Entrance doors open inward or outward. Planning the space: or where should the doors open? When to install inward opening doors

Engineering systems 06.09.2023
Engineering systems

When planning the installation of entrance doors, you should pay attention not only to the configuration and appearance of the structure, but also to the option of its installation in the opening. In the future, your choice will determine the ease of operation of the sash and the safety of people in case of emergency situations. Depending on the purpose of the room, technical conditions and current norms and regulations, installation of doors can be carried out in various ways, while the advisability of choosing one or another option is determined by factors of practicality and safety of the location of the entrance structure.

Requirements and rules

The current norms and rules of SNiP apply only to industrial and public buildings. According to technical regulations based on fire safety rules, entrance doors must be opened in the direction of people moving.

It is especially important to ensure compliance with this requirement for doors installed at emergency exits. This arrangement does not create obstacles during the evacuation of people from the building, that is, it complies with current fire safety regulations. In most cases, this means that the doors should open outward.

Entrance door inwards or outwards

Modern residents of apartment buildings have a wide choice of options for installing entrance doors inside or outside with the doors opening to the right or left. What should you be guided by when choosing the direction of movement of the door leaf when opening?

First, you should take into account the surrounding environment: if you already have one entrance door at home, and you plan to complement it with a metal counterpart, then it is quite natural that in this case the opening of one door should not interfere with the opening of the second. So, if one door opens inward, then the other certainly opens outward, otherwise you simply will not have a chance to leave or enter the house.

When choosing an entrance door that opens inward or outward, take into account the location of your neighbors' doors to eliminate the possibility of creating interference when residents leave their apartments at the same time. If you and your neighbors have a common vestibule, then it is advisable to choose doors that open inward - this will significantly expand the usable area of ​​the vestibule and eliminate interference with the movement of neighbors. In the case where communications, meters and switches are located on the landing and a door opening outward touches them, it is also better to choose the option of installing a door opening inward.

Doors installed externally are considered more resistant to burglary, so if this option does not create any interference for others, it is worth choosing it, at least for security reasons.

Fire department permit

Installation of an entrance door requires approval from the fire service only if the structure is installed in a vestibule or at an emergency exit from a building. The law requires obtaining permission from the fire department when remodeling an entrance and installing a door where there was none before.

In this case, it is necessary to ensure compliance with the basic requirements:

  • The installed door does not create obstacles to the escape route.
  • The direction of opening the door does not contradict the design of the house and does not interfere with the opening of neighboring doors.

Coordination with municipal authorities

Obtaining permission to install doors from local authorities is required if the structure is intended for a vestibule. In most cases, this event does not find obstacles from the authorities if all owners of the house agree to change the common area, which is the landing.

To obtain the consent of municipal authorities, you need to obtain the signatures of all residents. The installation of doors in the vestibule should not interfere with the access of management company employees to electricity meters and garbage chutes.

What happens if you install a vestibule door without permission?

Cases of unauthorized installation of doors in the vestibule are by no means rare. And the result of an uncoordinated decision almost always leads to obtaining a court order to dismantle the structure and paying a large fine for violating the law.

The question of which direction entrance doors should open is solved differently in different traditions.

Since ancient times in Russian villages they opened only to the inside of the hut. Heavy snowfalls and blizzards often occur in winter. The entrance may be blocked by a huge snowdrift. If the door opens outwards, then it is simply impossible to leave the house. If you go inside, you can simply open it and blaze a path in the right direction. In many villages this rule is still observed, born out of experience and common sense.

Feng Shui and proper door installation

The philosophy of Feng Shui is completely in agreement with Russian traditions. According to this teaching, the positive energy of luck, qi, enters the home through the entrance doors. The correct opening of the front door is towards the inside of the building. This way it will not block the path to the flow of qi. Swinging the door outward changes their direction, driving away good luck and prosperity.

For the free flow of qi energy, it is also important that secret vertical “arrows” are not directed at the entrance: spiers of neighboring buildings, lamp posts, gutters, sharp corners. They worsen the feng shui of the home. To accumulate good energy, you can hang a lantern in front of the entrance of the house (it is important that the place is well lit). Feng Shui experts advise people living on the upper floors to hang a small round mirror above the front door. It will reflect the flow of bad energy.

Where should the front door open according to Vastu Shastra?

Hindu philosophy Vastu Shastra advises installing the main door in the house so that it opens inward and only clockwise. This will attract good luck and health. The best directions for entry equipment are east and north. From the east, the powerful energy of the rising Sun penetrates into the house. She brings health, fulfillment of desires, fame and clarity of mind. Streams of energy from the north bring fertility and luck in all matters.

The southern and western directions are extremely undesirable. South according to Vastu is the zone of influence of Yama. In Hinduism this is the name of the god of death. Energy coming from the south brings disease, destruction and death. West and southwest are under the strong influence of Rahu. This is a shadow planet with negative energy. It hinders all good endeavors and brings illness and poverty.

Like feng shui, Vastu focuses on ensuring that there are no large obstacles (trees, lamp posts, etc.) in front of the main entrance. They slow down good energy flows.

