How do I determine if a door is left hand or right hand?
Stand in the doorway with your back against the hinge jamb. If the door opens to your left, it is a left hand door. If it opens to your right, it is a right hand door. This method works for all single commercial doors regardless of frame type or wall construction.
What does "reverse" mean in door handing?
Reverse indicates that the door swings outward (away from the viewer when standing with back against the hinge jamb). A left hand reverse door has hinges on the left and swings outward. Outswing configurations are standard for exterior egress applications where building codes require doors to swing in the direction of exit travel.
How is handing determined for double doors?
Double door handing is determined by the active leaf, which is the door that carries the latching hardware, lever, or exit device. Apply the same hinge-jamb method to the active leaf. If both leaves carry latching hardware, the pair is designated as double active.
What is the active leaf on a double door?
The active leaf is the door in a pair that has the primary latching hardware, including the lockset, lever, or exit device. The inactive leaf is typically secured with flush bolts or surface bolts. In a double active configuration, both leaves have latching hardware and operate independently. Common hardware setups for these cases are exit devices with surface vertical rods, or push/pull hardware.
Can door handing be changed after the assembly is manufactured?
No. Hinge reinforcements, strike preparations, closer mounting locations, and exit device configurations are factory-set based on the specified handing. A door or frame ordered with incorrect handing cannot be corrected in the field and typically requires replacement of the affected components.
What is the difference between inswing and outswing?
An inswing door swings toward the interior of the room or space. An outswing door swings away from the room toward the exterior or corridor. Outswing doors are referred to as "reverse" in commercial door terminology. Building codes typically require outswing (reverse) doors for exterior egress openings.
What is a double egress door?
A double egress pair consists of two doors in the same frame where each leaf swings in the opposite direction. One leaf swings into the space on one side and the other leaf swings into the space on the other side. This configuration is used in corridors and other locations where egress is required in both directions.
