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sousvide23

Flipping a door swing

sousvide23
13 years ago

Hi all, we just moved into our house and we noticed that the door that goes from our laundry room into our garage opens outwards (into the garage) left to right. When open, it:

a) hits the car parked there rendering that parking spot useless

b) conceals the garage door opener and light switch - I essentially have to open the door, step into the garage, close the door to turn on the light and/or open the garage.

I've attached a picture which would better explain what I want to do.

I can see why the old owners switched the swing of the door from inside to outside - they got a new washer and dryer and the inside swing would hit the dryer. So they made it swing outside in the opposite direction. But it's completely made useless the garage space and access to the light switch and opener. I need to switch it back to the inside BUT int he opposite direction (flip the door upside down and inside).

Can this be done? I'm thinking of removing and flipping both inside and outside trim, flip the threshold and flip the door.

Thanks in advance!

Comments (15)

  • mag77
    13 years ago

    It'll probably make more sense to replace the door rather than convert it from right hand to left hand. A plain, pre-hung entry door is around $120. Donate the old door to Habitat. I like fiberglass doors - tough, no warping - and this would be a perfect place for one.

    John

  • snoonyb
    13 years ago

    Doors and jambs between attached garages and houses, as an assembly are required to be fire rated and self closing.

  • handymac
    13 years ago

    Can be done.

    You will need to change the hinge locations to the other side of the door. Not to the latch side, but to what is now the inside of the door. That is done by removing the remaining material at each hinge location and flipping how the hinges are mounted.

    You will have to reverse the door stop trim---the part that stops the door on the jambs.

    And you will need to move and reverse the striker plate.

    The switch will leave holes in the hinge side of the door and the hinge side of the jamb. There will be a hole where the striker plate was as well. Those holes will need to be filled and painted/covered with varnish.

  • macv
    13 years ago

    Codes that require doors and jambs between attached garages and houses, as an assembly, to be fire rated and self closing are very rare if they exist at all.

    The usual requirement is for the door to be 1 3/8" wood solid core, 1 3/8" solid or honeycomb steel, or 20-minute fire rated with no requirement for automatic closing or for rated frames and hardware. It would be pointless to protect a door opening more than the wall it penetrates.

    As far as the best door strategy, I would ask a carpenter which would be cheaper and go with his recommendation; there are too many possible variables for us to be able to say which is best.

  • snoonyb
    13 years ago

    Here we go again:

    "Codes that require doors and jambs between attached garages and houses, as an assembly, to be fire rated and self closing are very rare if they exist at all."

    And then this:
    "The usual requirement is for the door to be 1 3/8" wood solid core, 1 3/8" solid or honeycomb steel, or 20-minute fire rated with no requirement for automatic closing or for rated frames and hardware."

    Do you proof read, or just say stuff.

    Its actually a code requirement here on the truly left coast and the reason the door and jamb are treated as an assembly is the gasket, tight fitting threshold and door bottom. The closing device can be spring loaded hinges or a typical cylinder.

  • macv
    13 years ago

    If you are talking about California you should say so because the code there is not used anywhere else and, at any rate, the OP lives in Canada.

  • sierraeast
    13 years ago

    "It would be pointless to protect a door opening more than the wall it penetrates".

    And that's one of the codes here in California that just aren't common sense. It is required out here to have a rated door solid core with a returning spring hinge for an attached garage. We are also required to have them up in our finished attic for the knee wall doors leading into unfinished side attic spaces. In the event of fire, yeah why not have a rated door and all, but in the grand scheme of things and depending on the fire type, the wall is going to go before the opening/door anyhow even when the wall is treated with type x 5/8" rock. One of those codes that doesn't make a lot of senese!

  • sombreuil_mongrel
    13 years ago

    If the present door is an outward-opening exterior door unit, it would not be possible to reverse it, because the door saddle will be on the wrong side. If it was an inswinging exterior door installed backwards, and the door is not metal, then it probably could be reversed. If the opening is a simple wooden jamb and door (like any other interior door) then it would be easiest of all to flip the swing.
    But it would be wiser still to upgrade to a metal door with a self-closer and increase the fire safety, and security.
    Casey

  • snoonyb
    13 years ago

    "sierraeast"

    And would you be the insurance underwriter if that code did not exist?

  • macv
    13 years ago

    It is my understanding that the National Building Code of Canada exempts a single family dwelling from any requirement for a fire-rated separation between an attached garage and the dwelling but the common wall must have an air barrier to contain gas and exhaust fumes and any door in that barrier must be tight-fitting and weatherstripped and have a self-closing device.

    These requirements are essentially what American codes call smoke barriers and smoke doors although residential codes rarely use those terms.

    In my experience, insurance companies have little or no interest in such matters and I suspect Canadian building officials are not interested in the requirements in California.

  • snoonyb
    13 years ago

    macv (My Page) on Fri, Jul 16, 10 at 9:53
    "In my experience, insurance companies have little or no interest in such matters"

    And when a certificate of occupancy is denied, what is there to protect the loss from?

    "and I suspect Canadian building officials are not interested in the requirements in California."

    Regardless, yet your assertion of "macv (My Page) on Thu, Jul 15, 10 at 12:07
    If you are talking about California you should say so because the code there is not used anywhere else and, at any rate, the OP lives in Canada."

    So does Canada qualify as "anywhere else"?

    So instead of making a blanket assertion, my comment was a generalization designed specifically to key intreats, by the OP, to check the requirement, to accomplish the task correctly the first time, rather than to possibly have to correct it later, by fiat.

  • macv
    13 years ago

    "Doors and jambs between attached garages and houses, as an assembly are required to be fire rated and self closing."

    This is simply incorrect and misleading information that needed to be corrected.

  • snoonyb
    13 years ago

    " macv (My Page) on Sat, Jul 17, 10 at 15:54
    This is simply incorrect and misleading information that needed to be corrected."

    And yet again, this.

    "macv (My Page) on Fri, Jul 16, 10 at 9:53
    any door in that barrier must be tight-fitting and weatherstripped and have a self-closing device."

    Do you comprehend the concept of an assembly?

    So does Canada qualify as "anywhere else"?

  • macv
    13 years ago

    I don't know what you are talking about.

    It was wrong to tell the OP that the door "assembly" has to be fire-rated.

    Get over it.

  • snoonyb
    13 years ago

    I know you don't, by your responce(s).

    On line dictionery is free.

    Assembly will be near the front.

    And by the way;"So does Canada qualify as "anywhere else"?"

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