Exterior Door Backward

[dbucknavich]

Just reassuring myself here. On a one year warranty inspection today,the garage yard entry door was installed with hinges on the outside. Called it out for security reasons. Pop the hinges and in the garage you are. Home owner agreed with me. I can't seem to find any literature which backs this up, just using my intuition. Any objections?

[Stephen W. Stanczyk]

I've seen a few of these on homes that had rear exits out of the garage. I think they put the doors on that way so you could go in and out with the car in the garage.

The security item is easily taken care of. Usually when the door is closed, the screw holes in the hinges will line up. Take two opposing screws out. In one of them drive a nail into the door so that it sticks out past the hinge about 1/4 inch. Leave the opposing hole empty. Now when the door is shut, the empty hinge hole closes over the nail. Doesn't matter if you pop the hinges, they won't seperate because the the nail. Quick fix. Or you can get security hinges that will not allow the pins to be taken out.

[Frank M. Carrio, CMI]

Originally Posted by dbucknavich

Just reassuring myself here. On a one year warranty inspection today,the garage yard entry door was installed with hinges on the outside. Called it out for security reasons. Pop the hinges and in the garage you are. Home owner agreed with me. I can't seem to find any literature which backs this up, just using my intuition. Any objections?

You did the right thing.
The door should be installed according to "The Manufacturer's Installation Instructions."

"When you cannot find a Code" this information holds true for ALL items, HVAC units, Electrical panels, wooden Trusses, etc.

PS:
If any item deviates from "Code" then the MII / Mmanufacturer's Iinstallation
Iinstructions takes precedent.

[Shawn Rowe]

I have come across security hinges where the hinge stud was flattened and the receiving hole had screw added. hmmmm

[jrivera]

Originally Posted by sstanczyk

I think they put the doors on that way so you could go in and out with the car in the garage.

But you would think, either way they put it, regardless if it was right or wrong, "it would be for going in and out of the garage". LOL


Mic

[Darrell B. Hadler]

Dylan; I made the same mistake a couple of years ago...make sure the hinges don't have a pin/stud like one of the photos above, or some have a small allen screw in the outer pin sockets and a grove in the pin so the pin can't be driven out unless the door is in the open position to reveal the tiny screw. Also have seen many garden doors that are designed this way.

[Tom Neri]

Since were on the subject of doors, is there any particular code that states the main entry door has to open out. I see them open either way. Today I had a retired builder who says that the door has to open out. Does anybody know anyting about this.

Tom

[Larry D. Kage]

Originally Posted by tneri

Since were on the subject of doors, is there any particular code that states the main entry door has to open out. I see them open either way. Today I had a retired builder who says that the door has to open out. Does anybody know anyting about this.

Tom

Pretty hard to install a storm/screen door if the main entry door opens out and we use those up here.

[Marc D. Shunk]

Commercial doors open out, to permit ready egress and the proper use of panic hardware. There are residential grade doors specially made to open out, but they're a terrible product. I have yet to see a resi grade door that opens out that remains watertight for its lifetime.

[James F. McKee]

must open out for commercial...residential doors for the most part open in....

[Michael R. Boyett]

Commercial only in certain instances, i.e. occupant load >50 or Group H.

[Barry Adair]

Originally Posted by tneri

Since were on the subject of doors, is there any particular code that states the main entry door has to open out. I see them open either way. Today I had a retired builder who says that the door has to open out. Does anybody know anyting about this.

Tom

I have no problem with outward opening residential as long as the door has security type hinges (many choices) and proper weather stripping

[Bob Elliott]

By the time they play with the hinges ,they could just bust the door in anyway.

[Tom Neri]

Thanks for all of your input. This customer claims he was a builder and that the door was supposed to open outwards. I also talked to a builder friend who said there was no particular code for this.

Thanks again..

[rmaday]

Originally Posted by lkage

Pretty hard to install a storm/screen door if the main entry door opens out and we use those up here.

Ditto.