Interior and Exterior Door Swing Chart

Right Hand vs Left Hand – How to determine door swing

The hand meaning of door can be confusing. We have created a door hand chart or door swing chart that illustrates the hand definition throughout a typical home. This chart helps you visualize the door handing of both interior and exterior doors.

Remember – Door handing for interior and exterior doors can be identified differently than the door hardware manufacturers. Especially tricky is the correct handing for front entry hardware, outswing doors in particular. The reason for this is because door hardware manufacturers must consider where the hinges are so door levers or handles, point towards the hinges on both sides of the door.

A Simple Door Swing Chart will Help You

For the prehung door handing, you always consider the handing from where the hinges are and FROM the OUTSIDE. Outside the home, or outside the room. Look carefully at this door swing chart so you can communicate the correct door handing terminology to us or other providers.

Professional Door Handing Terminology

The professional door installer has a simple way to always identify the correct handing for any prehung door. It is called the “butt to hinge” method. With this method when a person opens the door and stands in the doorway with their back and butt to the door hinges. Which ever arm swings when opening the door identifies if the door is a right hand or left handed door. If it swings In, then it is a left or right handed inswing. If it swings outside, then it is either left handed outswing or right hand outswing. It really is that easy.

A Prehung Single Door Handing Illustration

Take a look at this single front entry door. I grabbed it from the internet instead of designing another handing chart. The exterior door opens inwards and you can see her back is to the hinges as she is standing in the open doorway. Since if she was standing there it would be her left arm that would swing in as if she was the door. So this illustrates a left hand inswing door. We have other door education materials, door sizes, charts, glass availability, on our resources page. Each page educates a different topic. They all help you understand the information needed to order prehung doors and communicate effectively.