How much should it cost modifying a door to open inwards ?
So we have a garage entrance door that opens outwards into the garage but we need to have it open inwards into the house. What is involved here and how much should a handy person charge to do this work ?
It is likely code in your area to have an outswinging fire door there. The stairs are likely not to code... they need a 36" long, 36" wide landing as you step out the door before the stairs start.
If you want to proceed with your plan, you need a new door, so it's the cost of the door and cost of installation. Costs vary widely, so your best bet is to get a local estimate if you aren't going to diy.
The only other option is to cut the prehung door frame out and turn it completely around, which I would not suggest. You should check with your local building inspector (permits dept) first before you just do it, since this is likely a fire code.
@XSleeper thank you for the response. I just got off the phone with the city building permit department and they said that we do not need a permit to change the door so that it swings inwards into the house. So were good to go in regards to this modification. I don't understand why the door needs to be replaced ? Can you explain a little more with respects to this point ?
Yes, inward swinging doors from a garage are very common. I have one in my home.
I would consider getting a new pre-hung door. With a new, pre-hung door you remove your existing door leaving the rough framing. Then install the new door unit. This also has the big benefit of allowing you to have a traditional door knob instead of a cabinet handle and deadbolt which will make it much easier to use the door.
Or, you can remove your whole door assembly including it's threshold and jamb. Turn it around and install in the other direction. If you aren't doing the work yourself consider the difficulty and expense finding a handyman/carpenter competent to do this work. Installing a new door removes some of the skill required for the change and could help offset the cost of a new door.
I don't understand why the door needs to be replaced ? Can you explain a little more with respects to this point ?
An outswinging door has weatherstrip on the outside. And a low profile sloped aluminum sill. You can't just router hinges on the opposite side of the door jamb and move it, that's not how it works. You would have to remove the entire prehung door frame and turn the whole thing around. When you do that, the aluminum sill will be on the inside (ugly) and the outside will be about 5/8" higher than it is now, making a trip hazard as you go up the stairs. Maximum tread rise is 7 3/4", and my guess is that if you turn the door around, it will be more than that. Another code is that no stair can be more than 3/8" larger than any other tread. So, for example, if your bottom stair to the floor is 7", the next step can be no more than 7 3/8" and no less than 6 5/8".
And if you do turn it around, you might find that the door is too low to swing over the floor tile. To correct that you'd have to add a layer of plywood to the rough opening to shim the door up, or you won't ever be able to put a rug in front of the door.
IMO, getting a new prehung inswinging door is probably your best option.
I agree with Xsleeper in that the doors & jams were designed to work in an outward swing. I wouldn't even consider turning the whole door assembly around (reversed) for several reasons... some as noted above.
When doors & jams are designed, you specify outward or inward swing, with a left or right hand swing.
So, IMHO, you just need to price a new door assembly with frame, inward swing with a left or right hand swing as your preference.
Use the old one for a barn door or sell it to someone with rent houses or a deer camp etc. Just make sure the handy man is capable of removing it with out busting it all up if you plan to reuse or sell the old door.
And by all means make sure he is capable of installing a door "level". if not, every time you open it for the pizza guy, with money in one hand & the pizza in the other, the door is going to bump your behind, knock your pizza out of your hand & the dog is going to snatch it up & eat it.
Never heard of an entrance door that swings outside the home. And never heard of any code to say otherwise. It seems that door was installed wrong to begin with.
I agree with the others, a new pre-hung is the only solution. At least on an outside steel door. If it was an inside door, then that's a different story. I've switch swing and direction on several inside doors.
If you're handy installing a pre hung is not that hard. You might consider doing it yourself.
Recently installed a front door. 36x80 no sidelights. Fiberglass, craftsman style, with a rectangle window with exterior grids. Ordered it painted black from the millwork shop. Frame is composite.
Install turned out well with good reveal and gapping. Checked for plumb and level many, many times and the frame still checks out.
East facing door with no protection (no overhang or storm door).
Noticed the day after installing that during the morning hours that I could see daylight at top corner, latch side.
That afternoon with the sun overhead it went back to normal and sealed right up.
Called the shop, who called the manufacturer and they'd never heard of such of thing stating that it is an install issue. The shop is good to work with and has told me they are trying to make something happen.
I get that a black door in the sun is going to get hot, and boy it does. We had a black fiberglass door before this one and it didn't do this. I am always looking for air intrusions so confident I would have noticed.
My question to all of you is: is there anything I could have done wrong in the install that would make the door move based on sun/heat? I get that out of plumb and such could make the door look warped but I can't come up with anything I would have done that would cause the latch side to go to a C shape and back, daily.
My friend asked if the door he installed is OK or NOT. The door is off by 3/8 FROM THE TOP to the BOTTOM. From what I had seen the reveal is very good all around. The door right now does close and locks with nothing hitting. I told him not to install brick molding on the outside yet. Would the door work for the next few years or fail in a year or so? He is going to install a storm door on the outside.
08-25-22, 05:18 AM
