Storm doors- yay or nay?

[teachermom2834]

We just had the exterior of our house sided and all we have left for a complete exterior makeover is the front door. I am trying to decide what to do. 

I would prefer the look of a nice new pretty front door without a storm door. But practically speaking we might want one. We have just a small overhang protecting the door- not a big porch so the door is mostly exposed. It would probably be nice to be able to open the main door  and let some light in during the day. It would be an extra little bit of security both when strangers come to the door and when the pup is looking to escape. 
 

BUT it would be prettier without...and easier to hang a big fluffy wreath. 
 

So convince me I need one - or not 🙂

[Pawz4me]

There is no way I'd be without a storm door. I love being able to see outside, and even though we have windows across the front of the house I still want to be able to have the door open. And the dogs love being able to look out. But I've never thought of doors as pretty. I mean some are certainly nicer than others, but doors just aren't my thing. Plus I'm much more into function over form. So take my opinion FWIW.

[katilac]

4 minutes ago, teachermom2834 said:

 BUT it would be prettier without

It probably wouldn't be prettier for long - the storm door is meant to take the brunt of weather and sun and protect the entry door. 

Like Pawz4me, I like the option of seeing outside. I wouldn't want to give up the added bit of energy efficiency, either. 

You don't need to get the style with a screen, you can get them solid glass (except for the frame, of course) and basically show all of your entry door. I think they're called full view storm doors. 

[Pawz4me]

Yes, the full view is what we have, and the only kind I'd want.

[sweet2ndchance]

I hate our current storm door which is exactly like the one above. It's completely exposed (which is part of the problem) and lets water in like crazy. The latch has never worked right on it. I like storm doors in general but I hate the full glass one we have. I'm probably going to make a wood and screen storm door by hand when we put our porch in....eventually.

[teachermom2834]

18 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

There is no way I'd be without a storm door. I love being able to see outside, and even though we have windows across the front of the house I still want to be able to have the door open. And the dogs love being able to look out. But I've never thought of doors as pretty. I mean some are certainly nicer than others, but doors just aren't my thing. Plus I'm much more into function over form. So take my opinion FWIW.

Your opinion is worth plenty. LOL. I really am always function over style and really struggle with home improvements because we really have never fixed or upgraded anything until there was a crisis. So someone hands me an inch thick catalog to pick out a door and I am really overwhelmed. It's a door. Never gave it a bit of thought beyond its function as access to the house. But now we are actually doing some things and I get very overwhelmed by the choices. 

@katilac that is a great picture because our colors are similar and pretty much what I had in mind-until I started thinking of just going without it. 

Edited June 16, 2020 by teachermom2834

[umsami]

I love my storm door.  Didn't have one for 18 years, but put one in two years ago.  It's clear glass (so the purple door shows through), and the top bit retracts down so there's a screen.  So nice to open the front door, put that down, and have a breeze.

Edited June 16, 2020 by umsami

[katilac]

7 minutes ago, umsami said:

I love my storm door.  Didn't have one for 18 years, but put one in two years ago.  It's clear glass (so the purple door shows through), and the top bit retracts down so there's a screen.  So nice to open the front door, put that down, and have a breeze.

YOU HAVE A PURPLE DOOR! YOU LUCKY PERSON!!

[Carol in Cal.]

Our front door storm door is switchable between a fullsize glass insert and a fullsize screen insert.  That way we always have good visibility, and also we have the functional of the screen door to let in air and light but keep bugs out in warmer months, but also in the winter we have the full glass door to keep snow from piling up against the attractive wooden door.  I'm really happy with that combo.

[MEmama]

1 hour ago, umsami said:

I love my storm door.  Didn't have one for 18 years, but put one in two years ago.  It's clear glass (so the purple door shows through), and the top bit retracts down so there's a screen.  So nice to open the front door, put that down, and have a breeze.

This is how ours works, too. It keeps the kitties safe while they nap in the sunshine or sit prettily watching the world go by, but also lets in a breeze if we want. I especially love having the screen when it rains (it’s protected by a porch overhang unless it’s super stormy).

Edited June 16, 2020 by MEmama

[rebcoola]

We got a steel door no storm door.  It looks great.  We don't leave the door open for air, or sun.  It's just not in a good spot for that. 

[Ellie]

1 hour ago, teachermom2834 said:

We just had the exterior of our house sided and all we have left for a complete exterior makeover is the front door. I am trying to decide what to do. 

I would prefer the look of a nice new pretty front door without a storm door. But practically speaking we might want one. We have just a small overhang protecting the door- not a big porch so the door is mostly exposed. It would probably be nice to be able to open the main door  and let some light in during the day. It would be an extra little bit of security both when strangers come to the door and when the pup is looking to escape. 
 

