Finding the Best Storm Door
Storm doors can drastically change the look of your house. Whether you are adding or changing your doors to save energy, increase security, or just get ventilation, there are a few things to consider: Price, Material, Size, Handing, and Style.
Price
First, stick to your budget. Storm doors range from $100-$300 for standard sizes to $300-$500 for custom sizes. Keep in mind that a $100 doors are not going to perform like a $500 doors.
Now what makes $500 storm doors better than $100 ones? Materials are the answer. Vinyl storm doors are cheaper than aluminum doors. While you save money on price, they wear out faster because of exposure to the elements. However, a wood-core vinyl door is sturdier and provides better insulation than an aluminum one. On a higher-end unit you may get a choice of custom colors like cranberry, hunter green, or almond where on the lower end you can only have white or black.
The more expensive storm doors also let you pick hardware colors. One important difference is most top end doors come with two closures instead of one. They are mounted at the top and bottom of the door instead of just at the top. This gives the it better rigidity and slower closing speed. Remember, buying a separate piston is only about $5.00, so don’t spend an extra $100 on a door just to get a second
closer.
The best way to get a sense of pricing is go to Lowe’s or Home Depot and look at the storm doors or search online. Personally, I shop online to compare prices and narrow down more what I am looking for. Also, most storm doors are Energystar compliant which means it may qualify for an IRS tax credit.
Materials
All storm doors are made from metal, wood, vinyl/plastic, or some combination thereof. Less expensive doors use vinyl/plastic and may or may not have a wood core for added rigidity and insulation. More expensive doors are made from extruded aluminum (“extruded” means “shaped”)
The benefits of vinyl/plastic storm doors are that they are less expensive to purchase, easy to clean, and inexpensive to replace. With vinyl doors, the color may be molded throughout. This means that a scratch is less visible because it is not a different color underneath. The drawbacks are that these storm doors wear out sooner, look “cheaper”, and have trouble standing up to extreme heat and cold.
The benefits of aluminum storm doors are that they are heavier, more durable, longer-lasting, and better looking. They look classier and offer much more security. The drawbacks are that they are more expensive, are harder to clean, require more maintenance, and can become hot to touch when exposed to the sun.
Size
Standard widths are 30″, 32″, and 36″. Standard heights range from 80″-81″ and 96″ (for 8′ feet tall doors). Traditionally, your front door opening is 36″ wide by 80″-81″ high. Back doors are traditionally 32″ wide by 80″-81″ high; however newer homes (built after 1990) have been also using 36″ wide by 80″-81″ high doors at times.
Other Considerations
- Doorway opening obstructions. When measuring for a storm door, pay attention to the entire opening. Look for other problem areas like is the roof or soffit in the way? If it is, there’s not much you can do. But what if the porch light fixture is in the way? Well, you can replace the light fixture with another one. Simply go to your local hardware store or visit Kichler Lighting online.
Handing
One of the most important questions to think about is, “Which way will it open?” If you are ordering from a retailer make sure that the salesperson is crystal clear on this. If you’re online, examples of www.championwindow.com front doors can give you answers as well. After all, in the world of storm doors, handing is everything. Now we get to some industry jargon.
First, ALL measurements assume you are standing OUTSIDE of your house looking at the front door. Now, handing is stated as either “left-handed” or “right-handed.” This means that if you but your back against the jamb where you want the door do be hinged, whichever hand of yours is on the outside is the “handing” of your door. For example, let’s say you but your back against the hinge side jamb of your front door and your right hand is facing the outside. Then you want a “right-handed” door. The good news on handing is that most standard sized doors can be installed either way; you don’t have to purchase a door that is pre-handed (unless you have an 8′ tall door).
Now most of the time you want a storm doors’ handles to be on the same side as the entry door handles. However, there are a few cases where this is not true. One such case is if you have a wall close to the opening. It is always preferable to have the door open towards a wall that is 12″ or less from an entryway. This is to ensure that your “traffic pattern” is not interrupted, meaning that people won’t have to open and then walk around it to get into the house. Doing this ensures that the door is not in your way when you enter and exit the house.
