Trapdoors can be opened or closed with a player or mob inside. The sound of opening and closing of a trapdoor can be heard up to 16 blocks away, like most mob sounds. Lanterns, for example, can be placed on top and below the closed trapdoor. When trapdoors are opened, they act like a non-solid block resulting as a non-placeable area. Trapdoors can act as a solid block when in the closed position and thus certain items can be placed above or below it.

However, if there is more than one trapdoor between two ladders, players cannot climb through (they are stopped at the top of the first trapdoor). This means if an opened trapdoor is placed in the middle of two ladders, players can climb through it directly. Single trapdoors are climbable if they are opened and placed directly above a ladder against a wall. Waterlogged trapdoors release water from all sides apart from the top‌ or all sides apart from the side that is blocked by the trapdoor itself (and the top)‌ Lava can create fire in air blocks next to wooden trapdoors as if they were flammable, but the trapdoors do not burn (and cannot be burned by other methods either). If placed on the bottom part of a block, it opens upward.Ī trapdoor's 'hinge' is located on the block attached to it. If a trapdoor is placed on the top part of a block, it opens downward. When placed, a trapdoor either occupies the top or bottom part of a block, depending on where the player placed the trapdoor. Once it is placed, the attachment block can be removed without breaking the trapdoor. To place a trapdoor, use a trapdoor item while pointing at the block it should be attached to. Iron trapdoors can be opened only by redstone pulse. Wooden trapdoors can be opened and closed by players or redstone pulse.

Wood hatch pattern