Glass Storm Doors vs Aluminum Screen Doors
Your storm door and screen door does a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to protecting your home. Storm and screen doors add an extra layer of security as well as shielding your exterior entry door from the outer elements like adverse weather (heavy winds, sleet and hail, rain, snow, and ice). Storm doors and screen doors are, however, different types of doors. When it’s time for a replacement, you’ll have to decide if you want a storm door or a screen door and the material they’re made from.
Storm Door Versus Screen Door
There are key differences between a storm door and a screen door. While both offer protection for your exterior entry door, these two types do have contrasting advantages and disadvantages.
Screen Door
A screen door, as its name implies, is a framed mesh screen. There are hundreds of varying configurations for a screen door. For example, you could have a full-length screen with a perimeter frame only, a screen that spans just the top half of the door, a screen that covers the bottom portion, or doors with slats of mesh screen. Just about any combination of mesh screening and door framing is available as a pre-manufactured option or a custom creation.
The door portion of a screen door can be comprised of a variety of different materials. Doors are typically manufactured from wood, aluminum, fiberglass, steel, or vinyl. Each of these materials have a different price point and have their own benefits and disadvantages. Aluminum isn’t the most durable, but it is one of the cheapest options for a screen door. Alternatively, steel is more expensive, but its durability is top-rated.
Why Choose a Screen Door?
Screen doors don’t offer much in the way of security—and they’re not designed to. Instead, screen doors are an option for those who want extra ventilation throughout their home without letting pets or kids out and bugs and insects in. The mesh screen of this type of door isn’t meant to keep an intruder out but rather a cool breeze in.
Storm Door
A storm door’s anatomy is usually made up of a double pane glass divided into panels, framed by a hardy material like steel, vinyl, wood, or aluminum. These doors are stronger and more secure than a screen door because the mesh screen is omitted in favor for glass.
Storm doors are similar to screen doors in the many different combinations of screen and frame that are available to the consumer. You can opt to have just the top portion glass and the rest of the door steel, vinyl, or aluminum, or another popular choice is to have the entire spread of the door as glass with just a surrounding frame for maximum visibility.
Why Choose a Storm Door?
Storm doors offer more in security and protection than a screen door. Mesh doesn’t serve well in the face of intruders or serious weather, but double-paned glass can withstand both threats. Storm doors allow for a clear, uncompromised view of the outside without sacrificing security and durability. For climates that see a lot of harsh weather or for homes on busy streets with many passersby, a storm door is the preferred choice over a screen door.
Glass Versus Aluminum
Now that you understand the vast differences between a storm door and a screen door, the choice of material is the next hurdle. Both storm doors and screen doors can use aluminum (among several other options) as the frame and door material, but storm doors really only utilize glass. Most screen doors won’t have glass panels but instead use a mesh screening for ventilation and to keep insects and debris out while allowing a breeze to pass through.
Aluminum is a cost-friendly option for door frames and so an aluminum screen door will be cheaper than a glass storm door. Aluminum isn’t as tough as other materials like vinyl, fiberglass, or wood. Alternatively, glass storm doors can have aluminum frames just as they can have vinyl, fiberglass or wood frames. However, you’ll end up paying more for a storm door no matter the material of the frame thanks to the double-pane glass.
Why Not Both?
Are you stuck between deciding between a glass storm door or a screen door? There are endless options between the two and you can certainly choose a door that has both a mesh screen with a glass panel. Some doors will have an additional glass or aluminum panel that can be swapped out with the screen in case you do want to enjoy a breeze in the warmer months but need something hardier for the colder seasons.
At Feldco, we have decades of experience with great quality doors, local services to accommodate customers with products, and great installers who are factory trained. That’s why over 500,000 homeowners went with Feldco for their home improvement needs. We replace your doors so you can feel good about your home’s curb appeal and energy efficiency. Speak to a product specialist and get a free quote today.
