Everything You Need to Know About Door Swing Direction

Most people don’t think about which direction their door swings. Opening a door is second nature, with the swing only coming into play if you push or pull and the door doesn’t open.

But the swing is important if you need to buy a new door, lever, or hinge. If you don’t know your door’s swinging direction, you could end up making a wrong purchase.

Here, PINKYS explains the different types of door swing and how you can determine whether your door is right-handed or left-handed.

The Types of Door Swing

Before we get into how to determine a door's swing, we need to know the types of swing.

Standard Doors

There are usually four ways a standard door can swing:

• Left-hand inswing (LHI)
• Left-hand outswing (LHO)
• Right-hand inswing(RHI)
• Right-hand outswing (RHO)

There's also the possibility that your door has a 180-degree swing. That's common with internal doors, giving you the ability to push or pull the door to open it from either direction.

Pivot Doors

Pivot doors differ from standard doors in one crucial aspect:

They have hinges on the top and bottom instead of on one of the sides.

They still open and close similarly to standard doors. You just have a little extra work to do when determining the hinge location.

A pivot door's swing direction can be one of two options:

• Swing inside
• Swing outside

These doors can also swing at a 180-degree angle. But with pivot doors, that means the door can stand parallel to a wall when fully opened rather than swinging 90 degrees in either direction.

How to Determine Door Swing Direction

Now that you know the differences between the different types of doors, it's time to determine the swing.

Why do you need to know this?

If you have an inswing door, trying to install an outswing door in its frame won't get you very far. You'll have to change the hinges, making the installation more complicated.

Let's run through some steps to help you along.

Step 1 - Understand the Terminology

There are four key bits of jargon to understand when determining door swing:

Inswing Doors

You have an inswing door if you have to push the door to open it from the outside.

Outswing Doors

Outswing doors require you to pull them from the outside to open them.

Left-Hand Door

If the door's hinges are on the left side, you have a left-handed door.

Right-Hand Door

Check the door's right side. If you see hinges, you have a right-hand door.

Step 2 - Stand on the Outside of the Door When It's Closed

Start by standing on the outside of the door.

For an exterior door, this is the side facing the street. You go from the outside into the building.

For interior doors, think about which room you'd consider yourself to be entering. For example, you may enter the kitchen from the living room. Or, you may enter a bedroom from the hallway.

Step 3 - Check Whether It's an Inswing or Outswing Door

Open the door from the outside. If you had to pull the door open, you have an outswing door. If you push the door past its opening to get in the room, you have an outswing door.

Step 4 - Check the Hinges

There's another way to see if a door is inswing or outswing.

Look along the door frame for the hinges. If you can see them standing from the outside, you have an outswing door.

If you can't see them, the door opens inwards, meaning you have an inswing door. Note that some doors can have hidden hinges.

Step 5 - Check What Side of the Door the Hinges Are On

Checking the hinges is the easiest step.

You have a right-handed door if the hinges are on the right-hand side. If they're on the left, the door is left-handed. Door knobs don’t factor into this test, though you’ll usually find them on the opposite side of the hinges.

Step 6 - Conduct a Handedness Test

Now, you get into the weeds of the terminology. You're going to figure out how the swing and handedness combine to tell you what kind of door you have.

Start by standing outside and close the door. For example, those testing a bedroom door will stand in the hallway facing the door.

Turn your back to the hinges and grab the knob with whichever hand doesn't have to reach across your body to grab it.

Then, open the door.

When you're using your right hand and don't have to move out of the way to open the door, you have a right-handed inswing door.

What if you had to step back while opening the door with your right hand? That means you have a right-handed outswing door.

If you used your left hand and had to step back, you have a left-handed outswing door.

If you didn't have to move while using your left hand, you've got a left-handed inswing door.

Always double check because the simplest mistake in door handing can lead to you buying the wrong door.

Find the Correct Door

You need to know your door's swing direction if you're buying a new door. You'll also need to know it when buying door levers. Your door's swing tells you which door handing you need, which is the direction a traditional door lever has to point when installed.

With our roots dating back to 1978, PINKYS pulls inspiration from the stunning creative style of our Los Angeles home.

Our goal is simple.

Create stunning architectural elements that create amazing opportunities for our customers. With an iron door from PINKYS you get more than a door. You gain a view and a connection to the world beyond your doorstep.

At PINKYS, we offer iron interior doors and exterior doors for any door swing direction. Whether you're looking an in swing, out swing, or pivot door, we have options for you. We even offer doors that swing 180 degrees.

We also offer plenty of attractive door hardware, meaning you can find the perfect door latches or door knob for your door with PINKYS.

No matter which type of door you have, you can find a stunning array of interior and exterior doors at PINKYS. Get in touch with our team today to learn more, or shop our collection to find the right door for your home.