If you are a new homeowner, you have probably wondered if you should install a storm door to your home? What is a storm door, and do you need one? Read on to find out!
When torrential downpours and winter storms come calling, it is essential to have your home’s entrance door protected. A storm door protects your home’s front door from the elements, increases energy sufficiency, provides better ventilation and light, and adds extra security to your home.
If you’re wondering if you should install a storm door in your home, this article discusses everything you need to know. Here, we explain what points to consider when determining if a storm door is necessary and how it benefits your home.
What is a Storm Door?
You might have seen a storm door but do not entirely understand the purpose of a storm door. Storm doors offer additional barriers against stormy weather and stop cold or warm air from getting into your home. Storm doors work particularly well with poorly insulated front doors.
Storm doors are outer doors installed in front of a home’s front door to provide extra protection against the elements. These doors typically have built-in screens and glass fronts that can be replaced with screen panels if you choose. Depending on the style you require for your home.
They allow better ventilation and light and protect your front door from storms and cold temperatures during winter.
Most storm door manufacturers build them in such a way that the glass fronts can be replaced with screen panels.
During the summer, the glass panel can be removed and replaced with a screen to allow better ventilation during hot weather. The screen can be replaced with a glass panel during fall to prepare for the winter.
Some storm doors come ready with built-in screens that are easy to roll up or down when necessary. Letting you switch between screen and glass for when you get a warm day in winter, or you want to allow your home to air. Just push the window panel up and pull the screen down when needed.
What is the Main Purpose of a Storm Door?
Storm doors create a barrier against torrential rains and cold weather and prevent cold or warm air from entering your home. Storm doors also stop you home from not losing too much energy during cold weather.
When a family member leaves the front door open when they go outside, heat escapes your home. A storm door prevents this from happening by creating a barrier.
Older front doors with gaps or inadequate weather stripping can reduce a home’s temperature through conduction. This happens when heat travels through an item. For instance, when the weather outside is cold, and the door inside feels cold when you touch it, that is conduction. Storm doors dramatically reduce this effect by efficiently offering insulation to minimize energy loss.
Benefits of Storm Doors
Storm doors offer many inexpensive and exciting ways to protect your home from the elements.
Storm Doors are Energy Efficient
A home’s front door is one of the leading air leakage points. Storm doors lower a home’s energy costs dramatically. When frigid air sneaks in through the front door in cold temperatures, the temperature fluctuations will cause the HVAC system to continuously switch on and off, using energy every time it does so. In some cases, it has been reported that storm doors have cut energy costs by half.
Storm doors are generally manufactured from three layers. The back and front layers consist of aluminum, while the middle layer is foam insulation. When a home’s front door has weak points along the bottom, top, and sides, a storm door prevents cold air from entering the home.
When a home is adequately sealed, the heating and cooling systems don’t work as hard, which results in reduced energy bills. The insulation a storm door provides will keep a home comfortable and regulate internal temperatures and save energy efficiently.
Storm Doors Provide More Light
When it gets dark and gloomy inside your home during winter, a storm door is an excellent way to allow more natural light into your home without losing heat. Homes with exceptionally long foyers will benefit from this extra natural light. With a storm door installed, you can open your front door and let the sunshine into your home.
Storm Doors Allow Better Ventilation
The benefits of a storm door extend to ventilation; when you change the glass panel for the screen panel, you can enjoy a lovely summer breeze as the days grow warmer. With the home being well sealed for the winter, the pleasure of opening the windows and doors to let a fresh summer breeze in your home is priceless. Storm doors allow you to enjoy the fresh air without insects getting in your home.
Storm Doors Offer Great Protection for Your Entry Door
A home’s front door is continuously exposed to harsh weather conditions. Torrential rains, high winds, and snowstorms will rapidly damage an expensive front door if it does not have a storm door installed.
Storm doors protect a home’s front door for years to reduce annual maintenance costs. Front doors are generally expensive; it is recommended to have a storm door installed to protect them while keeping energy costs low.
Storm Doors Provide Extra Security
Storm doors feature strong key locks for extra safety; a locked storm door offers security against unwanted home intruders.
Storm doors offer added security with multi-point locking systems, protective grilles, and heavy-duty security glass to prevent home invaders from entering your home. A storm door’s multi-point locking system comprises three locks: a keyed deadbolt that locks in the door jamb and hooks at the top and bottom of the door.
Is a Storm Door Essential?
Storm doors are essential to protect your front door from the elements and lower energy bills. Severe weather conditions, winter storms, and torrential downpours expose a front door to damage. To prevent this installing a storm door is the best option.
