Before installing a door, an inexperienced customer may have a number of questions about where to find out whether the door is right-handed or left-handed, how to determine the type of suitable locking device, and what hinges are needed. These details will definitely be clarified by the manager placing the order.
Interior doors with right and left opening.
Different ways to define
Opening doors left and right affects the functionality of the room, the location of furniture, switches, and sockets. The convenience of moving people from room to room and their safety depends on whether they open inward or outward.
Moving parts must not intersect or interfere with each other during use. Please note that according to safety rules, the bathroom door should only open outwards. Other interior units in the apartment most often open inward, towards the wall. The main condition is that the leaf completely opens the doorway.
When choosing where the front door should open, they are guided by the width of the staircase. Ideally, the entrance structure is installed in such a way that when entering a flight of stairs, the door opens outward, from right to left. If this is not possible, it can open inward, towards a blank wall.
The direction in which the moving part of the structure moves affects the installation of door locks or handles, hinges, and other fittings.
There are several simple ways to determine the left or right door in front of you while still in the store. Interior and entrance structures can open to the right or left, inward or outward; not only comfort, but also the safety of future users of the selected door depends on the side and orientation.
First
The method allows you to find out the direction of door opening when purchasing an already assembled structure, even if it has universal hinges installed. This method is recognized by all domestic manufacturers. It is suitable for determining the directionality of not only interior, but also entrance models.
You need to stand facing the door leaf, and then open it towards yourself. If the hinges are located on the right, the door is considered right-handed.
Second
When determining the sides according to fire safety rules, pay attention to the movement of the door leaf in accordance with the clockwise direction. In this case, the right-hand model opens clockwise, and the left-hand model opens counterclockwise.
Third
To figure out which model is in front of us, it’s worth paying attention to the hand with which you push the sash. A left-handed design always opens with the left hand, no matter in which direction, outward or inward, its movable part opens.
The hinges are visible on the left, and the handle is located on the right side of them. The right-hand sash is moved towards itself with the right hand, and the handle is on the left.
Fourth
This method is suitable for classifying not only interior doors, but also entrance doors. For models that open outward, the difference in opening direction lies in the location of the handle.
The right-hand door in this case is opened with the left hand, but the handle is located on the right. The left-sided blade is swung open with the right hand, and the handle is placed on the left.
Installing new doors in place of old ones
If renovations are underway and the task is to replace the entrance group, then you need to figure out which doors are being replaced - left or right. How to determine what kind of door you have?
So that the fire department and organizations responsible for sanitary standards do not have any complaints against you, you must preserve the design of the doorway planned by the design bureau. To do this, just remember which hand opened the door when you pulled it towards you. If you held the handle with your right hand, the door is right, if your left hand was used, the door leaf is left.
The direction of movement of interior doors is selected based on personal preferences and design requirements. It is more difficult with entrance doors, for which special requirements are imposed by the departments responsible for the safety of residents.
Fire safety standards
The current fire safety regulations clearly define which door is left and which is right. How to determine, SNIP (Sanitary Norms and Rules) give another option, which sounds quite simple: a door structure that can be opened with the right hand is called right-handed. Accordingly, a door leaf that opens with the left hand will be called left-handed. However, this is provided that the door opens towards you.
When designing doorways, it is necessary to ensure that they open freely. An open door should not block the entrance to an adjacent room or impede free passage to stairs and elevators.
The relocation of a doorway, according to legal provisions, is considered a redevelopment and requires approval from the relevant departments.
Entrance doors in regulatory documents are defined as evacuation doors and, in case of emergency, should not interfere with the free movement of people outside.
Advantages of externally opening the front door
- Pushing the door away from you is always easier than making extra effort to open it. When the door swings inward, it occupies part of the corridor space, preventing emergency evacuation.
- If the door opens inward, you have to step back deeper into the corridor each time, which is simply inconvenient. When the hallway is small, it eats up additional space.
- Opening from the outside increases the door's burglary resistance. It won't be possible to knock her out of the doorway.
Rules as defined in European countries
The European definition of door opening (right or left) differs radically from the Russian one. If the manufacturer of doors, fittings, door frames is Israel, Italy, Germany or Spain (the construction components of which have long proven themselves on the Russian market), it is worth choosing door accessories more carefully. Abroad, the type of door opening is determined by the movement of the door leaf. If the door open from itself remains to the right of the opening, the door is right. In the case when the canvas goes to your left and the open door is located to the left of the threshold, the door is left.
That is, what is right for a Russian is left for a German, something like that.
Tips and tricks
Locksmiths advise ordering doors along with hinges and locks. Sellers will find the right fittings that will definitely fit.
Don't miss: Choosing furniture for your home
If you decide to move the doors to another location, then according to the law, this is considered a change in layout. All movements must be clarified with authorized organizations before they are carried out. This is not a whim of the state, but fire safety. In the event of fires, the rescue team has a plan for the layout of rooms and doorways, and an unauthorized change may affect their work for the worse and not save anyone's life.
See examples of safe door locations below:
Pen
It is worth remembering that the right hinge opens the sash in a certain direction. If you purchase a handle designed for a right-hand door and try to install it on a different type of door, serious problems will arise. Firstly, the handle can only be installed upside down, which will not have the best effect on its performance characteristics. During operation, the handle will periodically begin to jam, and then stop opening.
