“Handing and swing” describe how a door opens, indicating which side the door is hinged on and whether it swings into or out of a room or home.
How to Determine Door Handing
- Stand in the doorway with your back against the jamb where the hinges will be placed.
- Observe which direction you want the door to open:
- If the door opens to the left, it is a “left-hand” door.
- If the door opens to the right, it is a “right-hand” door.
How to Determine Door Swing
- If the door swings inside the room or home, it is an “inswing” door.
- If the door swings outside the room or home, it is an “outswing” door.
Double Doors
For double doors, one door is “active” (with an operating handle, knob, or lever), and the other door is “inactive” (no working handle, but can be opened and closed). The inactive door has a T-astragal (door stop for the active door) and a flush bolt (to secure the inactive door in the closed position). Pre-hung double doors typically have the following configurations:
- Pre-hung Interior Double Doors: Single flush bolt at the top of the inactive door.
- Pre-hung Exterior Double Doors: Flush bolts at both the top and bottom of the inactive door.
