Should basement bedroom doors swing in or out?

Basement bedroom doors should swing into the bedroom (inward), not out into the hallway or common area. This is the standard practice for bedrooms and is required by the Ontario Building Code for safety and functionality reasons.

Safety and Code Requirements

The Ontario Building Code requires bedroom doors to swing inward for several critical safety reasons. In an emergency situation, occupants need to be able to quickly exit the room, and an inward-swinging door ensures that if someone collapses against the door from inside, emergency responders can still access the room from the hallway. Additionally, doors swinging into hallways create obstacles for emergency egress from other parts of the basement.

For basement bedrooms that are part of a secondary dwelling unit or rental suite, this becomes even more important. The door swing direction affects your building permit approval and final inspection. City of Ottawa inspectors specifically check door swing directions as part of their safety review, and getting this wrong can delay your occupancy permit.

Practical Considerations

Beyond code requirements, inward-swinging doors simply work better functionally. They don't block hallway traffic, prevent interference with other doors in narrow basement corridors, and allow for better furniture placement within the bedroom. In Ottawa's typical basement layouts, where hallways are often narrower than main floor corridors, outward-swinging doors would create significant traffic flow problems.

Special Situations

The only exception might be if you're dealing with an extremely small bedroom where door swing interferes with bed placement, but even then, you'd need to work with your designer to find alternative solutions like pocket doors or barn doors, while still meeting egress requirements. For basement bedrooms, you'll also need proper egress windows - these must open outward and meet specific size requirements for emergency exit.

Professional Installation

While hanging a door might seem straightforward, basement bedroom installations often involve ensuring proper fire separation, soundproofing between units, and meeting specific clearance requirements. For secondary suites, the door installation is part of the overall permit process and requires inspection.

For a free consultation on your basement bedroom project, including proper door installation and code compliance, contact Ottawa Basements. We ensure all bedroom installations meet Ontario Building Code requirements and pass City of Ottawa inspections on the first try.