BUT it would be prettier without...and easier to hang a big fluffy wreath. 
 

So convince me I need one - or not 🙂

In a cold, stormy climate, yes. It helps insulate the door opening.

In a mild climate, no. I've lived in California and Central Texas all my adult life; I haven't had a storm door ever, and I haven't had a screen door in over 40 years (some storm doors convert to screen doors; mine were just screens). I always lived where I felt safe leaving the front door open in nice weather. OTOH, a friend who lived in the same community would never in a gazilion years leave her front door open, and she has a screen door--not a storm door, because we don't need that, but screen.

My mil had a screen door; she lived in an apartment where all the doors opened into a corridor, and the screen doors allowed residents to leave their front doors open and still have a sense of privacy (so people wouldn't walk right in, KWIM?).

[MEmama]

Adding, probably all new storm doors do, but make sure yours includes a good lock. We had a storm door fly off during a storm once. 

[KungFuPanda]

If your home is situated so that you’d leave the door open, id get one. The light and view from the inside is going to be more important to you. Where I live I keep my front door closed because I don’t want any door-to-door people to be able to see inside.
 

The few feet of overhang at my front stoop keeps the door and side lights protected. I have sheer curtains over the sidelights so nobody can see inside. If I were in the country I’d definitely want a storm door that I can switch for a screen door in the spring. 

[ScoutTN]

I like mine bc they let the light and air in (screens on mine), but still is a closed, locked door. 

Prettier without, yes, but I don't care. 

[Guest]

I greatly dislike a storm door. Especially when they are hung with the door handles on opposite sides. It’s sooooooo cumbersome for guests! Dh installed one almost as soon as we moved in here and intended to install one on the main front door, too. I begged him, please no! I really dislike them quite a bit.

[itsheresomewhere]

I wouldn’t be without one.  
 

Kind of funny story-  we had new young neighbors move in about two years ago.  She decided to redo the newly updated house.  First thing she did was remove the storm door ( a very nice and expensive one) as she felt it was a fad.  Recently, same lady is holding up pictures of storm doors and asking which one looks best.  She says she doesn’t know why she got rid  of it.  

[Pen]

3 hours ago, umsami said:

I love my storm door.  Didn't have one for 18 years, but put one in two years ago.  It's clear glass (so the purple door shows through), and the top bit retracts down so there's a screen.  So nice to open the front door, put that down, and have a breeze.

 

Picture or link to this type?

[Matryoshka]

22 minutes ago, Pen said:

Picture or link to this type?

This is the one we have on the door we like to have open.  It gives a nice cross-breeze.  It basically has three panels, like a triple-track storm window, two glass and one screen.  In the summer you can just pull the top glass down and have a screen, then when it gets cold, you put it back on top for full glass.  I especially like that there's nothing I have to swap out or store; it's all built-in to the door and unlike triple-track storm windows (at least the old ones I have) moves smoothly and easily.

[Bambam]

We have not had storm doors on our last two houses. I wish we did, but pretty much the HOAs are against them. This house has a double door, so it would be hard (and probably $$$$) to find one even if we could have one. 

Reasons to have one - morning sun hits our front door (wooden) so we have to refinish it regularly. Like yearly. So much work and so annoying.  So, will you have to do extra maintenance on your front door without a storm door protecting it? If so, is protecting that/saving time worth the extra prettiness?  Can you reasonably have it open sometimes for air movement through the house? 

[Tap]

I don't like them. I find them annoying when carrying in groceries or walking out with my hands full. Only one house in my neighborhood has one. They don't have air conditioning (or tress to shade their house) so they put it in for air flow. They wanted to keep bugs out and pets inside.The neighborhood homes all have large front windows and side lights, so extra light from an open door isn't needed. My front door looks into the entry way and directly at the hall closet. It has bi-fold doors that are a bit of a pain to close. They get left open quite often since there isn't anything else in the area. If the front door was open, you would see into the messy closet. 

[klmama]

I love mine. It allows me to see and talk to anyone on the porch while still having a barrier between us, and it lets solicitors see me holding my dog back from lunging at them. That's very effective in getting solicitors to go away, LOL, even though all she wants is to be petted!   I also like it in the winter.  It allows us to keep the main door open while a bunch of people are coming and going, so it looks more welcoming, without a cold breeze blowing in the whole time. 

Edited June 17, 2020 by klmama

[Hilltopmom]

My full glass one is SO heavy! We are going to replace it with a half screen/ glass insert on top with solid bottom but a lightweight one. Solid bottom keeps the cats from trying to get in/out. 

[Selkie]

We don't have one because our front doors are double doors and the others are French doors. If we were in a different house, though, I could see getting one, especially if we needed more light. I love lots of sunlight in my house.