Styles
Storm doors come in 3 different styles: Full-View, Ventilating, and Roll-screen.
Full-view
With this style you can have ONLY the glass OR the screen in the door at any given time. You must physically change the glass and the screen and store the one that is not in use. If you want to maximize daylight and visibility to the outside, this is the way to go. As long as you don’t mind installing the screen in the spring and the glass in the fall, you will be happy with this style.
Ventilating
If you don’t want to change the glass and screen, ventilating style storm doors keep both glass and screen in the unit at the same time. With this style, there are 2 panels of glass, and depending on the manufacturer, one or both move up and down revealing the screen portion and allowing for ventilation.
Rollscreen
Rollscreens are the newest hybrids and take the best of both worlds from the other two styles. In this style, the screen is still self storing like the ventilating model, but you get the visibility of a fullview door because the screen is rolled up when not in use. As you pull the top window down, the screen is attached and then revealed. This is a great choice if you have kids or pets that have a talented ability to destroy screens because the screen is only on the top . . . far out of their reach!
Brands of Storm Doors
There are 3 main brands of storm doors. They are Pella, Larson, Emco/Andersen. Pella storm doors and Larson storm doors are sold by Lowe’s. Emco storm doors and Anderson storm doors are sold at Home Depot. From an installer’s perspective, I would rank them in order of preference based on product selection, price, durability, warranty, ease of installation, customer service, and fewest number of problems as:
- Pella,
- Larson,
- Andersen/Emco.
What about Armaclad storm doors?
I have never heard of them. Do they have a website?
You mention standard sizes for storm door of up to 96″ for 8′ doors.
Any suggestions on who actually makes such doors? I can’t find anything that tall.
Larson and Pella both do, I am sure Anderson and Emco do as well. It will have to be a special order door because of the size, neither of the big box stores (Lowe’s or Home Depot) carry them in stock. You can try and call them directly at the numbers listed on the website and they should be able to direct you to a local dealer if you are not near a retail store. Hope this helps!
I don’t want to have to repaint my shutters to match a new storm door. Is there a company that will paint the door a custom color to match the color of my shutters? Thanks!
John:
The short answer is No. The reason being because painting the door voids the manufacturers warranty.
Now, you may want to try calling the phone number I have on the site below my title. They are a free contractor referral service, and they should be able to help you find a painter in your area that would do it.
The Storm Door Guy
I have two storm doors, about 3 years old, that only came with screen inserts. The supplier says the manufacturer doesn’t have glass inserts. I’m not sure who the manufacturer is and there is no labeling, that I can find, on the doors. I’m want to replace the screens in cold weather with glass inserts. About 72″ tall x 35-3/4″ wide. Any suggestions?
Roger:
I would call a glazier (glass company). Assuming the door just has little flanges that you turn to take the screens out, I would say a glazier could make glass inserts rather quickly.
If you call the phone number on my site (below the title) they can refer you to a reputable glass company in your area for free.
Hope that helps!
Dan, aka, the Storm Door Guy
Thanks for the info!
I have a Pella roll screen storm door. Just replaced the latch mechnanism – door won’t “click” closed – Moved strike plate as far as possible but things still seem out of wack. Had to back off on screw tightening on the internal plate and door handle clearance to door frame to have the new latch snap back out…somethings not quite right. any ideas?
I am in the market of a storm/security door but leaning more towards security door. with a security door, there is no ventilation so can the weather elements damage any type of exterior door?
Yvette:
Yes, the weather will eventually wear out any type of door. If there is no ventilation, one thing to consider is which direction the door faces. The reason I say that is that if the door opening gets a lot of direct sunlight (because it faces south or west), the air that is trapped between your security door and entry door will superheat and can over time cause the front entry door to warp. The solution is just leave the front door open during those times of day.
