Storm Doors & Their Added Benefits for Your House Plan

by Skylar Jensen, Staff Writer

If you spend a large sum of money on a nice front door, you’re going to want it to last as long as possible, right?  Well, sometimes you can’t control what the natural elements might do to your door, but you can always take steps to protect it from such wear and tear.  Perhaps the best form of protection you can implement is a storm door. Storm doors may sound like a thing of the past, but today they are much different from the beaten-up screen door you may have pictured in your head.  They have much more curb appeal and offer an advantage, not just for your door, but for your whole house as well!  Let’s dive in!

Installing a storm door is a great way to control how much hot or cold air sneaks into your home.  A storm door also serves as a barrier to your entry door, protecting it from damaging winds, precipitation, and any extreme heat damage.  It also serves as an excellent source of natural light.  If you find your entryway to be too dark, all you have to do is open up your front door, and your storm door will allow sunlight to pour into your home.  If you have a screen, you can save on air conditioning costs by letting in that nice summer breeze while also keeping the bugs away.  If you don’t have a screen, you can still save, since a glass storm door will minimize the amount of heat sneaking into your home.  It will also make your home seem more welcoming to guests, and even a closed storm door increases the curb appeal of your home.

There are, however, a few disadvantages to storm doors you should keep in mind.  First, although a storm door’s primary purpose is to protect your door from the outside elements, it can sometimes fall short and accomplish the opposite.  If you live in a very hot climate, or if your door experiences direct sun exposure for more than a few hours a day, a storm door’s glass panels can end up trapping heat, ultimately damaging your front door.  Additionally, it can be a little cumbersome having to open two doors to get into your house.  If you are unloading groceries, it might be especially frustrating, having to open and close two doors upon each trip inside.  However, there are ways around this, as some storm door suppliers allow you to hold your storm door open at the touch of a button.

Before deciding on a storm door, you should be aware of the various types of storm doors that are out there.  First, there are full-view and partial-view storm doors.  A full-view storm door will, as its name suggests, give you a full view of the outside, either through one full glass panel or two smaller glass panels.  If you are proud of your front door and want to show it off while keeping it protected, this kind of storm door with one full glass panel would be perfect for you.  A partial-view storm door, on the other hand, consists of one small glass panel, which typically takes up the top half of the door.  This type is more durable than full-view, so if you expect a lot of foot traffic but still want the benefit of natural light, you might want to invest in a partial-view storm door.

There are also retractable screen storm doors and interchangeable screen storm doors. Retractable screen storm doors allow you to slide the glass panel up and down, opening your home to the outside.  From there you can slide the screen down from the top of the door, allowing for bug-free ventilation. Interchangeable screen storm doors allow you to remove the storm door and insert a screen in its place. This is especially helpful in the warmer months, when you are coming and going from the house more often.

Investing in a storm door can offer the protection, natural light, ventilation, and curb appeal that your home needs. Click Here to browse our House plans and see which plans you think could benefit from a storm door!