Doors are an integral part of any room. They serve not only to protect against unwanted guests, but also become a barrier to the penetration of sounds, noise, and weather phenomena. Such products for home residents can not only serve as protection, but also become an enemy. It is the installation, opening inward or outward, that can play a decisive role in the moments on which people's lives depend.

Standard door settings

When choosing a door, special attention should be paid to the manufacturer. For example, Russia indicates a left-handed door when it opens towards itself with the left hand, and the handle is attached to the right. If the product opens right hand towards you, and the handle is installed on the left, such a canvas will be right-handed.

IN European countries the left and right door are determined by the hand that opens it. If the product is opened with the right hand to the right of the passage, then it will be right-handed.

The GOST and SNiP documents specify standards for fire safety, which determine which structure should be in the room, right or left. According to these requirements, all products in the room must be installed in such a way that simultaneous opening does not cause blocking of any of them. Entrance canvases should only open outwards so that in case of an emergency it is possible to easily evacuate all residents or visitors of the apartment.

When drawing up a project, dimensions are taken into account entrance doors not less than 800 mm. Therefore, when opening the canvas, there should be no obstacles. If this option is not possible, then consider installing an entrance door that opens inward. Firefighters say they find it easier to open structures that open inward. These indicators will be decisive when choosing a left or right canvas. As for indoor doors, they can open in any direction, the main thing is that there is no interference or blocking with other doors.

Some practical advice, which will help you identify the door directly in the store:

1. If you need to select products according to fire safety requirements, then it's enough to know the rule: the left one opens counterclockwise, the right one – clockwise.
2. If this option does not help, then you need to pay attention to the direction of pushing wooden products, handle side and hinge type.
3. If you need to install new blades in place of the old ones and preserve the opening side, then it is enough to observe which hand you open the product with and where the handle is located, provided that the product opens towards itself. It is the right one or left hand will indicate a right or left design.
4. The situation is a little more complicated with a product that opens from itself. If the handle is installed on the right and you use your left hand to open, this the door will be right-handed, if the handle is on the left and the right hand is used, such a blade will be left-handed.

In most countries, universal hinges are used for doors, but in Russia and Switzerland, left and right are used. They are convenient to use, as they allow you to remove and rearrange the door if necessary. In order to determine which loops you need, just stand in front of the canvas. If it should open towards you, with your right hand, then right hinges are needed, if with your left hand, then left hinges.

Close attention should be paid to the manufacturer of the product. If Italy or Spain or Israel are indicated there, then they have the opposite system: left hand opens right door and right hinges will be needed, and the right door will need a left door and left hinges will be needed.

Does the opening side affect the design of the door?

In installation option interior doors, the side of the canvas affects the shape of the design of the opening. Therefore, you should not buy first and then decide on the side. The first step there must be a choice of sides and, accordingly, the design of the opening. To understand exactly how the door should stand, it is recommended to install a frame. The castle also plays an important role. For it you need to choose the installation side, which will depend on the side of the door opening.

Thus, the choice of type door design depends on the following factors:

• specifics of the opening;
• the type of lock that is installed on the door;
• provision of security measures.

Why is it important to correctly determine the opening side of the front door?

The entrance structure is an important component of the security of the premises, which should not only protect against the entry of strangers, but also, if necessary, allow residents to quickly evacuate. When choosing the left or right side for the front door, it is necessary to observe whether the adjacent leaves are blocked, as this is a violation of fire safety rules. Any complaint from neighbors to the housing office will allow an order to be given to change the side to the opposite one. Therefore, when installing the input product, you need provide everything in advance possible options and choose the optimal solution.

Ease of use is also an important point. The curtains must open completely to one side to allow large items to be brought in or taken out. If selected hardware, then they need to be installed so that the approach from the stairs is from right to left. If the landing does not allow you to install an entrance structure that opens outward, then it is better to open it onto one of the blank walls of the room.

Important to know!

As statistics from fire departments show, most fatalities occur due to the inability to escape from the premises during a fire. Experts emphasize that by analyzing each of these cases, we can conclude: violation of door installation rules, wrong choice on the right or left side lead to blocking of the door leaves and to the death of people. This issue is especially acute in relation to children. IN emergency situations they act intuitively, so when choosing which side to open the door, you need to weigh everything and make a decision that will, first of all, protect the lives of all residents of the house or apartment.

Left and right door. At first glance, this is a specialist question. But only competent decision of the apartment owner, will allow you to say with confidence that the chosen option is correct, reliable and safe.

