How to Identify Right & Left Hinged Doors

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There are a few ways you can determine door-hinge direction.

Hinges are mechanisms that allow doors to open and close. The hinges support the door and provide a swinging action. They come in different styles and finishes to accent home decor. Identifying whether a door is right or left-hinged is important for installation. There are a few ways you can tell the direction of a door hinge. This includes the door's swing, hinge placement and knob location. After determining the hinge direction, you will know where to re-install an existing door or where to install a new door.

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Step 1

Stand on the side of the door that swings away from you.

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Step 2

Close the door.

Step 3

Open the door and observe which direction the door swings toward.

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Step 4

Identify the door hinge. If the door swings to the right when you open it, it is a right-hinged door. If the door swings to the left when you open it, it is a left-hinged door.

Step 5

Observe the door casing. This is the framing the door hinges are mounted to. Left-hinged doors have the hinges on the left of the casing while right-hinged have the hinges on the right.

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Step 6

Look at the knob. The knob is typically placed on the side of the door opposite the hinge direction. For example, a right-hinged door will have the knob on the left side of the door. A left-hinged door will typically have the knob on the right side of the door.

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