Why do these have the cachet they do with architects and clients?
When opened and left opened for ventilation in warm months, they will blow closed or blow open to hit outside wall finish, unless equipped with hooks or stops. And since usually opening onto a porch or terrace with a small step down, floor stops are impractical.
If outside wall finish includes masonry wainscot or accent, they won’t be able to be opened beyond a certain point without doing damage to door finish.
Insect screening is done with an ugly arrangement of hinged screen panels.
They are more prone to leaking than sliders or one-panel hinged inswing doors, like a 60610 Andersen Frenchwood hinged patio door.
IMHO, the only conditions in which they are practical are when opening to a screened porch, with wall finish such that the leaves can lay flat against outside walls, and some sort of hook or stop arrangement.
Replies
I chose Andersen outswinging French doors for the home I built. They opened from the kitchen onto a back porch.
They were a good choice for this job. With cabinets and furniture in the kitchen there wasn't wall space for the doors to open inward. The porch had plenty of space outside. The porch was fully screened so there was no need for screens on the doors.
I did not have a problem with the doors staying put on a calm day. I intended to put in something to hold the doors open in all weather but didn't have a chance to before a job loss forced me to relocate.
They're liked for two reasons:
- They don't require any loss of floor area to allow them to swing fully open inside the house like inswings do.
- In windy areas, the wind forces them against the weatherstriping, creating a tight seal, as opposed to inswings, which the wind tends to push away from the weatherstripping.
Bob
in universal design too, thje floor space / traffic issue is important
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Three reasons...it's real hard for a salesman to get his foot in the door<G> "what's in a name?" d'oh!
Bingo...on all but the salesman, LOL...although thats true too!
I needed to spec both on one job, and got the same door from Marvin in in and out. the outswings were cheaper due to simpler drainage and weatherstripping.
My reasons are indeed furniture placement and weathertightness, and really so many people have central air they don't leave doors open much, and if it is windy, a few windows would do the trick.Jake Gulick
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CarriageHouse Design
Black Rock, CT