Exterior doors put up with a lot. Whether your front door leads to your house, garage or workshop, there’s a good chance that it’s opened and closed multiple times every day.
And depending on the climate in your area, it may be exposed to harsh weather elements. All this wear and tear can quickly wreck your entryway. Thankfully, outswing doors offer excellent protection against such extremities. This could also explain why they’re more expensive than their inswing counterparts.
In the following post, we’ll examine a few more factors that explain why exterior doors that swing out cost more than those that swing in.
Why are outswing doors more expensive?
The main reason why these doors are more expensive is that they’re equipped with features that enable them to provide better security.
Not only do these doors offer better protection against intruders but also extreme climatic conditions. Listed below are some of the reasons why outswing doors are more costly. We’ve also highlighted features that contribute to their high cost.
- Door Mechanism
- Impact-resistant Glass
- Door Threshold
- Grade 1 Deadbolt
- Security Bar
- Fire-resistant Features
- Security Hinges
- Door Frame
Door mechanism
As you probably know, an inswing door opens inward, whereas the latter opens outward. This makes the inward model more vulnerable to being pushed in by an intruder. If you’re looking for a door that’s not easy to break into, one that opens to the exterior is the best option. This working mechanism secures your property better, hence, the higher price tag.
Impact-resistant glass
If you want a sliding or French door that can withstand harsh weather elements like rain, wind, snow, and hurricanes, then don’t go for one made of standard glass. Instead, look for one made of impact-resistant glass- the kind that’s usually installed on hurricane-proof windows.
Also known as laminated glass, the impact-resistant model contains a strong polymer interlayer that reinforces your outswing door. This interlayer is what holds the glass together in case it’s shattered; hence preventing it from flying into your home and potentially causing injury.
The cost of such a hurricane-proof door ranges from $300 to $1,100. As for labor, expect to pay anywhere between $600 and $2,000 for its installation.
Door threshold
If your door swings out, you’ll benefit from adding a threshold at its base. In case you’ve never heard of this, this is simply a strip of material that sits over the space in your doorway to provide a smooth transition.
While some people add it for style, the main function that this element serves is to protect your home from water damage. It also provides an airtight seal, preventing air infiltration.
The best thing about it is that it can be customized to suit your needs. For instance, there are wheelchair access thresholds, providing easy entry for wheelchair users.
Grade 1 Deadbolt
In most cases, a front door that swings outward comes fitted with deadbolts as an extra measure of protection.
Important to note is that deadbolts are classified using a grading system. The scale starts from 1 to 3, with 1 representing the highest grade while 3 is the lowest grade and offers the least security.
A grade 1 deadbolt can endure up to 10 strikes from a 75-pound force, which is about the same magnitude exerted by a hammer.
Also, it can put up with one million openings and closures before experiencing any failures. This explains why it’s often used in commercial settings like office buildings and banking institutions.
Given how secure it is, it is no wonder outswing doors with grade 1 deadbolts cost significantly more than inswing doors.
Security bar
This is another feature added to an exterior door to enhance safety. It ensures that even if a burglar is able to pick the lock from the outside, they still won’t be able to enter your house.
The bar is positioned just underneath the doorknob and it runs along the width of the door. If you’re thinking of adding this feature, be ready to shell out more money, adding to the overall cost of your outswing door.
Fire-resistant features
This is another reason why inswing and outswing doors are priced differently. You’ll find an exterior door that opens outward being more expensive because it has a fire-resistance rating.
Such doors are meant to keep an escape route or exit free of smoke, allowing easy access to the exterior when there’s a risk of fire. And if the interior is already exposed to flames, then this entry will prevent them from spreading to the adjacent room.
Security hinges
The hinges installed on an outswing door differ from those installed on an inswing door.
For inswinging doors, the hinges aren’t a big deal because they’re located on the inside. But for a door that swings out, the hinges pose a major safety hazard. If they’re not properly installed, an intruder can easily tamper with the hinge pins and break into your home.
To prevent this, ensure you invest in a quality hinge. Setscrew hinges are a good case in point. With this, the hinges on your front door remain concealed, making it nearly impossible for anyone to get inside.
A continuous hinge also works great because it completely covers the gap between the door and the posts. So if anyone wanted to get inside your house, they would have to cut these posts.
Door frame
The materials used to make a door frame are another factor that contributes to the high cost.
Steel, fiberglass, and wood are the most common materials used to make doors that open outward. Here’s a brief overview of each:
Steel
This is thought to offer the best resistance against harsh climatic conditions like wind, snow, and rain.
Two other aspects that make steel doors popular entail their low maintenance and affordability. In fact, steel is the least expensive of the three.
Fiberglass
You’ll find doors swinging outwards made of this material because it provides ample durability.
Another reason why this is a popular choice of material for an outswing door entails its energy efficiency. Compared to doors made of wood, this one offers four times the R-value (standard rating system for insulation).
This is thanks to the insulated core that it’s designed with, which minimizes the thermal transfer between the outdoors and interior spaces. As a result, you end up using less energy to keep your home at the optimum temperature.
Wooden doors
Whether you’re looking to install outswing or inswing doors, wood is the most expensive of the three materials.
On the brighter side, the charm and aesthetic appeal it adds to your home remain unparalleled. Wooden doors are best used in covered areas like a house that has a patio. Or, they can be used together with storm doors so as to protect them from extreme climate changes.
Can the inswing door be used for outswing?
Yes, you can make alterations to the door swing, but it’s not advisable to do so.
As we mentioned early on, doors that swing outward are equipped with additional elements. These enable them to put up with extreme atmospheric conditions much better. Besides, such a transformation could have a negative impact on the style of your home.
Can patio doors swing out?
What direction should patio doors swing? Should they only swing inward or can they swing out as well?
The truth is, the direction in which your patio doors open depends on your personal preferences as each design offers unique benefits.
If you prefer that the door swings inward, then you’ll have to ensure there’s enough space for this opening mechanism. On the plus side, you won’t have to worry too much about safety as elements like deadbolts will be located on the inside.
On the other hand, if you prefer that the doors open to the exterior, then you’ll be able to maximize the indoor space. In fact, this allows you to position furniture near the front and not worry about doors banging into them when they’re open.
If you’re big on style, outswing doors also give your patio a cleaner look as the hinges and locks are located on the outside.
Conclusion
Outswinging doors are fitted with a ton of accessories so they can provide better protection against intruders and extreme climatic conditions These additions, in turn, cause the prices of these doors to soar. If you’d like your front door to open to the exterior, be ready to pay slightly more than you would for inswing doors.