It will be extremely difficult to open such an interior structure without a special tool. In addition, you will have to purchase a new pen.
When choosing a suitable pen, you should pay attention to designer products. They will become the main decoration of the model. It is important that the color of such a product matches the door system, as well as the interior of the room.
How to choose the right handle and lock depending on whether the door opens left or right
You need to purchase fittings after you have decided on the type of opening. Often home craftsmen are faced with such a nuisance when the hole in the interior door for installing a mortise lock is already ready, but the “tongue” points in the wrong direction.
When choosing a lock for an interior door, it is advisable to check with the seller what type of opening it is intended for.
The problem can be solved in two ways - to initially purchase a universal locking mechanism that will fit any type of opening, or to disassemble the structure and rotate the “tongue” 180 degrees. It is worth noting that not all locks can be disassembled and such manipulation carried out.
Handles for interior doors are manufactured in universal versions
Handles, as a rule, are made in universal versions; you just need to install them at the desired height from the floor, usually this parameter is 1 meter.
Requirements for the direction of opening of the leaf
When determining the direction in which the door leaf will open, the location of its installation is taken into account. So, the front door is mounted in such a way that it can be easily opened outward. This procedure is dictated by fire safety requirements. In the event of an emergency, a properly installed structure does not prevent the evacuation of residents. Although some exceptions are possible. For example, in the case of installing an entrance system to an apartment. Sometimes this option is installed so that the sash opens inward.
With interior structures the situation is simpler. There are no strict requirements in terms of fire safety. As a consequence, the opening direction can be any. When choosing a direction, ensure that the installed doors:
- They did not interfere with each other at the moment of opening. Especially when installed in adjacent rooms, for example, a bathroom and toilet. The doors should not interfere with each other, and the handles should be the same;
- They did not complicate their operation and maintenance. All elements must be freely accessible;
- They could open freely. Especially if the sash is large.
More often, when installing an interior door in a bathroom or toilet, they make it so that it swings outward, and in the bedroom - inward. This allows you to succinctly manage space, since bathrooms have a relatively small area.
Historically correct - out
The most important part of a house, apartment, office, from the point of view of Feng Shui, is the entrance door to the apartment
First, let's figure out where the front door to the apartment should open. Just a few generations ago, most of the population (for example, my grandmother) lived in hut houses, which were covered with snow during snowstorms in winter. Since in such situations the front door could only open inwards, this was the correct way.
In many southern areas, the front door of an apartment or house, also according to tradition, is installed so that it opens inward, but the explanation is warmer - it’s more hospitable.
Fact:
The appearance of the porch played an important role in the question of how the entrance doors should open - such snow drifts at doors with a porch no longer happen.
According to Feng Shui - inside.
A little magic: the most important part of a house, apartment, office, from the point of view of Feng Shui, is the entrance door to the apartment. It is through it that the energy of good luck penetrates into the house. In this case, where should the door to the apartment open? - Only inside, so as not to block this flow.
European definition rules
Europeans determine left and right doors according to their own rules.
To understand the direction in which the door of a European manufacturer will open, stand facing it in such a way that the door leaf can be opened away from you. The hand you use to push the door determines the side of the door. A model that opens to the right with the right hand in a clockwise direction is considered right-handed. The one that opens with the left hand counterclockwise is left-handed. There are also exception countries: in Italy, Spain, Israel, the door is opened with the left hand, which is considered the right hand and vice versa.
In Europe, much attention is paid to fire safety rules, and they are somewhat different from ours.
“... it doesn’t matter whether you are inside or outside the room.” No, it's important!
Window companies “close” the perimeter of the home, protecting the interior from the street and always looking at the evil world from inside the room! Therefore, in contracts, schematic drawings and commercial offers from window manufacturers, the view of the products always be from the side of the room!
If you look at the commercial offers of window companies, you will definitely find phrases like:
“View of the products from the side of the room” or “View of the products from the inside” or “View of the products from the side of the hinges, and if they are not visible, then always from the side of the room.” Well, so on.
Opening design
After installing the door, anchors, mounting plates and foam remain visible in the opening. You can hide this by plastering the slopes or installing extensions.
Plastering slopes To completely get rid of imperfections and uneven walls, you will need professional execution. The disadvantages of the method include the fact that during operation, plastered slopes easily become dirty and are subject to mechanical damage.
Installation of extensions Extensions are installed quickly and do not require special care. They retain their original appearance longer than plastered slopes.
The extensions are resistant to mechanical stress, dirt and high humidity. Installation can be carried out on the day the door is installed.
The average price for installation of straight extensions is 70 rubles, L-shaped – 80 rubles.
The price includes measurement, delivery, installation and consumables. Installation takes about 1.5-2 hours. To the list of news
Free opening measurement
To ensure the door fits perfectly, seek help from a professional measurer. Our specialist will arrive at a time convenient for you and carry out the necessary measurements and calculations free of charge:
- - measure the dimensions of the openings and the width of the wall,
- - determines the optimal side and direction of opening,
- — will calculate the cost of delivery and installation.
