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Where and how should doors open according to fire safety rules?

A properly installed door is a guarantee of the safety of people living or working in the entire room or in separate rooms in case of emergency. In addition, for the “wrong” doors, the owner of the house faces serious fines or even a trial. Therefore, when installing all types of door structures in an apartment or office, it is important to follow fire safety rules. And for this it is important to know how and where (that is, in which direction) the “correct” doors open.

Often during a fire, people may have a collective panic attack. The life and health of those in the room may depend on every detail of its arrangement. One of the most important details is the correct installation and correct positioning of the doors. In this regard, certain fire safety standards are provided, which must be strictly adhered to. Doors must be positioned correctly and open in the right direction in order to become assistants in saving people at a critical moment.

How and where to open the front doors

This material is mandatory for assimilation by the owners of apartments and residential premises, as well as by the owners of offices and factories. The primary rules for placing doors are simple: the structures should not interfere with each other, but they must open "to the street" in order to avoid obstructing the exit of the population.

In apartments and residential buildings it is considered evacuation and therefore always opens “to the exit”. This will speed up the exit of people from the premises in case of fire. Also, you can not change the direction of opening the doors or install additional ones if they can interfere with the emergency exit of residents of neighboring apartments.

Important! For public buildings (most often) the same rule applies: doors in important parts of the evacuation plan open outwards.

How to properly install interior doors

Doors in living quarters doors can open both inwards and outwards. However, in small rooms such as a closet or a bathroom, they must open outwards. This fact will help to quickly leave the room in the event of an emergency. As for other parts of the living quarters, the doors there correctly open into a larger room. For example, the doors in the opening between the corridor and the hall open into the hall.

It swings open into a large part of the room, so that the incoming person can see its entire space. When the entrance is located in a corner, the door should open towards the nearest wall. If the entrance door is located in the middle of the wall, the sashes should open towards the switch. This is done to quickly and conveniently turn on the light.

If two interior doors are located side by side, they should not touch each other when opened. And, more importantly for safety, adjacent doors should not block one another.

For public buildings in which a large number of people are regularly located, another rule applies: doors leading to a corridor or hall often filled with workers or visitors must open inwards, that is, towards themselves. This protects people passing through the outdoor area from shock and injury.

Evacuation doors

According to the rules of SNiP, wooden and metal evacuation doors must open in the direction of evacuation, that is, to the street.

• private houses;
• offices in which less than a dozen people constantly work;
• pantries less than 200 m2 in size;
• sanitary facilities.

Doors in the boiler room

Boiler rooms are part of both residential and public premises and buildings, or located nearby. There are two main rules for this type of premises:

1. The door of the boiler room, facing the street, opens outwards.
2. Doors from the boiler room to another room or room open into the boiler room. This is done to protect people and property in case of an explosion.

Thus, most often doors (especially entrance doors) open outward. This rule applies to both residential and office premises. This and other fire safety standards for opening doors are aimed at ensuring the safety of people in the building.

In which direction should the door open: video

There is no single answer to this seemingly simple question, because if you put together SNIPs, individual preferences and cultural and historical traditions, many of the most unexpected nuances open up.

Entrance door

Historical and esoteric traditions in this matter are contrary to modern building codes. Since ancient times, in the northern climate, the doors of houses opened only inward, because when snowdrifts sweep outside, otherwise it is simply impossible to open it. Only when a porch appeared, protecting the house from snow drifts, did the doors begin to open outwards.
The ancient Chinese tradition of Feng Shui is in solidarity with the beliefs of our Slavic ancestors. The door is the most important part of the house through which good luck and positive energy penetrate, therefore it can only open inwards so that this positive flow is not interrupted.
Navello
The huts are huts, and the specialists of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and SNIPs in this matter have a completely different opinion: the doors at the evacuation exits should open exclusively in the direction of the exit from the building, so that in the event of an emergency it would be convenient to take out the wounded on a stretcher.
In addition, if the front door opens outward, it is almost impossible to knock it out, therefore, criminals trying to enter the house for the purpose of robbery will have to spend more time and effort to break in. So, the external opening of the door is considered more correct, from the point of view of rescuers and law enforcement officers.