When choosing models with swinging doors, be sure to clarify in which direction the door leaf moves. This is necessary not only in terms of ease of use, but also from the point of view of people’s safety, especially in emergency situations, when seconds matter everything. How can we visually determine whether the door in front of us is left or right?

Simple ways

1 – “clockwise” rule. If the door opens to the left, then the direction is the same. But this is subject to the outside. When swinging inward, it's exactly the opposite. Opening the canvas to the right is interpreted similarly.

2 – location for installing the handle. The doors are always swung open (moved) by the same hand. It’s difficult to confuse, because we simply don’t do it any other way: the inconvenience is obvious.

3 – location of loops. It won’t be difficult to understand which model it is if you stand so that the sash moves towards you. The opening of any door, left or right, is determined by the location of the awnings. They are located on the side of the same name.

What you need to know

When choosing a model, personal preferences (material, finish, size, etc.) great value, and third-party advisers are unlikely to be needed here. But the difference for doors on the swinging side was not introduced by chance. It is through them that people are mainly evacuated during fires, natural disasters and in a number of other critical situations. Therefore, safety issues should come first. If you familiarize yourself with the requirements of SNiP, GOST, then these documents spell out in detail in what cases this or that door is installed and how to distinguish between them.

The fact is that in the corridors of administrative buildings, private houses, apartments there are almost always several openings connecting them with different rooms. When choosing doors, the side of their opening must be determined. Moreover, if the passages are not wide enough, which is typical for residential buildings. Otherwise, doors that are open at the same time will begin to interfere with each other, blocking neighboring ones, preventing them from opening completely. And this is unacceptable in terms of security.

The door opening side must be taken into account if the unit is purchased for installation at the entrance to the house. Such canvases should only swing outwards. Whether it will be right or left is chosen in relation to local conditions (convenience) and the specifics of installation. As a rule, the specific features of a door structure are determined at the design stage. There is one nuance here that allows you to look at the problem of the opening side from a different angle.

Professional firefighters argue that in some cases it is advisable to install doors at the entrance with the leaf moving inward. The fact is that such doors are much easier (more convenient, faster) to break into in emergency situations. If for some reason, when plowing externally, the leaf does not completely open the passage, then it is necessary to install models in which they move inward.

Separately, it is worth noting the specifics of choosing a block for the entrance to a home, especially in a high-rise building with an old layout. One of distinctive features Such houses have small landings with 3–4 apartments. Here you need to take into account their location. It doesn’t matter whether the door is right-handed or left-handed - its leaf (both in terms of convenience and safety) should be adjacent to the wall when fully opened. In this case, it will not become a hindrance for neighbors in any situation - moving, transporting large items or evacuation.

Particular attention should be paid to the model purchased for the opening that is closest to the flight of stairs. An open door should not block access to it. And which one is needed - right (left) - is easy to understand by the location of the apartment on the floor. Neglecting this may result in a complete replacement of the unit. If dissatisfied neighbors file a complaint with the housing/inspection, technical/supervision, management company (there are plenty of options), then after an inspection the owner will be issued an order to compulsorily replace the door. The reason is a gross violation of PB rules.

How to distinguish between left and right doors is not difficult to understand. The main thing is to choose wisely optimal model, taking into account compliance with all requirements of regulatory documents. And first of all, in terms of fire safety.

When replacing the door leaf, as well as purchasing hinges or locks for them in the store, you need to know whether the door is left or right in front of you. Surprisingly, even among experts there is no consensus on how to do this correctly. Some recommend looking at the door from above and if it slams clockwise, it is right, and if it slams counterclockwise, it is left; others advise determining the side by which side the handle is on when the door opens towards itself; still others focus on which side the hinges are on when standing outside... All these methods help determine the directions of the doors correctly. But the problem is that abroad it is customary to set the direction differently, hence the confusion with imported components. To avoid confusion, check the location of locks and hinges with the manager.

There is GOST 31173-2003, which clearly states that door block left (right) opening, this is a block with left (right) hinges on the side of the door opening. This is how other regulatory documents (Fire Standards, Sanitary Standards) determine the direction of door opening.

When designing buildings, the opening of doors is taken into account: it must be convenient (so that there is no blocking when opening at the same time), as well as safe. Door designs public use, such as the entrance to the entrance, should open exclusively outward, so as not to complicate the evacuation of people in case of danger. The front door to the house should also swing open from itself, although this rule is often neglected when neighboring doors are located too close and block each other. Interior doors can be opened in any way; there are no strict regulations. The main thing is to have free space for plowing.

