What is a Door Swing?

Door swing refers to the direction and arc through which a door moves when opened and closed, which plays an important role in design, space planning, and accessibility.


Door Swing Types

Here at PINKYS, all of our exterior steel Air Series double doors are available in 4 different swing options, as described below:

Right Hand In Swing

From the exterior, right door is the main active door, hinges on the right side, door swings inward (away from you as you enter)

Facing the door, while standing on the exterior of your space, the right door will be your main active door. This door will have it’s hinges on the right interior side, and will swing towards the interior of your space, from left to right.

The left door, while standing on the exterior of your space, will be your inactive door. This door will have it’s hinges on the left interior side, and will be locked into the frame via flush bolts on both the top and bottom of the doors edge. Disengaging these bolts will allow your inactive door to swing towards the interior of your space, from right to left.

double flat side door with right in swing and all glass

Left Hand In Swing

From the exterior, left door is the main active door, hinges on the left side, door swings inward (away from you as you enter)

Facing the door, while standing on the exterior of your space, the left door will be your main active door. This door will have it’s hinges on the left interior side, and will swing towards the interior of your space, from right to left.

The right door, while standing on the exterior of your space, will be your inactive door. This door will have it’s hinges on the right interior side, and will be locked into the frame via flush bolts on both the top and bottom of the doors edge. Disengaging these bolts will allow your inactive door to swing towards the interior of your space, from left to right.

double flat industrial entry door with full glass swinging in

Right Hand Out Swing

From the exterior, right door is the main active door, hinges on the right side, door swings outward (towards you as you enter)

Facing the door, while standing on the exterior of your space, the right door will be your main active door. This door will have it’s hinges on the right exterior side, and will swing towards the exterior of your space, from left to right.

The left door, while standing on the exterior of your space, will be your inactive door. This door will have it’s hinges on the left exterior side, and will be locked into the frame via flush bolts on both the top and bottom of the doors edge. Disengaging these bolts will allow your inactive door to swing towards the exterior of your space, from right to left.

double exterior steel door swinging out to patio

Left Hand Out Swing

From the exterior, left door is the main active door, hinges on the left side, door swings outward (towards you as you enter)

Facing the door, while standing on the exterior/outside of your space, the left door will be your main active door. This door will have it’s hinges on the left exterior side, and will swing towards the exterior of your space, from right to left.

The right door, while standing on the exterior of your space, will be your inactive door. This door will have its hinges on the right exterior side, and will be locked into the frame via flush bolts on both the top and bottom of the doors edge. Disengaging these bolts will allow your inactive door to swing towards the exterior of your space, from left to right.

heavy duty steel entry door with full glass and swinging out to left

Swing Angle: Up to 180°

Swing angle refers to the number of degrees a door can open from it's closed position. Our exterior steel Air Series double doors have the ability to open a full 180°. This swing angle will be reliant on the below factors:

Placement of the Door Jamb 

In order for a full 180° swing angle, you will need to install your door jamb flush with your drywall or finish work.

Objects in Swing’s Arc Path

You will need to ensure that there are no objects along the wall the door will be opening up to. This will include any light fixtures, hanging objects, furniture, etc. You will also want to consider any adjacent doors that could directly impact the doors swing angle.

Door Lock Projection

The installed lockset’s projection, or how far the lockset projects out from the door when installed, will have a direct impact on this swing angle, as the door will only open as far as the lockset will allow before hitting the adjacent wall.

Unleveled Flooring

If your flooring on the hinged side of the door isn’t level, any uneven slope of the flooring that would cause the bottom of the door to hit within the swing’s arc path would directly inhibit its swing angle.


Swing Door Clearance

Door clearance, or clear space opening, refers to the unobstructed space provided by your active door leaf when opened at a 90° angle. In other words, it is the width given for one to adequately maneuver through the active door's opening.

