"Handing" of doors, very basic question.

[Richard_C]

I was about to order a new ledged and braced Suffolk style door for the side door of my garage, the one on there is gently rotting after 35 years. Its an odd size, but having found the almost-right size which can be trimmed within the max-min recommended by the supplier the website asked me left hung or right hung, with no helpful guidance. I'm sure there is a simple rule but I've never done this before.

If I stand outside, the hinges are on the right.
If I stand inside the hinges are on the left.

So which is it?

 

[Ollie78]

The reason they ask is because the braces must have the bottom at the hinge side in order to actually brace against gravity.
The side that matters is the brace side which would to my mind be the inside of the door. Maybe take a picture and send them that to confirm everyone is on the same page.

Ollie

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Face the door ready to open away from you.
Open it and if it swings away in a clockwise direction (hinges on your right side) it's right hand.
Open and it swings away from you anti-clockwise (hinges to your left side), it's left hung.
There other ways of working out a door's handedness, but that's the way I do it.

That's the basics, but it can get a bit more complex if you need to order an entry door and frame and you have to specify 'inswing' or 'outswing'. There's a bit more at this link. Slainte.

 

[Fitzroy]

Agree with Olly. For a ledged and braced door the brace should run from the edge opposite the hinge to the hinge edge. The ledges will be inside the door so you’ll be viewing the door from outside, so your door will be hung on the right.

 

[Sgian Dubh]

For a ledged and braced door the brace should run from the edge opposite the hinge to the hinge edge.

I suspect a small brain burp there - we all experience them from time to time. I think you've inadvertently reversed the position of the brace(s), which normally start near the bottom of the door on the hinge side and rise upwards at an angle towards the door's top outer corner. Slainte.

 

[Sporky McGuffin]

Maybe take a picture and send them that to confirm everyone is on the same page.

Very much this - avoid any doubt and you'll avoid that horrible realisation that you meant "my right, with outswingyness", but they read "the door's right, inswingy counterwiddershins".

 

[doctor Bob]

Very much this - avoid any doubt and you'll avoid that horrible realisation that you meant "my right, with outswingyness", but they read "the door's right, inswingy counterwiddershins".

Makes perfect senseificationenenessables to me.

 

[Phill05]

Simple rule:
You always look from the braced side of the door to decide if left or right, if brace starts out bottom right that is where you fit the hinge (so that makes it a Right hung door)

Just had this discussion with my sisters workmen two different fitters and both did not know how to hang the braced doors, I explained hold your arm out and after a short while it droops down put a broom at your foot and put your outstretched arm/ hand on the shaft and you could stand there all day if you want it is braced "but you don't get paid"

Edit: added words

 

[Fitzroy]

I suspect a small brain burp there - we all experience them from time to time. I think you've inadvertently reversed the position of the brace(s), which normally start near the bottom of the door on the hinge side and rise upwards at an angle towards the door's top outer corner. Slainte.

It's amazing how easy it is to not be clear in writing compared to what you are thinking. I was working from door top to door bottom in my head, but never stated such.

 

[Doug71]

Definitely one of those times when even just a quick back of a fag packet type sketch can save a lot of problems and confusion.

I have always understood that you should quote the handing looking from the outside of the building or outside the room if it's internal as in Richards link but some people always quote it looking from the side of the door where you can see the hinges

 

[hlvd]

You’d be looking at the door from the hinge side with ledges and braces showing when referring to which side a door is hung.

 

[mondo]

Concerning door handing. In the US there are two methods of determining the hand of a door. The first is the glazier's method. In that you put your back to the hinge jamb If the door opens to your right, it's a right hand door , to the left it's a left hand. The second method is the one the carpenters use which takes as standard that all doors open into the living space. IN that method you stand outside looking at the door, if the hinges are on the right and the door swings in, its a right hand door, if the hinges are on the right and the door swings out, its a right hand reverse and the same for hinges on the left. The manufacturer should provide a chart that shows which methodology they are using. If not, I would tell them that looking from the outside it's a hinge left inswing or outswing as the case may be and have them send you a confirmation that should indicate which method they are using.

 

[Richard_C]

And I thought there would be a simple answer. Will send them a sketch as suggested, can't do that via the ordering bit but there is a customer service email, and at the same time I might ask if their website was designed by a UK carpenter or an American glazier

Thanks all.