It is VERY inconsistent.

I've been in older (pre 1930's) homes with both in-ies and out-ies.

I've been in new construction - again, homes and apts/condos at all price levels - with both kinds of doors, whether single or double.

Even including those built post 1999 to Miami-Dade building codes (they have the strictest building codes, enacted after Andrew, and builders in Broward and Palm Beach counties will often use that as part of their marketing spiel - "up to MaimiDade code standards" ).

I just found this. Interesting about the doors in home in the north.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...4134132AAnjQK0
Makes perfect sense.

All of the doors I've seen open INWARDS. This way when the door is closed, the hinges are hidden and can not be removed to take out the door. On the inside of my front door, when closed I can take a hammer and knock out the two hinges and the door can then be removed from the inside, not the outside.
Perhaps they now have special hinges that are on the inside as well as letting the door open outwards.

That just makes sense. Gaters and hurricanes. :-)

I didn't know some of the doors in houses in Florida opened out. We built our home here in 2002 and the doors open in. Go Figure. :)

if it opens outward that means the hinges are on the outside. maybe they have no crime there....

That is exactly what my husband wondered. The hinges would be on the outside, and anyone could remove the pins and remove the door :shock: :shock: :shock:

Our outside doors open to the outside and our inside doors open to the inside; eg, porch door opens to the outside, living room or hall door opens to the inside. All the room doors open to the inside also! Now, I am going to wonder about this all day long. Thank you very much!!!!!!!!!!!! Edie

But why don't ALL the doors on the stalls in all the ladies room open OUT? The handicap ones open out - why not all of them?

Now that is a good question! Some are so small you have to stand on the comode to close the door!!!!

After a night club fire in 1949 in Boston, all doors in public places in Massachusettes are supposed to open out. People piled up at the door, but could not open it in because of the pressure from the crowd trying to get out. Unfortunately, this has not been adopted nationally/internationally and the tragedy repeats. So, private homes, open in for protection; public open out to allow for safe exit.