To calculate your approximate door clearance for your specific swing door, please refer to the below chart.

exterior door clear space opening for egress requirements

Flush Bolts

Our exterior steel Air Series double doors both open, however, the “inactive door” is generally held closed by flush bolts on both the top and bottom of the doors edge. This door is typically used significantly less than the active door, but is still fully functional. When the inactive door is fully open, it gives you the ability to open up your space for entertaining, as well as provides you with the clearance needed to move larger objects, such as furniture, into the interior of your space, without any center obstructions.


Hinges

Our exterior steel Air Series doors use steel bullet hinges that come pre-welded to the doors and frames. These can not be removed or adjusted, however, each door comes pre-fit and tested with the exact frame that you receive to ensure seamless operation.


Zerk Fitting

On top of each hinge, you’ll see a Zerk fitting (a brass nipple) that makes greasing your door significantly easier using a standard grease gun. These fittings do not have caps and are meant to be uncovered as an industrial design choice.

metal bullet hinge with zerk grease fitting

Copper Crush Washer

One copper crush washer will need to be placed on each bullet hinge before hanging each door. Since copper is softer than steel, these copper crush washers are made to allow easy operation that stops the steel on one side of the hinge from grinding against the other.

metal bullet hinge with copper crush wash on steel door with glass inserts

No Operable Glass on Steel Doors

Due to their slim profile and minimal frames, our exterior steel Air Series doors are not offered with operable glass panels.

Our full line of Iron door models come standard with operable glass panels, which can be found here.


Dutch Doors

Although operable glass is not offered on our exterior steel Air Series doors, our dutch doors may fulfill a similar desire! If you’re looking for an Air Series design but still would like part of the glass to open up, take a look at our Dutch doors here!

residential dutch door with operable top panel in black steel

How to Grease Hinges

Greasing the hinges is very easy via the included hinge zerk fittings. All you need is a standard grease gun and petroleum grease. Once your grease gun is loaded and primed, place the nozzle directly on top of the brass nipple and press straight down until you hear a click. Once you hear the click, keep the gun pressed down and pump the lever 1 to 2 times. If grease starts to seep out where the hinges meet before you finish the full two pumps, stop, wipe off the excess grease, and move on to the next hinge. 


Cleaning Your Doors

The glass and the metal should be cleaned with our Iron Door Spray on a regular basis to protect it from UV rays. This spray is specially made to leave a protective coating on your door, as well as keep the door clean from dirt and grime.

Spray our Iron Door Spray directly onto a microfiber towel, then wipe evenly along the surface of both the glass and metal. Spraying directly onto the door itself can more easily create streaks along the surface of the glass and door.

black steel entry and patio doors for residential and commercial applications

FAQs

What does “door swing” mean?

Door swing refers to the direction and arc through which a door moves when opened and closed, which plays an important role in design, space planning, and accessibility.

What is door handing, and how is it related to door swing?

Handing determines which side or the door, when facing the door from the exterior, your hinges are on, as well as the direction that the door will open.

Do building codes dictate swing direction?

Yes, building codes indeed dictate door swing in certain situations. The standard requirements depend on your local code, which includes aspects like occupancy type and use case for the room or space.

For example, some commercial locations require doors to swing in the direction of egress if the building hits a certain max occupancy or contains high-hazard contents.

If installing in a hurricane-prone region, code may require your door to swing outwards as to prevent strong winds from blowing the door inwards and causing a safety risk.

Best practice is to always check and follow local codes and ordinances to remain compliant.

Can I reverse the swing of my PINKYS door?

No. All of our doors are made and tested with the exact frame you receive, with the exterior of the door prepped specifically to withstand exterior elements. You will want to make sure to order the necessary swing for you specific application.

Should my door swing in or out?

Certain applications may require a specific swing in order to be code compliant. For example, some commercial applications may require your door to swing in the direction of egress (typically out swing) for safety purposes. It is always best practice to check and follow local building code and ordinances to remain compliant.

If no local building codes affect your specific application, choosing an in swing vs an out swing door is a matter of design preference. Out swing doors provide more interior space to work with and are often used as back patio doors, while in swing doors provide a bit more privacy in your space, such as most front entry doors.