Like opening outwards instead of inwards, the frame would face the opposite way and be (I assume) harder to break inwards
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Which way the door faces does affect its overall strength, but realistically this is pretty irrelevant for anything but a secure door in something like a prison.
Speaking as someone with experience in installing secure doors, a common door lock (mag lock, or key lock) has a breaking force less than 75 foot pounds, meaning that you can easily kick the door in.
A suitably motivated person with a universal key (an axe) can open a wooden door in a few seconds.
SWAT teams will often carry Sledgehammers or a dynamic hammer (a large sand filled deadblow) and with one swing can blow a normal door off its hinges like it was paper. Similarly they can carry shotguns with Haton rounds (plastic slugs) that can blow even an armored door off its hinges in a few seconds.
The exterior hinges could also become a weak point.
A few second with a battery powered angle grinder could defeat security pins designed for outdoor use. Although at that point might as well kick in a window instead.
I don’t know that smashing down a door is as common of a way people break into houses compared to defeating or bypassing the lock somehow. That’s certainly a lot easier to do without people hearing or noticing much. Another thing about an outward swinging front door is that the hinges are now on the outside. There are security pins that can’t be easily removed, but it’s better to not even let attackers get access to a potential weak point.
That’s why building code states that you need to have them facing inward on residential buildings. So that firefighters and police can break your door down if necessary.
It’s also why commercial buildings have doors opening outward, so that is easier to break out of if you’re trapped inside.
Canadian here, that’s how it works where I live.
As others have mentioned it doesn’t make it significantly more secure, but the security of the door is not the only concern. A door that opens outward is much easier to barricade from the outside, intentionally or unintentionally.
Doors opening outwards is pretty much the standard in Finland. So it can definitely be done.
The hinge has [pins](https://i.imgur.com/Xm9cOPg.jpg) on it so the door shouldn’t be able to be pulled out even if you cut the external part of the hinge.
If burglar has plan to kick the door in they will most likely be willing to instead kick the window in. So I doubt it is major security difference.
I believe code in South Florida is that all doors must open outwards, for this reason. Its stronger, and better security in a hurricane.
It will make it stronger if someone trying to kick it in. But that’s not normally the deciding factor for the builder. Convenience and practicality usually comes first. Also opening outwards is better for weatherproofing too.
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