Convenience and fire safety rules

According to fire safety standards, the front door must open onto the landing. In the event of a fire, it will not block the entrance or become an obstacle to the movement of panicked people. If there are several doors on a small landing at once, they are all installed so as not to interfere with each other (i.e., opening inward).

If all neighboring doors swing outward, they will interfere with each other and not all residents will be able to quickly evacuate from the burning house. For arranging a private mansion, the rules are not so strict. In it, the front door can open in any direction.

The rules for installing doors according to fire safety requirements regulate many issues, including where the door opens in the event of a fire and its size. At this time, panic is in the air, and people do not understand what to do. Only a few can control themselves, which is already good in our case.

Fire door

How are doors classified according to fire safety?

First, let's talk about what fire protection structures are. Doors differ in material, shape and other parameters. In this case, special attention is paid to the side of their opening.

Fireproof construction can be made of wood, metal, plastic and even glass. Moreover, all materials are processed with special equipment to increase fire-resistant characteristics. The fiberglass door is painted with special dyes with additional installation of fire-resistant material inside the structure. Whereas for the manufacture of wooden doors, heat-resistant species are used, which are additionally subjected to special impregnation.


Door design

To increase the fire resistance of a glass structure, the technology of filling the product with helium or sodium silicate hydrate is used. In the event of a fire, the ambient temperature rises and the substance foams, contributing to extremely reliable protection of the structure.

The creation of a metal door structure is based on various alloys and metals. But what these products have in common is the use of a special filler inside the door leaf, which can reduce the level of thermal conductivity.

There are products with blind or fire-resistant inserts, with one or more doors. It’s up to you to choose which door to install according to fire regulations, but experts recommend paying attention to a solid single-leaf door. The reason for this is considered to be a smaller number of connections, which increases fire resistance, as well as the absence of a second leaf, reinforced with a latch, which has problems opening the door. At the time of a fire, jamming of the sash can play a disastrous role. Moreover, the thickness of the fireproof product should be significantly greater than that of a standard door.


Door classification

The correct side for opening a fire door leaf

Judging by the requirements and fire safety standards, the entrance door leaf can be opened in both directions. But in this matter, pay attention to some nuances. If the product is installed with an outward opening, it is important that the leaf does not block the path for opening other door structures. After all, during a fire, neighbors may find themselves locked out of their home. Our legislation regulates the imposition of penalties with the mandatory reinstallation of the front door in order to avoid blocking neighbors during evacuation measures. But this is a separate point.

The legislative framework does not provide rules on which way to open the sash according to fire safety standards. Therefore, it is recommended to adhere to simple universal concepts. For apartments, it is better to install a door structure that opens inward. Whereas for organizations and various institutions, on the contrary, outward.

For those apartments that require the presence of a vestibule, do this: the entrance to the dwelling opens inward, and the vestibule itself opens outward. This will allow you to competently and smoothly organize the evacuation of people during emergency situations.

Door design in accordance with PB requirements

Moreover, law-abiding and responsible citizens are interested in whether there are requirements for the installation of door structures in accordance with fire safety standards. In this case, it is recommended to ensure a tight fit of the product to the door frame with the obligatory elimination of the resulting cracks with polyurethane foam.

Important! The door leaf must have sound and heat insulation characteristics, and it is better to ensure a significant reduction in the thermal conductivity of the product.

Where should the door open to ensure evacuation?

As previously mentioned, the installed door leaf of the apartment is opened inward. But any rule implies exceptions, and there are nuances in this matter. Please note that the speed of evacuation measures in the event of an emergency depends on how the door opens. The reason for this is considered to be the width of the canvas, which is regulated by more than one meter. To ensure this requirement, on which your life and the life of your family depends, it is recommended to free the space from unnecessary things and furniture. Often there are other rooms next to the front door, for example, a bathroom or toilet, but it is recommended to adhere to the same rules. So: it is strictly forbidden to install interior doors so that the entrance leaf and other structures block each other’s opening. Any blocking of the exit in this situation could cost someone their life.

The width of the door opening must be at least 800 mm. This parameter is regulated by fire safety standards and requirements. The calculation of this characteristic is made according to the reduction in the width of the corridor exactly in half of the door leaf. But this is noticeable only if the door structure is located on one side. When it is assumed that there will be a door product on both sides of the corridor, the calculation is made on the total width of the door leaf. For example, for apartments with a narrow corridor, it is better to open the doors into the room. When the width of the corridor allows, the doors can be opened both inward and outward. It all depends on your wishes. It is important to remember that you cannot block the opening of the door leaves.

Important! Changing the opening side of a door structure is not considered a redevelopment of housing, unless in this case it is intended to move and create a new doorway. In this case, references to the original house design are invalid and each property owner can independently decide in which direction the entrance doors will open.

Is it permissible to install exterior doors in residential buildings?
Rules and regulations of sanitary standards and fire safety at the exit from residential premises, all structures are called evacuation purposes. Therefore, it is important to ensure the unimpeded movement of people and the opening of doors in the direction of exit. As a result, the answer to the question will be the mandatory opening of door structures outward. Someone's life and health depend on it.

