If you have a compact entrance hall like I do at my home then you may have experienced the same issues with opening your front door inwards, making a compact space a very tight space. I have often wondered why front doors open inwards. Whenever we have more than a couple of people round to our house we have an awkward stand-off as we try to welcome people in and they shuffle about trying to take their shoes off and make their way into the house. If you add babies and car seats into the mix, it can become a real issue.
So, now I am wondering why doesn't the door open outwards? This would at least allow that little bit of extra space that would be a great bonus for us.
One explanation that I have uncovered relates to protecting your door and the interior of your home from weather conditions outside. An inward opening door will be less affected by rain and water ingress so your door will stay stronger for longer and you will avoid dripping mucky rain water all over your carpets in your home. If there is snow or an obstruction on the outside of the door, it will still be possible to open the door with an inward facing door while this would not be possible otherwise. Maybe there is an argument that there is less heat loss with an inward opening door, also you are less likely to get a gust of wind that will slam the door open or shut.
You will however find that doors with disability access usually have an outward opening facility to aid wheelchair access. Bifolding doors which open outwards towards a wheelchair user can also be very useful due to the narrow leaves of the door making it easier to use.
Whilst writing this I have discovered that not all main doors do open inwards and some public buildings often feature outward opening doors, though often they are under a canopy or within a more closed area. However, more often than not our homes in the UK, at least, have doors that open inwards, despite the space restrictions this can cause.
If interested in a Bespoke, extra wide folding internal door contact Doorsan sales team and ask for a quotation on a specialist folding internal door.