People often wonder what a storm door does, and the answer is simple: for some doors, a storm door protects the door from the elements, including wind, rain, snow and ice. Storm doors come in a variety of colors, textures and styles. While they offer a variety of benefits, they are not beneficial to all doors or all types of homes.
Benefits
Storm doors can protect existing front doors and protect the door from the elements, according to the Department of Energy. They can also add an extra level of security to the house while allowing the light to shine through in the winter and cool air to flow through in the summer. Even when both doors are closed, the storm door adds an extra lock a possible intruder would need to break or pick when breaking into the house. Storm doors can also add a decorative twist to any house. Doors can be ordered in a variety of colors, textures and patterns. Homeowners should choose a storm door that fits their decorative styles and their existing doors.
Downfalls
If the existing door is already energy efficient or new, adding a storm door might not benefit the homeowner. Storm doors protect against the elements, but are mostly used on doors that fail to do so without an added layer of protection. Adding a storm door to a new door probably won’t add any additional protection; it will just simply cover the existing door.
Historically
Storm doors were originally made of wood and mostly used to protect a house’s interior from insects during the summer months. These doors were not insulated or weatherproofed, so they did not protect the house from wind, rain or snow during inclement weather. These doors were also not very attractive as they were not weatherproofed, they needed to be painted every spring and replaced when the wood rotted or was damaged. These doors also rarely locked, so they did not offer any additional security. The screens were often tacked on and could not be replaced with glass during the colder months.
Materials
Storm doors can be made of many materials, but most storm doors are made of aluminum, steel, fiber glass or wood. Metal storm doors often use foam insulation in their frames to help protect from the elements and retain the house’s heat even further. When the question of what a storm door does comes up, the response is generally two-sided. In the winter, storm doors protect the house from the elements, and in the summer, storm doors bring the outdoors inside. During the summer months, the glass panel in metal storm doors can be replaced by a screen to allow the cool air to blow inside the house. Glass and screen panels can amass half the space on the door or the entire door. Doors that face direct sunlight should never be fitted with glass as direct sunlight can cause the door to overheat. The glass panels on some storm doors is made of glazed glass or low-emissivity glass.
Related Resource: How To Install Pocket Doors
Storm doors offer protection for older doors in colder months; however, they can add more security year-round. They also can offer newer doors the option of bringing a little fresh air into the home in warmer months too. Though homeowners often wonder if a storm door is a good investment, the answer is usually, yes.
