DIY Message Boards
to change a door from in to out

This topic can be found at:
http://boards.diynetwork.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/1491013504/m/6573939267

Sep 12, 2012, 09:02 AM
suzansay
to change a door from in to out
hello, I have a bathroom door that opens in and I want to change it were it opens out,,HOW do I do this, thanks for any help
Sep 12, 2012, 05:58 PM
swschrad
I think there's a code requirement that doors open into a room from hallways and common areas for safer evacuation. also, doors never open onto stairways, but they can onto landings on stairways.

so you cannot legally open the door out into the hall.

you may well be able to open some wall, use a pocket door kit, and make the door slide into the wall, so it doesn't block anything. particularly if you have a load-bearing wall, that takes a little work. but if you don't have wiring, plumbing, or similar stuff in the hallway wall, this could be an option.


sig: if this is a new economy, how come they still want my old-fashioned money?
Sep 16, 2012, 06:34 AM
ron45
Take the trim off both sides of the door jam. Use a saws-all and cut the nails that holds the door jam to the studs in the rough opening. Simply spin the whole assembly around (Jam/Door) and re attach using the same method that exist now. Be sure to use a level on the hinge side, the rest should be nailed according to the reveal of the door.
Oct 29, 2012, 11:47 PM
Ordered
What Ron said is about the only way to do it. It's not really hard but it is time consuming. I'm assuming you took into consideration what happens to the walking room in the hall once you turn the door around?
Nov 14, 2012, 06:59 PM
AZ Janitor
swschrad's suggestion of a pocket door is a good one. It saves space both in the bathroom and the hallway.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: AZ Janitor,
Nov 16, 2012, 10:07 AM
Frodo
before i cut into a wall to install a pocket door
i would take the baseboard off, and cut a hole in the sheetrock,[inspection hole] where the baseboard can cover it
to look inside the wall for wires or plumbing pipes
if not, installing the pocketdoor could get expensive real quick
bathroom walls are notorious for having pipes in them Cool
frodo