And in conclusion, I would like to note that according to fire safety standards and regulations, doors can open inward or outward. But it is important to understand where the product is installed. In general, pay attention that when opening, the width of the space in both directions is at least 0.8 m. And do not forget about the prohibition of blocking the path of neighbors. Be attentive and caring to others! This is what makes us human.

In contact with

Comments

Unfortunately, there are no comments or reviews yet, but you can leave your...

New articles

New comments

S.A.

Grade

Svetlana

Grade

Sergey

Grade

Sergey

Grade

Alexei

Grade

Latest reviews

adminadmin

Grade

Are there any official or unofficial standards governing the direction in which the front door opens, including fire safety regulations? Where should the door open, inward or outward?

Residents of high-rise buildings often face this question. Because for owners of private houses, this dilemma most likely disappears. Now I will explain why this is so.

What the law says, where the door should open.

As of today, we will be guided by the following legislative acts:

1.Order of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation dated March 25, 2009 No. 171 “On approval of the set of rules “Fire protection systems. Evacuation routes and exits";

2.SNiP 21-01-97 “Fire safety of buildings and structures.”

According to the first act, we see that the law does not regulate where the door should open, outward or inward. Therefore, for private houses this issue immediately disappears; here you should be guided by convenience.

The situation is more complicated with apartment buildings. Let's turn to the second act, which tells us that installing an entrance door should not interfere with the free evacuation of people or worsen the conditions for evacuation from neighboring apartments.

Specifically, we look at paragraph 6.16 of SNiP, according to which the width of emergency exits must be at least 0.8 meters. A similar rule is contained in paragraph 4.2.5 of the set of rules 1.13130.2009 “Fire protection systems. Evacuation routes and exits."

conclusions

The direction of opening doors is not standardized for premises of classes F1.3 - multi-apartment residential buildings and F1.4 - single-apartment buildings, including blocked residential buildings (clause 6.17 of SNiP).

The front door of an apartment or house is an emergency exit (clause 6.9 of SNiP).

Your front door should not block your neighbors' escape route. That is, when opening your front door, the passage width for neighbors should be at least 0.8 meters.

What to do?

If the door is already installed, and the neighbors are threatening to sue you, there is still a solution without replacing the door. May I help floor opening limiter, which limits the movement of the door leaf without interfering or causing irritation to other people.

I also often hear that the direction the door opens should correspond to the original design of the house. This is a misconception, since changing the direction of opening the door, like the door itself, is neither reconstruction nor redevelopment.

This question arises for almost everyone who decides to purchase a new door block. There is no definite answer to this, since it is necessary to take into account some features of the structure in which they will be installed, as well as the existing Building Codes and Rules and requirements of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

First you need to figure out which door is called “right” and which is called “left”. And it's not that simple. The fact is that in many European countries, the opening side is determined when the door is positioned “away from you,” while in Russia it is determined from the opening side “towards you.” Hence the difference: Russians consider doors with a handle on the right to be “left”, and doors with a handle to the left – “right”. But in Europe it's the other way around.

In order to avoid confusion and difficulties in selection, many manufacturers prefer to install universal hinges on their products, although this option is not entirely convenient. Universal hinges, as a rule, are one-piece, and in order to remove the blade it is necessary to completely dismantle the hinges.

There is another way out - when going to a door salon, have a floor plan with you indicating the location of the doors. Experienced consultants themselves will determine the desired side of the door swing and tell you which hinges are best to use for installation.

Where should doors open according to fire safety rules?

Another important point: according to SNiP, doors in apartment buildings must be installed with outward opening, since from the point of view of fire safety this is the most suitable option. In the event of evacuation or carrying out a wounded person on a stretcher, such a door does not pose a serious obstacle, which cannot be said about a door that opens inward. However, it is not always convenient to install an outward-opening front door, especially when it comes to an apartment building. It is important to coordinate the direction of opening the door with your closest neighbors, since an open door should not interfere with the emergency evacuation of people living nearby in the event of a fire or any other emergency.

On the other hand, if the standards established by the Ministry of Emergency Situations are not met, the owner of the “wrong” door will face fines, and in some cases, legal proceedings, which in any case will not acquit the violator. In order to change the opening side, you do not need permission from the BTI, since this event is not a redevelopment. But no oral, or even written, agreements with neighbors relieve the owner of an incorrectly installed door from liability.

But for owners of private households there are no restrictions - doors can be installed in any direction and changed direction without any approval from the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

As for administrative buildings and enterprises, there are also certain requirements in this regard. If a door opens into a hall or corridor that is intended to accommodate a large crowd of people, it should open toward itself. This is necessary in order to avoid bruises and injuries to those passing along the corridor. In other cases, entrance doors must unconditionally be installed with outward opening.

The issue of installing a door and changing the direction of its swinging must be approached with special responsibility. If you need to buy an entrance door, contact trusted manufacturers, large, well-known companies. This will allow you not only to purchase a high-quality door, but also to receive advice regarding the direction of opening. The fact is that consultants and managers of such companies, as a rule, undergo special training and know all the intricacies of selecting the correct door design from the point of view of direction. One of such enterprises is the Gerda company.

We recommend reading

Top