How to find out the direction of the door during installation

Thus, all doors are divided into left and right and equipped with hinges and locks in accordance with this. To find out exactly which side the door will open on, you need to:

• Stand facing the door on the side where it will open towards you;
• If the hinges are on the right and the door is opened with the left hand, it is a right-handed model.
• If the hinges are on the left, and the door is swung open with the right hand, it is a left-handed door.

If the doors open away from you, then the handle on the right means that the door is right-handed, and if the handle is on the left, it means the door is left-handed.

It is important that different doors not interchangeable!

How to choose the right locks

Many people face this problem: they needed mortise locks for their doors, but after purchasing them it turns out that opening and closing the lock is impossible, since the bevels on the tongues point in the other direction.

In order to avoid such troubles, you need to establish in advance, using the method described above, which doors the locks are intended for.

• If it is not possible to do this for some reason, you can simply ask the store for a universal lock. In such models, the lock tongue turns over: by pressing the pawl and pushing it deep, you can turn it 180 degrees through the side holes, after which the latch takes the desired position. The problem with right/left doors thus disappears.
• Cylinder locks are not divided into opening sides, but, unfortunately, not all locks can be adjusted to the type of door; many of them are also divided depending on the mounting side.
• Level lock: from turning it over, due to special design features, it is recommended to abstain. To find out if you are left- or right-handed lever lock, you need to turn the key towards the nearest jamb; if the lock closes, it is installed correctly. If the lock closes by rotating away from the jamb, it is installed incorrectly. Wrong installed lock It will be impossible to open (close) with your own key if at least one spring that returns the levers fails.

The problem of installing locks does not apply to standard, mass-produced entrance doors, because they are always sold with locks installed in accordance with regulations.

How to choose the right loops

If most locks are universal, then universal hinges, although they exist, are not always suitable. Non-separable universal hinges make the process of removing doors from their hinges very problematic, so they are used infrequently. When purchasing right and left hinge options, it is better to contact to a good seller, which will help you identify them correctly.

Thus, when choosing the right and left sides for opening a door, you need to remember that it must not only comply with safety rules and be comfortable, but also have a special set of fittings corresponding to its side.

Before purchasing a door, it is advisable to determine which door will be needed for a particular case - left or right. Such features are taken into account when choosing a design and fittings, but people always confuse the exact meaning of these names. Therefore, it is important to know the differences between the left door and the right one before purchasing.

What does left and right door mean?

When choosing a door design, many features are taken into account: material, design, dimensions. The direction of opening the blade is also important, because ease of use depends on it. According to the “Fire Safety Standards” and SNiP 21–01–97 on fire safety standards, doors are divided into two types: left and right. They are determined by the way they function in the room.

The direction of door opening is important when choosing a design

Entrance and interior doors are subject to certain requirements regarding the direction of movement.

Entrance doors should only open outwards, so that in emergency situations you can quickly leave the premises. However, in modern houses mounted double design, where one canvas opens inside the apartment, and the second - outside. And for interiors it’s more important convenient location opening door.

Therefore, determining the desired opening direction will help you figure out what kind of door you need to purchase. But when choosing a foreign design, you will have to take into account that the understanding of right and left doors in Russia and European countries is opposite. If, according to Russian standards, the left is the door that is opened with the left hand towards oneself, then in Europe the left is the door that is pushed away from oneself with the left hand.

Photo gallery: types of doors of different opening types

Doors in one apartment can be of the same type in the opening direction The door option is determined depending on ease of use Two right doors opening in different directions can be located side by side The door at the corner of the wall is placed so that it does not need to be walked around The ease of use of the left and right doors is the same

Differences between the right door and the left one

The only difference between the right and left doors is which side of the door leaf the hinges are attached to, and which side the handle with the lock is attached to. Moreover, you need to understand that the design of the hinges, handles and locks themselves will also depend on the direction of movement of the door leaf. On the right door you will need to install right hinges and a handle adapted for the right hand.

Under new door it is important to choose the right fittings

You can use universal one-piece hinges, for which there is no difference in installation. But they are not very convenient when you urgently need to remove the door to free up the passage.

