Open Doors In or Out

Was watching a show and all the doors on Scandinavian houses opened out and most English doors opened in. There is no universal code that dictates inward or outward.

Most reasoning shows that opening in allows hinges on the inside so thieves cannot simply remove a pin and gain entry. On the flip side, a high percentage of home invasions and burglaries begin with the intruder kicking in a door. That is virtually impossible when the door swings outward. Current exterior doors designed to open outward include protected hinges.

In public buildings and offices doors open in so as to not disrupt hallway traffic.

Three most popular reasons for outward doors are - There is a legend that during the 19th century some king decreed that all external doors should open outwards after many people were killed in a church fire. Another explanation is that apartments in Sweden were at one time very small. Another explanation is the cold winters opening the doors inwards would let in snow and when winds push against outward-opening doors the weather seal functions better. Florida, US communities are now accepting the concept of outward opening doors as an advantage, especially during hurricanes.

Incidentally, room design typically determines the left or right swing designation for doors. An inward opening door should swing in the direction needed to provide adequate passage. Interior pocket doors solve all these problems.