How to determine the swing of a door

You need to determine the swing, or hand, of a hinged door to ensure it will open in the correct direction. The terminology regarding the swing of a door will differ between manufacturers, but it basically refers to which side the hinges are on and whether the door opens outwards or inwards. It's particularly relevant when you are buying an external door set frame  as these will be inward or outward opening doors and come ready to fit already hanging from a sturdy frame. Our internal door linings and external door frames can accommodate doors that open inwards or outwards, with both left and right-handed swings, depending on how you install the door.

For more information on Wonkee Donkee XL Joinery external door set frames see: Choosing a door set frame and door

If you are replacing an existing door, you will probably want the replacement to open in the same way as the old door. You can easily determine the swing of the old door and use that to order the correct new door. If you are installing a door in a doorway for the first time, you'll have some choice about the swing, although, in many cases, this decision will be already made. For instance, an external door normally opens inwards, and doors off hallways usually open into a room.

The hand of the door will be left or right – this is a reference to the positioning of the door's handle. If you stand in the doorway with your back to where the hinges are, or will be, the door will open either to your left or right. Whichever way the door opens, that's the hand of that door. 

The direction in which the door actually swings is usually referred to as either inwards or outwards, or as standard and reverse. If you're standing outside the room or building the door will either open inwards, into the interior space and away from you; or outwards, towards you, which is the reverse swing.