Front door opening outwards

ey143

Does anyone have any views on have a double width front door opening outwards - good or bad thing?

We've always had it opening inwards into the house but were renovating a new purchase and I'm thinking for security reasons, opening outwards might be better.

Older_But_Not_Wiser

Hi,

I'm not sure on the security aspects so hopefully someone else will advise, but as I have a door that opens outwards, I do know that it is a bit of a nuisance with big deliveries as the delivery person always assumes that it will open the other way and plonks the boxes/bags right in front of it so that I can't open it!

PasturesNew

It's always appealed to me too, for the reasons you state.... an outward opening door is harder to kick in, say. But, the problem comes when somebody knocks on the door and stands in the way of it opening.... but you can put a note up for that.

I've never decided if I'd like it or not - and I think it is house-dependant... the bigger the overall porchway/area/entrance on the outside, the more practical/sensible it seems to me. Although there are issues over perception by others as it is unusual.

browneyedbazzi

I think the house front door opening out is a little odd - if someone knocks and you want to open the door they have to stand back. Also, it makes it more difficult to close the door on someone (ie nuisance cold callers) as once you've opened the door, the door will end up behind them so you can't just close it to get rid of them but would have to get them to stand back to allow you to close the door.

As an aside, if you don't have a front garden and the door would open out over the pavement then it's illegal to have it outward opening.

mummyroysof3

Our back door opened outwards and I hated it. I couldn't leave it open when it was windy and people would stand lose then couldn't open it. I have had it changed round and would never have one again.

SailorSam

I'm changing my back door in the next few weeks and i'm going to make it outward opening, i thought it may be safer from a security angle.
I thought about leaving it open and the wind and decided if i put a long hook & eye on it i could hook it to the wall.

PlymouthMaid

I wouldn't have one mainly because of the difficulty in closing it on Jehovah's witnesses and the like.

WestonDave

My parents have an outward opening door - their porch is too small to have a single door opening inwards and having two small "half" doors opening in was as much of a pain. It does feel a bit weird but it works.

ey143

I think I will put an intercom camera on the outside and we will only open the door to delivery men or people we are expecting.

I'm more concerned about someone trying to kick the door in after we had someone break into my parents house whilst we were still inside when I was a child (thx god we had internal door locks and they ran out quickly). Never again will I allow something like that to happen (we had a crap door in those days). I think I can live with the inconvenience of having people step back. Regular guests will know this and strangers we won't open to anyway.

Is it any better for warmth as less drafts?

roswell

if someone is stood on the other side and grabs the door from you your open for attack ??

if it opens inwards you effectively have a door between you and your attacker ... I am not seeing the security improvement here.

ey143

Depends how far you want to go to check whose there before you open it.

I would ask my wife and kids not to answer the door to anyone were not expecting and to check the camera intercom first. Plus you have the reverse chain lock thing but first security defence is not to answer the door to casual strangers.