Dan, aka, the storm door guy
I am trying to decide between a Larson 349-20 (Secure Elegance) and an Anderson 4000 series fullview door. My concern is getting the most energy efficient door and also dealing with some slight possible heat buildup. My navy colored, metal front door is 3/4 beveled glass, faces southwest and gets about 2.5 hours of bright, tree filtered sun during the summer. It is under a 6 foot deep covered porch. I have looked at Falcon and Equalizer (because of their fullview ventilating capabliilties) but costs are prohibitive ($800-$900+). I have been told by two different companies that given my particular set-up a “thermopane” or “dual glass” door will satisfy the heat problem. Any thoughts on the Larson vs. the Anderson…especially since there is no difference in cost? The Anderson does come with a screen though (would probably never use). Thanks!
Caroline:
I would say the main concern is to decide what is more important, security or ventilation. If it’s security, you really can’t beat the Larson Secured Elegance to get the security door without the security door look (bars, grating, etc.) If ventilation is your biggest concern, I recommend a Larson Tradewinds with a built in screen that you can pull down when you want ventilation. Though some people don’t like the frame line running through the middle of door. If heat buildup is the main concern, I would say get the door you want and order it with Low-E glass which significantly cuts down heat buildup. If you can’t get a door with Low-E glass, you can always hire a window tinter to add a protective tint to the glass after it is installed.
Hope this helps!
Dan, aka, the storm door guy.
Hi Dan,
Actually neither security or ventilation is my major concern. I am looking for a quality made, “dual pane” door that offers the most energy efficiency and also will possibly “repel” some of the heat/sunlight that occurs several hours daily at my front door during the summer. I do not want a screen in the door as I have two dogs who would destroy it in a matter of days. Low-E glass would be great but is not an option at my local Lowes or Home Depot with their Larson or Andersen product lines. According to the sales people at both locations they only have the Secure Elegance and the Anderson 4000 series as “dual pane” options. The Larson 349-20 (Secure Elegance) product literature indicates that the door repels 99% of UV rays. The Andersen does not indicate this. I am also wondering whether the “fixed panel” glass with the Larson would be more efficient than a removable panel from Andersen. Thanks!
I am about to replace a $300+ Pacesetter (now out of business) storm door; it has been rendered inoperable due to the failure of a hinge. The hinges have plastic and springs on the inside; a well qualified contractor could not find parts to replace the damaged hinge. Without the hinge support the door sags so cannot close.
When purchasing a new door I want the most durable hardware – but with key details on the interior it is not possible to know what the components are. Any suggestions. Thanks.
Gerry:
Honestly, my best advice would be to contact the manufacturer of the new door and purchase 1 or 2 extra hinge z-bars and just store them. That way when they break over time, you can replace them. Most of the hinges on new doors are pressure set at the factory, meaning changing them yourself is near impossible. Don’t know if I answered your question but I hope it helps!
The Storm Door Guy
I recently bought a larson savannah 36 in door from my local lowes. got it installaed with a little work. but my son whom is a toddle has managed to lock me and my wife out, luckily a window was unlocked. Is there any way that i could switch the handleset out for a keyed one. if so what type, and where can I get it. Many thanks for your time and info. It is all greatly appreciated
Todd:
Unfortunately there is not another lockset that will work on the larson Savanah. I have run into the same problem, except I have locked myself out. And since there is no fail safe, well it’s a pain. The easiest way I know of is to leave the top window unlocked. When it happens, you can pull the window down from the outside. Then, grab the screen (you can get your fingers around the sides because it just sits in a track and is not secured) and pull it down a little more. That will create an opening to get your other hand through in order to reach down and unlock the door on the inside. That’s the best way I have found to do it. Hope that helps.
The Storm Door Guy
hi, we are looking at a larson retractible screen storm door, but they only offer the ‘universal’ door, for which you have to drill the holes for handle/lockset. My husband, who is VERY handy, is still concerned about drilling with a 1 1/2″ paddle bit on a metal door. He finds it hard to believe they market that as easy installation, and would prefer a door with holes pre-drilled. We have also read several reviews by other people who ruined their doors trying to drill the holes out. What say you?
GREAT QUESTION!
This is a hot button of mine. I hate that these manufacturers market their products as “easy install.” The Pella version easy hang doors even go so far as to show a lady in high heels with a drill in their advertisements. Really?! It’s borderline false advertising.
