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The best direction for a gate to swing depends on its location and purpose, but swinging inward is the general rule. An inward swing is often considered safer, prevents the gate from opening into public spaces like a sidewalk, and may be required by local building codes.

There are exceptions and specific considerations. If your property is on a slope, an inward swing might not be possible. For a deck gate, it's safest to have it swing away from any steps. In a backyard, the direction can be a matter of preference, though an inward swing can be helpful when carrying heavy items like a wheelbarrow into a garden.

Regardless of direction, ensure the gate can open fully without hitting any objects or blocking spaces. While an inward swing is standard, a gate that can swing both in and out offers the most flexibility if your setup allows for it.

High-tech solutions and strategic placement can help ensure the safety of your pet door. Pet doors can pose security risks, as well as the risk of stray or wild animals entering your home, but modern pet doors offer options like collar-based sensors to ensure doors will only open for your pet, and installing a pet door in an out-of-sight location or in a wall rather than a door can help to avoid intruders using the door to gain access to your home.

Most modern, standard doors are 1 ⅜-inches thick, so you should aim for this thickness unless you're building a door to replace an antique door or fit into a non-standard wall opening. Thickness varies when installing a pocket door or sliding barn door, so a good rule of thumb is to measure your existing door, if possible. For standard doors, you can also measure from the inside of the door to the door stop to gauge the proper thickness.

You can determine what size storm door you need by measuring for the storm door. Take the width at the top, middle, and bottom of either your front door or an existing storm door, then measure the height on the left, center, and right of the door. Buy a storm door that matches your measurements' smallest width and shortest height.