Another thing is that it is not always possible to comply with this requirement on a cramped stairwell of an apartment building. In addition, it conflicts with another rule, which states that the direction of opening the door leaf must be coordinated with the nearest neighbors, since an open door should not interfere with the evacuation of people in case of fire, etc.

Interior doors

All these recommendations concern, basically, entrance doors of apartments. In a private space, hardly anyone will interfere with installing the door in the way that suits you. And what do experts advise about interior doors?
SNIPIs are more interested in the bathroom, kitchen and bathroom. In these rooms, the doors should open outwards so that in an emergency you can get out by simply pushing the door. If the person inside becomes ill, it is easier to open such a door, since the probability of accidentally blocking it is extremely small.
These recommendations are worth listening to. True, if the door swings open into a narrow corridor, it can knock on the forehead of a passing family member - and then he will need medical help.


The conclusion is simple: in a cramped space it is better to equip the entrance as common sense dictates. In the end, if the space is sorely lacking, you can install a sliding door, which is especially true for small bathrooms, tiny kitchens and dressing rooms.

Adielle
In the nursery, it is recommended to choose a door that opens inward, since it is easier to knock it out in an emergency if the child is suddenly locked from the inside. However, the age of the children also matters. In rooms for the smallest, locks and locks are rarely installed, but with a door that opens inward, you can accidentally hit the baby.
In general, the decision is again yours.


Ferrerolegno

What else needs to be considered when choosing the direction of opening interior doors?

If two doors are located close to each other, you should think about moving the doorway, if this is not possible, consider the option when one door opens into the room and the other into the corridor. In any case, the doors must not block or overlap each other. It's traumatic!
If the door is located in the corner of the room, it should swing open towards the nearest wall without blocking the view of the room. When the door is placed in the center of the wall, it is more correct to open it towards the window so that the light from it enters the corridor or the next room.

Right or left?

It also matters whether the door opens to the right or to the left, and here again cultural and historical differences come into play. In Russia, the “right” is the door, in which the hinges are located on the right, and the handle is on the left. In European countries, the situation is exactly the opposite: the “right” door has a handle on the right, and the hinges on the left.


Portek, Legnoform
Therefore, if you are buying an imported door, not a Russian one, make sure you order exactly what you need.
By the way, if you are left-handed, take the opportunity to equip comfortable doors at least in your home, because in public places, opening doors, as a rule, is designed for the "right-handed" majority.

Ferrerolegno
The choice of the direction of opening may seem like a trifle on the scale of the repair, however, improper installation of doors causes inconvenience and even injury. Therefore, solve the problem based on specific living conditions, security considerations and common sense. Also, keep folding, sliding, and roto doors in mind, as they can sometimes be a way out of a difficult situation - literally and figuratively.

The question of which direction should open, at first glance, seems secondary in comparison with their reliability, convenience and appearance. But in fact, errors in choosing the direction of opening doors can lead to problems with both comfort and safety.

In public buildings, this issue is regulated by building codes and regulations. This standard does not apply to private houses and apartments, but the owner of the house still should not completely discard the requirements of the standard related to where to open interior doors, otherwise inconvenience and unpleasant situations cannot be avoided in the house or apartment.

General rules

There are three simple rules regarding opening swing doors inside a building.

In most cases, designers are guided by them when developing their projects.

Compliance with these rules is dictated by the standards and is consistent with common sense:

• When moving from a smaller room to a larger one, the door should swing open in the direction of travel.
• If the door is not located in the middle of the wall, then the opening direction should face the larger part of the room.
• If two interior doors are located side by side, then they should not touch each other when they open at the same time.

The usefulness of these rules is obvious. The swing door is different in that it requires a certain space for itself. And if you position the door in such a way that it will open towards a smaller room, then from this smaller one it will take away part of the space, which is already small.

