Outward Opening Door and Window

Security
The primary function of an exterior door is that of securing the property against would-be intruders. Historically, outward-opening doors would need to have their hinges on the outside. This would provide criminals with the opportunity to sabotage the hinges and thereby remove the entire door. Nowadays, you can find outward-opening doors with their hinges protected - but they’re still more vulnerable than their inward-opening counterparts.

Weather
When an external door opens outwards, it’s exposed to the whims of mother nature. A stray gust of wind might slam a set of French patio doors so hard that the glazing shatters - or hard enough to cause anyone nearby to jump out of their skin. Wooden doors that open outward are also more exposed to rainwater than their inward-opening counterparts - particularly if the top of the door hasn’t been finished with the same attention as the front and back. After heavy snowfall, you might also find it impossible to open an outward-opening external door - which in some extreme cases might render the occupant housebound for days on end.

Safety
Inward-opening doors are the safest option. In the case of fire, it’s easier for rescuers to smash their way through a door that opens inwards. Having the door open into the room will also prevent the possibility of opening the door into the face of an unsuspecting caller on the other side.

There are some situations where external doors do indeed open in the other direction. A good example would be fire escapes. During an emergency, people aren’t always thinking clearly, and thus it’s worth making life as simple as possible. Barging one’s way into a large bar-shaped handle and pushing out of the building without breaking a stride is easier than stopping to pull the thing open.

In public buildings, we also need to consider that not everyone using the door will be of equal strength, and that anything that can be done to make things easier for small children and the elderly is welcome. Wheelchair users might struggle to back themselves up and pull the door open. Add to this the fact that fire escapes aren’t often used, and thus the advantages of inward-opening are negated, and the advantages of opening outward become nigh-on inarguable.

The chances are that your home does not come with a dedicated fire escape. But there are still other instances where outward-opening doors might be desirable. If you’re installing your external doors somewhere a little less safety-crucial, such as on a patio, then you might have them open outward in order to free up space for furniture on the inside. You will, however, need to take a few steps to limit the damage caused by the wind.

Many sets of external French doors come with small hooks attached, via which the doors can be tethered to the surrounding walls. This will have a minor impact on the way that the door looks, but it’ll ensure that they’re suitably immobile when the breeze picks up. Timber doors can have these modifications made after installation.

As we’ve mentioned, inward-opening doors tend to be more secure, as their hinges are concealed on the door’s interior. But this isn’t always the case. Clever designs effectively prevent the hinges from being removed or otherwise tampered with.

Securing out-swinging French doors requires a combination of thoughtful measures to reinforce both the structural integrity and the overall security of the doors.

Use impact resistance glass
One of the most vulnerable aspects of French doors is down to their large glass surfaces. To counter this vulnerability, consider choosing French doors that have impact resistant or toughened glass. Here at GFD Homes, all our French doors have toughened glass as standard, with the additional options of either increasing the toughened glass thickness or having laminated glass instead.

Install security hinges
Traditional hinges on French doors are often located on the exterior side, making them somewhat susceptible to tampering. Replace these with security hinges that have non-removable pins. These pins cannot be easily removed, preventing intruders from disassembling the hinges to gain access.

Utilise outswing door security
There are specific security measures designed to enhance the protection of outswinging doors. One effective solution is using hinge-side security pins or screws. These pins or screws are placed in the door frame and extend into the hinge side of the door when it’s closed. This prevents the door from being lifted off its hinges, a common method used by intruders to bypass standard door security.

Consider motion-activated lighting
Whilst not directly related to the doors themselves, motion-activated lighting around your French doors can significantly enhance the security of your home. Well-lit entrances can deter potential intruders and make your property less appealing as a target.

We have a nationally accredited laboratory and provincial enterprise technology center, the main production and research equipment introduced from the United States, Germany, France, Switzerland, Israel, and the United Kingdom, bringing together well-known domestic scientific researchers in doors, windows and curtain walls, with a professional, high-level R&D team, research and development of EOSS doors and windows system with independent intellectual property rights.