different types of doors used throughout your home. That being said, knowing the pros and cons can help you install a door correctly, particularly on new construction.
Inswing vs outswing doors look great depending on their usage. If you want to tuck the hinges of a door away from a flat wall, then inswing doors are best for you. Outswing doors, however, are welcoming and easy to pass through, particularly on the front of a home. When it comes to style, they're neck in neck depending on where they're placed.
So, while this race was nearly a tie, outswing doors edged ahead by a hair. Outswing doors close on what is called a positive stop on the door frame. Because of this, they close more easily and tend to be easier to operate over time with minimal maintenance. That being said, some people will prefer inswing doors when carrying groceries or rushing from room to room.
Yet again, we nearly had a draw, but inswing doors might be cheaper due to their hinges. Hinges placed inside a home are not exposed to the elements that can come from more materials. However, keep in mind that the cost of door installation barely comes down to hinge prices, so many other factors can sway the winner.
Outswing doors are more likely to hold up against wind and rain. The placement of the threshold and positive stop creates a stronger seal than inswing doors. The perk is the same for interior doors looking to keep one side of the house warmer than the other.
You can make the argument in either direction when comparing the security levels of inswing vs outswing doors. As we mentioned above, inswing doors keep the hinges safe inside but are easier to push open. Outswing doors expose the hinges but aren't easy to breach. In either case, choosing the best door latch and locks makes this an even tie.
