Are you weighing your patio door options? You've probably come across French doors in your search and wonder if they're right for your home. This style adds a touch of class to any space, but you might be unsure about which way they should swing. Should a swinging door open inward or outward? This article will help you decide if outswing exterior French doors are the perfect fit for your home.
What Is an Outswing French Patio Door?
Outswing French patio doors open toward the outside of your home rather than into your indoor living space. They feature two door panels that meet in the middle with glass panes extending most of their length. The outswing design pushes the doors toward your patio or yard when opened, keeping the indoor space clear.
Inswing vs. Outswing Exterior French Doors
Inswing French doors open into your home's interior and are the more common option in residential settings. Most homeowners are familiar with this style as it follows the same pattern as a standard front door. When opened, inswing doors take up floor space inside your room, requiring you to plan your furniture arrangement accordingly. Here’s how they compare to outswing French doors in a few common categories.
Cost
Outswing French doors cost more than inswing doors because they need special hardware to withstand outdoor conditions. They require weatherproof hinges, specialized weatherstripping, and often include extra security features to prevent the pins from being removed from outside. Labor costs may also be higher because outswing doors have a more complex installation process.
Security
Inswing doors have hinges located on the interior, making them less vulnerable to tampering. Outswing doors have hinges on the exterior, but manufacturers compensate for this potential security issue by using non-removable pin hinges and more sophisticated locking systems. Many outswing exterior French doors come with multi-point locking systems that secure the door at several points around the frame, making them highly secure when properly installed.
Building Codes
Many people wonder if outswing doors break building codes. The answer is not usually: Outswing doors shouldn’t break any codes for residential homes, but you should check with your local housing authority. Many local building codes do require front entry doors to swing inward for emergency access reasons. Some homeowners’ associations may also have rules about door styles that face common areas, so review any HOA guidelines.
Benefits of Outswing French Patio Doors
Outswing doors offer several advantages beyond the typical benefits of French doors that might make them the right choice for your home. Let's look at each benefit in more detail.
Maximize Indoor Space
With outswing exterior French doors, you'll gain valuable floor space inside your home. Standard outswing exterior French doors (72x80 inches) take up about 15 square feet of swing space. When this swing space moves outside instead of inside, you get that space back.
The space savings become even more apparent with larger door sizes. While the standard 72x80 outswing exterior French doors are most common, you can find them in widths up to 8 feet and heights up to 8 feet. These larger sizes create an even more dramatic opening to your outdoor space but would require significant interior clearance if they swung inward.
Increase Your Room Layout Options
The space-saving features of outswing French doors are especially good for smaller rooms where every square foot counts. You won't need to plan your room layout around the door swing path, giving you more flexibility with your interior design. You can also place furniture closer to your patio entrance without blocking the door's path.
For example, in a compact kitchen that opens to a patio, outswing doors allow you to place your table closer to the door without blocking access. In a living room, you could create a cozy reading nook right by the door, making the most of the natural light and views, or position a sectional sofa with its back toward the doors, creating a natural room divider. This freedom gives you more layout options throughout the room.
Maintain a Sleek Interior
Outswing exterior French doors hide the hinges on the outside, creating a cleaner look inside your home. This design detail may seem small, but it contributes to a more polished interior appearance because your eye focuses on the beautiful glass panels rather than the functional parts of the door.
Beyond just hiding the hinges, outswing doors often appear more streamlined overall. The threshold design can be simpler and less obtrusive since it doesn't need to accommodate an inward swing. The door frame itself may appear slimmer from the inside, maximizing your view to the outdoors. Many homeowners choose French doors specifically for their architectural appeal, and outswing models maximize this benefit.
Resist Wind and Weather
Outswing exterior French doors use compression gaskets instead of the sweep gaskets found on inswing doors. The doors press against the gaskets when closed, maintaining a tighter seal and better protecting against drafts, rain, and air leakage. Outswing doors also perform better in high winds, because winds push the door more firmly against its seals rather than trying to force it open.
One weather consideration: if you live in an area with heavy snowfall, inswing doors might work better. Snow buildup could block outswing doors, making them difficult to open until you clear the path. However, if your doors open onto a covered patio or deck, snow accumulation may not be a significant issue.
When to Choose Outswing Exterior French Doors
While inswing doors remain more common in homes across America, outswing French doors solve specific problems that many homeowners face. The spatial benefits make outswing doors ideal for rooms with limited square footage, like smaller dens, breakfast nooks, or bedrooms that open to outdoor spaces. If your floor plan is tight, the space savings alone may justify choosing the outswing option.
Weather considerations should also play a major role in your decision if you live in areas with extreme conditions. For coastal properties exposed to salt, rain, and winds, outswing doors provide better protection and durability.
Aesthetic preferences matter too. If you love modern design trends with clean lines and unobtrusive transitions, the hidden hardware and sleek interior frames of outswing doors support this design goal better than inswing models.
Explore Outswing Exterior French Doors
If you've decided outswing French doors are right for your project, the next step is finding the perfect style for your home. MILGARD offers a variety of outswing French doors with premium hardware, effective weathersealing, and security features that give you peace of mind.
Ready to see how our doors will look in your space? Get a quote today and start planning your new doors. Our team can help you select the right configuration, material, and features for your specific application.
Still weighing your options between inswing and outswing? Our Certified Dealers can help you understand which style works best for your specific situation. They'll walk you through the pros and cons based on your climate, space constraints, and design preferences. Find a dealer near you to get expert guidance on your door project.