The implementation of the second of the rules allows us, entering the room, to be able to immediately take a look at it, which is very convenient in most cases.

By the way, the switch should be located so that the door does not interfere when entering the room, turn on the light, and when leaving, turn it off.

In other words, the location of the switches and the direction of opening the doors must be coordinated. As for the third rule, it is clear that its non-observance can lead to interior doors being damaged by knocking against each other when opened, or blocking each other, which can be extremely undesirable in certain situations.

In public buildings

In buildings where a lot of people accumulate - shopping malls, business centers, hotels, etc., most of the rules are dictated by fire safety considerations. Not everyone can keep their cool in the event of a threat to life. Often in emergency situations, panic arises, and interior doors should swing open so as not to prevent people from leaving the room.

Therefore, the general requirement runs like a red thread through the fire safety rules: the direction of opening the doors should not prevent evacuation in the event of an emergency.

This means that from office rooms or, for example, hotel rooms, the doors must open outwards. In particular, the Building Code prescribes this for premises where more than 15 people work. In practice, however, this condition is not always met. If the door of an office or hotel room swings open towards the corridor, then there is always a danger of opening the door abruptly and injuring a person walking along the corridor.

The same applies to the halls of institutions, where a large number of visitors can accumulate. So that they do not get bruised when opening the doors of the offices, they are made to swing open inwards. But small toilet rooms are sure to open outwards.

If done otherwise, a situation may arise in which the person inside, having lost consciousness, will block the door.

Everything related to the direction of opening interior doors can be seen in the following video

In houses and apartments

The location and direction of opening doors in private houses and apartments is determined not by standards, but by the designer's recommendations and the wishes of the owners. However, the general principles are most often followed. This also applies to the general rules mentioned, and recommendations regarding which way the doors should open in small rooms - a toilet, a bathroom, pantries.

The most controversial is the question of the door to the nursery: where to open it. On the one hand, there are recommendations to make this door opening inwards. Supporters of such a decision argue that if a situation arises in which the child needs urgent help, and the door is closed, it will be easier to get into the nursery if the door opens inward.

On the other hand, a child may accidentally block the door, for example, with a fallen bookcase, and if the door swings open inward, it will not be easy to get into the room, and there is a danger of hurting him when opening the door. From this point of view, it is better that the door from the nursery opens towards the corridor. Therefore, each family decides for itself which arguments seem more convincing to it.

Are there any official or unofficial standards governing the direction in which the front door opens, including fire safety regulations? Where should the door open, inward or outward?

This question is often faced by residents of high-rise buildings. Because for owners of private houses, this dilemma is more likely to disappear. Now I will explain why this is so.

What the law says, where the door should open.

As of today, we will be guided by the following legislative acts:

1. by order of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation dated March 25, 2009 No. 171 “On approval of the set of rules “Fire protection systems. Evacuation routes and exits”;

2.SNiP 21-01-97 "Fire safety of buildings and structures".

According to the first act, we see that the law does not regulate where the door should open, outward or inward. Therefore, for private houses, this issue immediately disappears, here it is worth being guided by convenience.

The situation is more complicated with multi-apartment buildings. Let us turn to the second act, which tells us that the installation of the front door should not interfere with the free evacuation of people or worsen the conditions for evacuation from neighboring apartments.

Specifically, we look at paragraph 6.16 of SNiP, according to which the width of emergency exits must be at least 0.8 meters. A similar rule is contained in clause 4.2.5 of the set of rules 1.13130.2009 “Fire protection systems. Evacuation routes and exits.

conclusions

The direction of door opening is not standardized for premises of classes F1.3 - multi-apartment residential buildings and F1.4 - single-apartment, including blocked residential buildings (paragraph 6.17 of SNiP).

The front door of an apartment or house is an emergency exit (clause 6.9 of SNiP).

Your front door should not block the escape route of your neighbors. That is, when opening your front door, the width of the passage for neighbors should be at least 0.8 meters.

What to do?

If the door is already installed and the neighbors are threatening to sue you, there is still a solution without replacing the door. May I help floor limiter, which limits the course of the door leaf, without interfering with or causing irritation to other people.