This is where a bit of common sense comes in. I could probably do a root canal myself too, but there’s a reason I don’t! While I’m a GREAT storm door installer, I’m a HORRIBLE dentist!
Now I’ll get off my soapbox.
What your husband is thinking is totally normal. In fact, even the most die hard do-it-yourselfers usually give in right at the point they have to drill through the door for the door latch, and that’s when they call me. As long as you follow the template, you are fine. Predrill with a 1/8″ bit and then stick the spade bit in there. If you predrill a hole any larger the bit just jumps around and that’s where the problems start. Now 1 1/2″ sounds a bit big to me, I have never seen larger than a 3/4-7/8″ bit used. If it is a tradewinds, use a 3/4″ bit in the inside and a 7/8″ bit on the outside, despite what the instructions say.
If you want a door with holes predrilled, try a Pella Select Ashford, or Larson Signature Series. No drilling required
All the Best
The Storm Door Guy
Dan; I have a 36×96 entry door that faces west. A majority of the doors in my development are 36×96. In the winter, the wind driven snow stacks up against the lower portion of the door. In the summer, the door and handle are very hot to the touch. I went to Lowe’s today and learned that I am limited to a full view storm door and that the size requires a custom door. One neighbor has a Pella; another has an Anderson. A nice feature of the Anderson is the quick release for changing the window or screen. The Pella requires removing each of the four strips that secure the window/screen. I want a door that will provide the best weather/sun protection. I under stand that the screen should be used in the hot summer when the entry door is closed to prevent heat build-up between the storm door and entry door. I am prepared to spend up to $1000 for the door and installation. Which door, or other brand door, would you give your highest recommendation? Thank you.
Dan; In my prior post what I meant to ask is: Which brand door model, or other brand door model, would you give your highest recommendation. Again, thanks.
Richard:
Thanks for the great question!
I think it comes down to if you have little one’s or not. The reason I say that is the Anderson quick release may be a bit to easy for a child to accidentally push up on the handle and have the potential of the glass falling on them. That being said, I am partial to the Pella. Pella is in my mind the Cadillac of storm doors, and with their 20 year warranty you have a secure investment. Something you may want to consider is getting Low-E glass. Because of the way your door faces, getting a low-e coating on it will dramatically reduce the heat buildup in the summer if you choose to leave the glass in (some people don’t like putting in the screen as it can be cumbersome especially on the oversized doors.)
Hope that helps!
The Storm Door Guy
I purchased a rather expensive full view Pella storm door about 10 years ago. It appears the internal latching system broke or stripped recently as the handle will no longer fully retract the latch. I took the handles off but there does not appear to be a straight forward way to replace the plastic parts without taking the entire door apart. Based on posts I’ve found on the internet, it appears this is not an uncommon problem with Pella storm doors. Any suggestions?
Scott:
From the problem you describe, it does sound like it would qualify for as a manufacturer defect. Most of Pella’s warranties are 20 years, so I would first try calling their homeowner helpline at 1-800-374-4758 and give them the door # which is found on a white or gold sticker on the inside jamb of the hinge part of the frame. Just open your door and look at the hinges and you should see it.
Hope that helps!
The Storm Door Guy
I am looking for two 30 inch Larson storm doors (full view) and a French door kit to have installed. Can you help?
Jeff:
Best I can tell you is check your local Lowe’s store. I just installed a set today. If you don’t have a Lowe’s nearby, call the manufacturer number under Brands–Larson, and they can tell you the closest retailer.
All the Best!
The Storm Door Guy
I just got a quote from a Pella contractor for their 4601 storm door… installed is $1650! I see that Lowes has a similar Pella full view storm door for around $300 although its 1-1/4″ thick instead of 1-5/8″. Is it worth paying that much more the extra thickness? Is the extra 3/8″ making the door that much stronger? My gut reaction is to buy the 1-1/4″ door.
You should call the police because you are about to get robbed.
$1,650?!!! Really?! For a storm door! It would be cheaper for you to fly ME out to wherever you are and pay me to do it!
I think I made my point. Personally, I wouldn’t let that guy back on my property. Go with your gut, it’s leading you in the right direction.
The Storm Door Guy