Inswing vs. Outswing

When installing a magnetic door lock, it is necessary to determine the type of door to know which type of lock and bracket will be installed. You will be asked what type of door you have whether it is an inswing door or an outswing door. These two terms are sometimes interchanged if no frame of reference is established (i.e. depending on where you are looking, an inswing door can look like an outswing door).

 

In saying which is inside and which is outside, it is important to remember that when it comes to doors, a person is assumed to always be on the outside and trying to enter the premises. Given this perspective, the environment where the person is in is called the outside and that behind the door is inside. When the door swings away from the person, it is called an inswing. When the door swings toward the person, it is called an outswing. For better understanding, we present a diagram below showing different types of doors with different types of hinges. Note that the door hinge does not change the notation for inswing and outswing.

 

inswing vs outswing

References

  • "Inswing vs Outswing." Milano Doors. Milano Doors, n.d. Web. 24 Apr 2011.