[cjzimmer1]

The house I grew up in had one, the house I lived in for the last 23 years doesn't.  I've never once even had a passing thought about getting one.  It's just not something I ever found useful.  But I also live in a big city now and I certainly wouldn't feel comfortable only using the storm door where anyone who walked up to the house could see inside.  My preference is either a front door with a window in it or those side window panels.  Not a fan of storm doors.

[KungFuPanda]

@teachermom2834, Does your door get harsh sun or is it just exposed to weather? I think direct sun is what does the most harm. My door has a 40-year-old paint job in a wet climate and it’s fine. (I should update the color) We’re on a shady street and there’s a 4 foot overhang that protects it. Rain and snow alone haven’t really messed it up. 

[RootAnn]

Our front door has one, but the door between the kitchen and the garage didn't. I installed one myself in the garage one and have never regretted it.

Why would one want a storm door for a protected opening (since the weather never gets to the door to the house inside the garage)? Because I wanted a way to watch the driveway with the door open without letting out the little kids or the cat and without letting in the bugs. Nowadays, it keeps the cats in, but lets the air circulate. When hauling in groceries, we can make it stay open if we want.

I live in a buggy, stormy area. We have the kind where you can slide the glass up/down to expose the screens.

[Splash1]

https://www.firstimpressionsecuritydoors.com/product-category/iron-security-doors/  This is the type we had in our old house.  I loved it.  The light it let in, the breeze, etc.  In our current house we don't have one but our front door has side lights, window above it and glass window on top half.  I still miss the storm door though and am debating if I want one again.  

 

[teachermom2834]

41 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

@teachermom2834, Does your door get harsh sun or is it just exposed to weather? I think direct sun is what does the most harm. My door has a 40-year-old paint job in a wet climate and it’s fine. (I should update the color) We’re on a shady street and there’s a 4 foot overhang that protects it. Rain and snow alone haven’t really messed it up. 

Yeah we do get pretty harsh sun. I think for all practical purposes we should have one. I just needed y'all to remind me. 🙂

[edelweiss]

The house that I lived in when I was in elementary school had one, I think.  However, I have never lived in an area where they have been common again.  None of the houses in my current community have them (central Ohio) and I don't remember any of the houses in my area of Tampa having them when I lived there.  They aren't something that I'd be interested in having on my house.

[umsami]

17 hours ago, Pen said:

 

Picture or link to this type?

It looks like this. This might not be the exact model, but it was around $300.  The top can retract down revealing a screen.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Andersen-36-in-x-80-in-3000-Series-White-Right-Hand-Self-Storing-Easy-Install-Aluminum-Storm-Door-H3SER36WH/202985075

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Dotwithaperiod said:

I’m pretty sure they come with instructions on how to match door handles?

They may. I don’t think dh ever thought about it or cared. But I dislike them for other reasons; it’s just that the handles on opposite sides only makes it more cumbersome than it already was. 

[Matryoshka]

8 minutes ago, Quill said:

They may. I don’t think dh ever thought about it or cared. But I dislike them for other reasons; it’s just that the handles on opposite sides only makes it more cumbersome than it already was. 

None of my storm doors have ever had handles on opposite sides... I think yours were just installed wrong!  That shouldn't have any bearing on correctly installed ones!

[Pawz4me]

25 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

None of my storm doors have ever had handles on opposite sides... I think yours were just installed wrong!  That shouldn't have any bearing on correctly installed ones!

Agreed. That's not the way they're supposed to be.

[Guest]

29 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

None of my storm doors have ever had handles on opposite sides... I think yours were just installed wrong!  That shouldn't have any bearing on correctly installed ones!

Probably! I still don’t like them! 

[BlsdMama]

20 hours ago, umsami said:

It looks like this. This might not be the exact model, but it was around $300.  The top can retract down revealing a screen.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Andersen-36-in-x-80-in-3000-Series-White-Right-Hand-Self-Storing-Easy-Install-Aluminum-Storm-Door-H3SER36WH/202985075

We have this door - different maker (Larsen) but I love it.  

https://www.lowes.com/pd/LARSON-Tradewinds-Fullview-White-Full-View-Aluminum-Storm-Door-Common-36-in-x-81-in-Actual-35-75-in-x-79-75-in/50375000

Honestly,  I cannot see the navy door on the other side easily from street.  Between the white frame and the glass glare, door color (despite brick/navy contrast) is not readily seen.  You can see a wreath behind the glass if you're coming up the walk.  

I love this door.  I have a desperate need for sunshine so unless it's bitterly cold, my front door is always open.  And I love the option of putting down the top so the screen is open.  With the screen at the TOP of the door (rather than the bottom) we have had NO fingers, sticks, toys, or pets poke holes in the screen.