Thread: Door Swing into stairway

Home is 2011, construction almost complete.

The french doors , both active. swing inwards into the interior. The door nearest the stairway opening will open in such a manner as to block most of the stairway opening. (see my wonderful illustrative drawing!)

I don't like this configuration because someone could leave the door open and then someone coming down the stairs could falls into it.....small chance I know.....

....never-the-less, I can find a code preventing this configuration. Does any one know of one, or is this configuration fine by code?

Thanks,

Brian

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Since you say the doors swing inward we can assume these are exterior doors? Is the door closest to the stairs the primary door or the one with the head and foot bolt?

If the door nearest the stairs is the secondary door that would put the primary door 3' from the stairs (unless it's a mighty small french door, with no casing.....right against the bottom tread) which would be the same width as a required landing.

Correct me if I'm wrong but as far as I know you can have a glass door at the top or bottom of the stairs as long as it is tempered and doesn't swing over the stairs.

THanks Chris.

The door nearest the stairway IS the primary door, and yes, these are exterior doors. Both doors are tempered. I think this is a bad location, but I don't think there is a code preventing it.

Any other thoughts?

B

Any other opinions on this strange configuration?

I appreciate more feedback, thanks!

Bm

The drawing is a little confusing... as long as there is the required landing width and length, then there is no code violation.

Yeah, Have the builder return the doors and get the 'correct' outward swing doors installed as they should have been in the first place.

Originally Posted by brianmiller

Home is 2011, construction almost complete.

The french doors , both active. swing inwards into the interior. The door nearest the stairway opening will open in such a manner as to block most of the stairway opening. (see my wonderful illustrative drawing!)

I don't like this configuration because someone could leave the door open and then someone coming down the stairs could falls into it.....small chance I know.....

....never-the-less, I can find a code preventing this configuration. Does any one know of one, or is this configuration fine by code?

Thanks,

Brian

While the design may be less than desirable I'm not aware of any code article that would prevent that installation unless you are prepared to make a case that the open door would obstruct the means of egress but I think that would be a stretch

If you have ANY out swinging EXTERIOR doors............. The house can be broke into by simply removing the hinge pins..... Why Exterior doors swing IN. Plus the threshold is design to drain outside. I don't think you can even order out swinging Exterior doors, & should not just flip for drainage problems.

CJP

Originally Posted by Carolyn J Pearson

If you have ANY out swinging EXTERIOR doors............. The house can be broke into by simply removing the hinge pins..... Why Exterior doors swing IN. Plus the threshold is design to drain outside. I don't think you can even order out swinging Exterior doors, & should not just flip for drainage problems.
CJP

That's not entirely true. I would agree that you shouldn't just turn an in-swing door around to make it out-swing.

But you'e wrong on the rest of it. There are plenty of out-swing exterior doors, including out-swing french doors. Manufacturers offer security hinges for out-swing doors, which are also available for after market sales.

Originally Posted by Carolyn J Pearson

If you have ANY out swinging EXTERIOR doors............. The house can be broke into by simply removing the hinge pins..... Why Exterior doors swing IN. Plus the threshold is design to drain outside. I don't think you can even order out swinging Exterior doors, & should not just flip for drainage problems.

CJP

Carolyn,

In my area of the country (SE Florida) I would venture too say that 99% of all exterior doors swing out. The door manufacturers must design and test their doors to resist the positive and negative pressures for the wind zone that they will be installed in 140 mph,130,120, etc. there are very few in swinging doors that I am aware of that will meet the testing criteria with out having a threshold too reinforce the bottom edge of the doors.
These are not in swing doors that are just hung in reverse. The thresholds are a different design and the hinge pins are not removable. To remove the doors from the jamb you would need to have the door in an open position and then remove the screws from the hinge itself

as long as the door is not opening to allow someone to step on the stairs directly it might be ok. sometimes it is a space issue as the door opening into the interior claims too much space. if the new home owners find it is an issue have them get some doors which open to the inside. the door swinging over the stairs could be a problem for someone going on the stairs and should be pointed out as a possible access issue. as to the hinges as long as they are security hinges they would be acceptable.

Sometimes the answer (or reason) may be simple. What area do the glass doors open to? If it's straight onto an outside deck, most door manufacturers include some means of providing an insect screen across the door opening -- either a sliding screen door like that from a sliding glass door, or an outward swinging pair of screen doors. How else would you keep the bugs out?

Originally Posted by Ron Keeney

Sometimes the answer (or reason) may be simple. What area do the glass doors open to? If it's straight onto an outside deck, most door manufacturers include some means of providing an insect screen across the door opening -- either a sliding screen door like that from a sliding glass door, or an outward swinging pair of screen doors. How else would you keep the bugs out?

Hmmm....retracting screen on the inside?