However, the Department of Energy does not recommend installing a storm door if your front door gets hours of direct sun. The heat trapped between the front door and the storm door could damage your front door if a storm door is installed. Using low-E glass on your storm door will reduce heat preventing damage from excessive heat.
Several Options to Choose
Storm doors are available in many options, fun colors, materials, and styles. You can design a custom door or choose from several screen and glass panel combinations. Some storm doors feature removable panels that can be adjusted to fit your home and seasons. Some storm doors feature retractable screens that offer convenient ventilation and are available in seven colors to choose from.
Things to Consider Before you Purchase a Storm Door
Before purchasing a storm door, it is good to figure out what you need from your storm door first. Here are some points to consider before getting a storm door for your home.
Do You Need More Than One Storm Door?
Find out if you want a storm door on all your home’s entrance doors or if you want only one storm door for the front entrance. If your home is in an area with frequent storms, extra storm doors will be beneficial.
What type of material is your Front Door Made from?
If your front door is made from wood, installing a storm door is an excellent idea. If you have a front door that is manufactured from steel or aluminum, you might not require a storm door.
The newer modern doors are more energy-efficient and better insulated; therefore, a storm door might be unnecessary. However, if your steel or aluminum doo is not insulated, a storm door is necessary. Storm doors provide energy efficiency and keep the front doors looking good for years.
Is Your Front Door Old?
Old front doors are likely to be warped and have inadequate weatherstripping. Most aged wooden doors also feature cracks that facilitate conduction, allowing the cold to enter your home. Storm doors are beneficial to all old front doors, regardless of their manufactured materials. Storm doors insulate your home and help them last longer.
How to Find the Perfect Storm Door for Your Home
If you decide to install a storm door in your home, here are a few things to consider to help you choose the best storm door.
- Do thorough online research to find several options and prices. The research will also give you an idea of what color and style will work best for your home. When looking for a storm door in a store, you can also ask a staff member to help you choose if you can’t make up your mind.
- Decide what kind of view you want from your storm door. Storm doors are available in full view, middle view, or high view options.
- Does your home have good sunlight most of the year where Low-E energy glass is necessary? Low-E energy glass provides excellent insulation and helps to reduce trapped heat between the front door and the storm door that can damage your front door.
- Some states offer a tax credit under their energy efficiency program for installing a storm door in your home. Check if your state has a tax credit in place for storm doors.
- Decide on the color of your door. Do you want a storm door that stands out, or do you want a storm door that blends in beautifully with the rest of the home’s décor?
- Consider what type of screen you want your storm door to feature. Full view storm doors have separate screens and glass panels that can be switched depending on the season. Some storm doors feature retractable screens that can be rolled down or up as you require. The standard storm door screen always stays in place while sliding the glass panel up. Look for storm doors that feature the words interchangeable full screen. They allow you to change from screen to glass whenever you need it.
- Choose your storm door accessories. Storm door handle accessories are available in sets with several finishes like aged-bronze, satin nickel, antique brass, and brushed nickel to add a personalized touch to your storm door.
Conclusion
Installing a storm door in your home will extend the front door’s life for years, protecting it from stormy weather and strong winds and offering an extra layer of protection against all kinds of severe weather.
Storm doors also provide extra security to your home with their multi-locking systems and thick glass panels. An expertly installed, high-quality storm door will make a massive difference to your home’s security, offering peace of mind.
Storm doors provide insulation to your home as double-paned windows do by creating a barrier of warm air that remains between the front door and storm door. Storm doors stop cold air from getting into your home.
Storm doors serve as a shield between the cold and your home’s interior. It does not matter what kind of weather your home endures; storm doors are made to protect them from the worst.
Storm doors offer convenience where front doors cannot. When you open your front door to the outside, there’s no safety feature and no guard.
Indoor pets that are not meant to go outside can run past an opened front door, making their way to the street. A storm door provides added security and is the perfect choice for any home, keeping everyone happy and safe indoors.
Front entry doors are generally more expensive, and storm doors will protect them for much longer. Having a storm door installed will save you maintenance fees, time, and effort. Storm doors lower a home’s energy bills by keeping the temperatures in your home stable, so the heating does not have to be working continuously.
We hope you found this article informative and can now decide whether your home requires a storm door.
Sources
- https://www.championwindow.com/inspiration/doors-tips/5-things-to-know-about-storm-doors/
- https://www.thompsoncreek.com/blog/purpose-of-storm-doors/
- https://www.4feldco.com/articles/what-storm-doors-used-for/
- https://www.pella.com/ideas/doors/storm-doors/benefits-of-storm-doors/