It is better to mount the door on removable hinges, which are also divided into right and left. Their name is determined by the position of the part without a pin when opening the hinge by hand: if the part without a vertical pin is on the right, then this is a right hinge, it is suitable for a right door. Because the part without a pin is attached to door leaf, and with a pin - on the door frame.

If fittings and components were purchased in advance without taking into account the opening direction, then they may not be suitable for the desired option designs.

Basic safety requirements

Before installing a door structure, you need to pay attention not only to its type in the direction of opening, but also to its compliance with installation safety standards. This will allow you to choose a convenient product that will be practical in use. The basic requirements for the door and its location are expressed as follows:

• if it opens to the side narrow corridor, then the gap between the open canvas and the wall should not be less than 60 cm;
• opening width for entrance structure should not be less than 90 cm, and for interior - less than 80 cm;
• the door in the bathroom or toilet should only open outward;
• if the front door opens towards the stairs, then the distance between open door and the nearest step is at least 150 cm;
• the front door is considered an evacuation door, so in case of danger it should not impede the movement of people to the street;
• an open door inside the house should not interfere with free passage around the room.

Doors are installed according to safety requirements and room layout

Therefore, when choosing a door, it is worth considering the direction of movement and the size of the structure itself. Manufacturers provide a wide selection of models, so choose the right door simple enough.

Video: features of choosing interior doors

How to determine the type of door

There is often confusion in determining the type of door, because it can be right or left in relation to different objects. Therefore, manufacturers have outlined an accurate method to find out which door is installed in the room.

To do this, you need to stand facing the structure and open the canvas towards you. If, with this opening, the hinges are located on the right, then the door is right-handed. This method is standard for doors manufactured and purchased in Russia.

Video: how to easily determine the type of door

And if we take into account the direction of movement of the door away from us, then our right door, according to European standards, will be called left. On display specialty stores doors installed outer side to the buyer, which makes the choice easier.

Depending on the location of the loops and handles, the type of fabric is recognized

It is worth considering that moving a door from one place indicated on the plan of an apartment or house to another is considered redevelopment and requires approval from the relevant authorities.

Determining the door opening direction is easy, but it is also important to take into account the current standards and regulations. This is true for both interior and entrance doors made of any materials.

When ordering a door, you need to know which way it will open. The door opening direction is determined when you stand, opening the door towards you.

Left or right door opening?

Right door opening - when opening the door towards you, the door hinges remain on the right, and door handle left. The door can be opened with your right hand.

Left door opening - when opening the door towards you, the hinges of the left-hand door remain on the left, and the door handle on the right. The door can be opened with your left hand.

Not all doors have a universal opening direction. Models whose opening direction needs to be specified when ordering are marked in our catalogs and on the website with the “HAND” icon.

Always check the opening direction when choosing the following doors

• fire-fighting
• external
• balcony

Interior door opening direction

A universal rebated door is a door that can be installed with either right or left opening. When placing an order for asymmetrical rebated doors, you must indicate the desired direction of door opening. Asymmetrical rebated doors, for which it is necessary to select an orientation, are marked in our catalog with the “HAND” pictogram

Which door is symmetrical and which is asymmetrical?
A door is symmetrical if its parts, relative to the axis of symmetry, are absolutely identical. Thus, in the case of a symmetrical door, there is no difference which of the horizontal edges of the door will face the floor and which will face the horizontal part of the door frame.

For a symmetrical rebated door, the lock is installed for right-hand opening. In order to change the opening direction to the left, you need to change the direction of the lock.

Changing the direction of the interior door lock with rebate

The direction of the interior door lock can be changed very easily.

Interior doors with straight edge have a universal opening direction, i.e. the same door can be installed on both the right and left sides.

All interior straight edge glass doors, by default, are made left-handed and the smooth side of the glass faces the door opener.

Interior doors with straight edges are equipped with Snap-in hinges; to change direction, rotate the door about the horizontal axis and place it on door frame the hinge tongue into the hinge hole on the door leaf.

To change the direction of the lock on a straight edge door, pull out the tab and turn it 180º! In this case, the lock does not need to be removed from the recess!

The interior doors have a 2014 lock. You can use a key for the lock (included) or a latch (lock for WC). Buy the latch complete with the handle!

Changing the opening direction of sauna doors and glass doors.

Sauna doors and glass spa doors (except for Oksa and Ornament models) are supplied with a right-hand opening direction (the frame is assembled for a right-handed door). For sauna doors and glass SPA doors with universal orientation, by dismantling the frame and assembling it with the left opening direction, you can change the opening direction.