install French doors "backwards" ?

[Shovelhead]

Going to use prehung 72x80 French doors inside my shop, to a framed in room inside the metal building.
Looks like I have to use exterior doors. I want them to swing out into the shop, not into the room.

Having a helluva time finding outswing units and the few I've found are way more expensive than an inswing, and they have to be ordered.
I am overlooking something or can I simply reverse a right hand inswing and magically make it a right hand outswing??

Thanks

 

[mike93lx]

I'm confused. If it is interior, does it matter? Install it whichever way works for your application

 

[Shovelhead]

I'm confused too. Kinda. I do not think it matters.
I'm pretty certain I can install it that way. Just seeing if there might be any good reason not to. Maybe something to do with the walls, or final appearance. I know the "threshold" would be facing inside and the hinges on the outside.

 

[mike93lx]

Since it is interior, I'd be tempted to knock off the threshold and leave the floor clear. Having something to step over will be a PIA if the floors are the same level

 

[PoorUB]

I'm confused too. Kinda. I do not think it matters.
I'm pretty certain I can install it that way. Just seeing if there might be any good reason not to. Maybe something to do with the walls, or final appearance. I know the "threshold" would be facing inside and the hinges on the outside.

Beings both sides are "indoors" Mount it the way you want too.

Like the other comment, I think I would knock off the threshold, and perhaps cut the jamb down for maybe 1/2" clearance from the fllor and put a sweep of some sort. Then you are not ripping over the threashold.

 

[Shovelhead]

Ya'll are right about that. Something I been trying to figger out, that would do away with the threshold but a way to get a good seal. The room will be air conditioned.

Thought about a type of door sweep but any I've jacked with to make seal good are a pain in the *** to open and close. Dragging and squealing like a baby bird.

So I'm still searching.

Stuff an old blanket under there ever time you come in like we had to do at grannys old place. LOL

 

[firebirdparts]

Just leave it on. It’ll be fine.

 

[mike93lx]

Ya'll are right about that. Something I been trying to figger out, that would do away with the threshold but a way to get a good seal. The room will be air conditioned.

Thought about a type of door sweep but any I've jacked with to make seal good are a pain in the *** to open and close. Dragging and squealing like a baby bird.

So I'm still searching.

Stuff an old blanket under there ever time you come in like we had to do at grannys old place. LOL

I used a flip down seal for a door in my garage. It's spring loaded so it goes up when the door is open and flips down when closed. It's not a perfect seal but it was the best I could do with an unleveled floor and wanting to have no threshold

 

[paredown]

I picked up a pair of outswing french doors to use when I closed in the garage door opening (long story). Since they were out of the frame, I reframed them and picked up a low wide commercial threshold, rather than something more like the stock one that you could never roll anything over.

Hadn't thought of a flip down mechanism--that sounds pretty field-ready!

 

[240sxguy]

I have the door to my garage from my house installed "backwards" with the threshold inside. It's fine. Remove the brickmould and install trim.

 

[The Cobbler]

as said, you can hang them any way you want.
I do agree on knocking off the threshold . I would add a commercial aluminum handicap threshold and cut the frame down to compensate for the lower sill height https://www.hitechglazing.com/ca/en...threshold-1-4-for-mobility-challenged/1036184

 

[ZRX61]

How is this even a question? The doors are going in a wall between two rooms. Just install it so the doors swing the way you want.

 

[Rusted Nut]

If it’s inside and out of the weather, you can install them any way you want. If it’s exterior or exposed to wEsther, installing them backwards would cause leaks.

 

[juddspaintballs]

Going to use prehung 72x80 French doors inside my shop, to a framed in room inside the metal building.
Looks like I have to use exterior doors. I want them to swing out into the shop, not into the room.

Having a helluva time finding outswing units and the few I've found are way more expensive than an inswing, and they have to be ordered.
I am overlooking something or can I simply reverse a right hand inswing and magically make it a right hand outswing??

Thanks

You've got the right idea except if you turn the right hand inswing around so it's an outswing, it's a left hand outswing instead. If you want right hand outswing, get a left hand inswing.

 

[Renegade1LI]

If it was me, I'd build a frame for two 36" blanks, weatherstrip & add a sweep to each door.

 

[Walkers]

If you have to have a sweep, just install an automatic spring loaded sweep. You can surface mount or mortise them. When the door closes it pushes the sweep portion down. They don't drag when you open the door.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Are you going to be rolling anything from one side to the other where the threshold might get in the way ? Like an engine stand ?

That may be a good reason to remove the threshold.

 

[stonesfan68]

Is there a reason that you’re using French doors? Why not get a pair of doors with windows and install them as pocket doors, or even use a barn door arrangement.

 

[Voi]

I ordered a french door for the 6' opening from my shop into my main garage. I specified an ADA threshold to make it easier to roll things in and out. I assumed I would cut it out eventually but so far it hasn't been a problem. I did roll my 54" stacked tool box over it with no isssue.

I specified outswing doors as well so the doors would be flush with the garage side of the opening.

 

[Joemctag]

Just leave it on. It’ll be fine.

It holds the jambs the right width. Plus, isn’t it what makes the seal at the bottom along with a built-in or added sweep?

 

[mike93lx]

It holds the jambs the right width. Plus, isn’t it what makes the seal at the bottom along with a built-in or added sweep?

Mounting the jambs in the rough opening properly will hold them to the right dimension just fine.

In am indoor application, a great air seal likely isn't critical anyway

I hate trip hazards, so there would be no benefit to keeping it in my eyes

 

[PoorUB]

It holds the jambs the right width. Plus, isn’t it what makes the seal at the bottom along with a built-in or added sweep?

Mounting the jambs in the rough opening properly will hold them to the right dimension just fine.

In am indoor application, a great air seal likely isn't critical anyway

I hate trip hazards, so there would be no benefit to keeping it in my eyes

No reason to keep the theashold in place, at least IMO! Mounting the door jamb in place might be easier with it, but the down side to me says it needs to go away. It would be gone in a heartbeat. I would want it easy to roll tool boxes from one area to the other, or and engine stand.

 

[Shovelhead]

If you have to have a sweep, just install an automatic spring loaded sweep. You can surface mount or mortise them. When the door closes it pushes the sweep portion down. They don't drag when you open the door.

That sounds pretty slick. Thanks

 

[Shovelhead]

Most likely thing to be rolled in to that room will be a motorcycle table lift and motorcycles. Scooters no problem rolling over a threshold but the lift would ****.
The room is 16x30 framed inside a 42x54 metal building.

Keeping the AC in the room is top priority.

 

[Voi]

Most likely thing to be rolled in to that room will be a motorcycle table lift and motorcycles. Scooters no problem rolling over a threshold but the lift would ****.
The room is 16x30 framed inside a 42x54 metal building.

Keeping the AC in the room is top priority.

I'll try to take a picture of how low the ADA threshold is on the door I mentioned earlier. Like I said, my double stacked 54" Homak went over it no problem.

 

[mike93lx]

If the floor is continuous, no threshold at all is needed.

I used a commercial saddle threshold for my garage man door, but I needed to cover a gap between the interior and exterior floors.

Pemko makes a bunch of door seal options. If you don't cut the jambs, it should leave enough room to get something that mounts to the bottom of the door and doesn't require mortising it.