Out swing patio doors

[billwmeyer]

I am wanting to replace a set of double windows with a set of outswing patio doors. My problem is that I can get a set of 5' inswing patio doors for about $300, but the outswing doors are special order and run about $1200! Does anyone have an economical online source? All my searches seem to end up with a contact us number, and I don't want to haggle with sales people.

Is it possible to reverse the inswing doors to outswing doors?
Thanks!
Bill

[LarryG]

Is it possible to reverse the inswing doors to outswing doors?

Anything's possible if you throw enough time and money at it.

If the installation location is under cover (patio/porch roof or whatever), you could possibly make it work, but if the doors are exposed directly to weather, that $1200 might start to look pretty cheap. The weatherstripping and, especially, the threshold would be the two main issues to deal with in order to reverse the swings. The heads and jambs might be pretty easy but depending on how the threshold is made you might not be able to turn it around at all.

Ideally you'd also need to change to NRP hinges, for security reasons.

All this assumes, of course, that the doors aren't constructed such that the interior and exterior sides must go where the manufacturer intended (i.e., interior side is wood and exterior is clad).

[wardprobst]

Bill,

We have an outlet here called Builder's Wholesale, I bought two sets of outswing patio doors. They were special order and ran about $500. I think you may have to try your local equivalent as I had no luck locating these online either.
HTH,
DP

[billwmeyer]

Thanks Larry and HTH!

My doors would be under a porch, so moisture would not be a problem. You make a great point on the hinges! Where I live, all I have are local lumberyards, Lowes, and Home depot. I have checked these and that is where I got my high estimates. I could live with the $500 option but $1200 means that I just replace the windows with other windows.

Thanks again.

Bill

[Curly Qsawn]

Upcoming Sales?

Bill,
If your not in a big hurry, Home Depot had a sale on special order doors last Jan/Feb timeframe. They may do it again next year in that timeframe.

[crokett]

Bill,

Find a commercial building supply place and call them. When I was looking for a 3 panel french door unit to replace a garage door I got quotes from Lowes and some commercial places. Lowes wanted 1500.00 and over two weeks to get the door to the store. Delivery to my house would be extra. A commercial place delivered it to my house 4 days after I called for a little more than half the cost of lowes.

[billwmeyer]

Thanks Curly and Crockett!

I am running out of time this year anyway, I may wait and see if HD does that. I wll also check and see if there is any kind of commercial dealers around here. There might be something in Joplin, or I may have to go to KC,
Tulsa, or Springfield, Mo. I don't live by any metro area, but I have several that I can drive to.

Bill

[crokett]

One more tip - go to Lowes or HD and figure out what you want first. The building supply places don't really have a showroom so you have to know what you want when you call. What we did was go to Lowes and they designed the door and showed us what it would look like on computer. That way LOML could get the number of lights she wanted, color, trim, etc. I took the printout with me to do some price checking. At the time I did not expect the price difference to be as big as it was.

[billwmeyer]

Thanks! That is a good tip.
Bill