Interior doors typically open by swinging into a room, generally towards the nearest perpendicular wall. This design maximizes usable space and ensures ease of movement within the room.
Standard Interior Door Swing
Most interior doors are designed to swing inwards. This means when you stand facing the door, you pull it towards you to open it, rather than pushing it away. This is the most common configuration for several reasons:
- Space Optimization: Swinging inwards minimizes obstruction in hallways and adjacent rooms.
- Safety: An inward-swinging door prevents someone from potentially being hit if the door were to swing outwards into a hallway.
- Privacy: Allows for more private entrance into rooms, e.g. bathrooms.
Direction of Swing
The direction the door swings (left or right) is often determined by the placement of the nearest perpendicular wall. The door is usually hinged on the side opposite the wall, allowing it to swing open and lie relatively flat against the wall when fully open.
Exceptions
While the general rule is inward swinging towards the nearest perpendicular wall, there can be exceptions:
- Small Spaces: In particularly small spaces, a door might swing outwards to maximize usable floor area within the room.
- Closets: Closet doors may swing outwards, especially in bedrooms, to avoid interfering with furniture placement.
- Building Codes: Local building codes can influence door swing direction in specific circumstances, often related to safety and accessibility.
- Pocket Doors: Pocket doors slide into a recess in the wall instead of swinging, and are used to maximize space.
Example Scenario
Imagine a bedroom door. Usually, the hinges will be placed on the side of the door frame furthest from the wall. When you open the door, it will swing into the bedroom and, if opened fully, will rest against that wall.