I also often hear that the direction of opening the door should correspond to the original design of the house. This is a misconception, since changing the direction of opening the door, as well as the door itself, is neither a reconstruction nor a redevelopment.

The size of the landings in the houses of different years of construction can vary significantly. The same is true for the dimensions of the hallway. All this makes it difficult to choose when deciding where the front door to the apartment should open, because the side of plowing the old canvas could be uncomfortable. Here it is important to take into account the practicality, own safety and stability of the structure during a forced break-in, as well as the requirements of the fire service.

Types and definition of the sides of the door opening

There are only two options for opening the door, which are used to equip the entrance to the premises - these are external and internal. In this case, each option can be left or right. There are also uniform standards for recognizing the opening side, so that even during a telephone conversation or online purchase of doors, both the client and the seller can understand which design is being ordered.

The side of opening the front door for the apartment is determined when you are facing the outer part of the canvas, which must be pulled towards you in order to enter - the hand holding the handle for this will be decisive in the name. If the user takes the right hand and pulls, then this is the right door with an external opening, and if the left, then the external left.

When swinging the sash away from oneself, the door is considered to be an internal opening and here it is necessary to push the leaf with a straight hand (located perpendicular to the plane of the structure) by pressing the handle. If the left hand was used, then the doors are left and vice versa.

Another method for determining the door opening side is by the location of its hinges. When they are on the left and the canvas swings open outward, then these are left doors, and when the canopies are located on the right, with a similar opening of the sash, then the door is called the right outer door. With an internal opening, everything is determined the other way around.

Where should the front door to the apartment open?

Each type of side door opening has its pros and cons. There are no specific requirements for which penalties may follow if non-compliance occurs in the case of a residential installation. The fire brigade always recommends doors with push-opening, which is convenient for evacuation, although for rooms in which there are less than five people at all times, it was decided to mount doors with swinging inwards, which is convenient for rescue operations in order to quickly overcome the obstacle for employees Ministry of Emergency Situations located outside.

When making a decision, it is important to take into account these and other nuances that affect the resistance of the structure to burglary, as well as the convenience for evacuation in case of an emergency. Opening the front door to the apartment should be practical from the point of view of everyday use, as well as not interfere with other residents. For example, when deciding to install a sash with external swinging, you should make sure that in the open position it will not block the exit of the apartments on the right and left, otherwise this will damage the surfaces of the canvases during the simultaneous exit and may lead to casualties during a fire.

Here are some advantages of installing a door to an apartment with a push-opening when the user is inside (external opening):

• during a fire, people instinctively run forward, so you don’t have to take a step back to exit through the door;
• the opening time is reduced to pressing on the handle without subsequent manipulations;
• when installing a fire alarm in such an apartment, there will be no problems from the security company;
• the canvas when plowing will not take up space in the hallway;
• immediately at the entrance you can put shoes that do not have to be removed to open the sash;
• the design is more difficult to knock out with the foot along with the box;
• with a cold entrance, you can install a second door, although this will partially deprive the owners of the above advantages, but for that it will increase thermal insulation.

Of course, the outer opening should not block the stairs so that other residents can freely pass to their apartments. If it is decided to install the product with an internal opening, then it is important to make it left or right, depending on the location of the nearest long wall to which it must adhere when plowing, in order to reduce the number of movements when exiting. Each leaf must be able to open 90 degrees to carry furniture.

If it is difficult to independently determine the direction of opening the door

When choosing new doors, it is important to consider the direction of their opening, taking into account the above recommendations. But if the structure of the hallway or landing has very limited dimensions and it is difficult to choose the best option, then it is better to take the plan of the apartment and show it to the sales assistant, who will tell you where the front door to the apartment should open in this case.

The company "Reliable doors" is engaged in the sale and installation of various options for apartment doors. The opening side is indicated by the loops, which is the easiest way for customers not to get confused. Employees have completed thousands of installation orders, so they are ready to suggest the best options in each case.