permissions - Access denied to a folder my user owns? - Ask Ubuntu

i'm owner of folder, yet cannot cd folder.

after searching discovered need execute permission cd folder.

i did:

sudo chmod u+w myfolder 

to add execute permission user. yet still cannot open folder.

the command entered

sudo chmod u+w myfolder 

grants write permission owner... there is:

drw-r--r-- 13 myuser www-data   ^--owner may write 

you wanted execute permission

chmod u+x myfolder 

(you won't need sudo if own it). give you

drwxr--r-- 13 myuser www-data    ^--owner may enter , search 

(octal 744) - there's not point in setting - either want 755 (all can access) or 750 (owner , group can access) or 700 (only owner can access), since read permission directories isn't use without execute permission.