What Are Storm Doors Used For?

New homeowners wonder: what really is a storm door and do I really need one?  You know that a storm door is an outer door, but if you’ve just moved in, there could be a chance that your new home doesn’t have one, or if you’re in an older home, the storm door needs to be replaced.

Is a storm door’s function important enough to replace?

The Purpose of a Storm Door

A storm door is an outer door that’s installed in addition to your entry doors, for both the purpose of protection against adverse weather and to allow for a steady flow of ventilation.

But even beyond these main functions, a storm door provides many more advantages than just keeping out the cold, the rain, and ushering in a gentle breeze.

Insulation and Weather Proofing with a Storm Door

For newer storm doors, a homeowner can change it out to a door with a glass panel to protect their home during the harsher seasons like the cold of winter and late fall. Then, switch out to a screen panel for the pleasant season of late spring and summer to allow for air to pass through the home.  The screen panels also keep out the bugs while still enabling a summer breeze to pass through.

A modern storm door is comprised of three layers: a front, a back (which creates the exterior skin) and the interior layer of insulation.  With this construction, you’re doing more than keeping out a hardcore torrential downpour, you’re actually insulating your home.

Midwestern homeowners know that during the depth of winter, when temperatures drop below zero, utilizing any feature that provides insulation will not only keep them warm, but it’ll also regulate internal temperatures and save on energy.

For homeowners, energy efficiency plays a significant role in monthly costs.  According to the U.S. Department of Energy, installing a new storm door that relies on low-emissivity glass or coatings can dramatically reduce energy loss, sometimes up to 50%.  If you’re able to cut down your energy loss by nearly half with the simple purchase and installation of a brand new storm door, think about what your monthly energy bills will look like from then on out.

Opening Up Your Home with a Storm Door

Storm doors offer convenience where entry doors cannot.  Open up your entry door to the outside world and there’s no guard, no filter, and no safety feature.

Pets meant to be kept inside can make their way out, bugs and pests meant to be outside find their way in, and who would want to leave their door wide open for passing strangers?  A storm door is a perfect compromise.

Now, you can watch your kids play in the yard as clear as day, and during the more pleasant seasons, you can enjoy a nice breeze at the same time.

Storm Doors Offer Natural Light Without Sacrificing Security

It’s also more than that.  Storm doors with glass panels let in an abundance of natural light, and it feels like you’ve got an additional window that can flood an otherwise darkened corridor with beams of sunlight.

You most decidedly don’t want to outfit your entry door with windows because that means you’re compromising your security on an already vulnerable point of entry, but with a storm door, you can enjoy an entire glass panel without sacrificing the reliability of your entry door behind it.

Speaking of security, a storm door may not be as formidable as the entry door that stands behind it. Keep in mind that intruders are seeking out easy points of entry that will make minimal noise, allow for a quick method of access and departure, and help them go in and out of the home relatively unnoticed.

A storm door certainly does throw a wrench in this plan, creating yet another barrier for a potential intruder to be forced to bypass.

When to Skip a Storm Door

For most entry doors, a storm door is an excellent idea, but there are a few instances where installing a storm door can actually be harmful to the entry door that stands behind it.  The U.S. Department of Energy advises that homeowners should skip a storm door on exterior doors that see several hours of direct sunlight because this kind of exposure will trap heat within the storm door’s glass, which could then subsequently damage the entry door.

Instead, consider an overhang instead of a storm door.  You can still shelter off some of the direct sunlight from the entry door without worrying about heat becoming trapped and wreaking havoc on its surface.

And if you live in a warmer climate, then you may not need a storm door.  Storm doors excel at insulating and encourage energy conservation, which are excellent traits for the East Coast and Midwest.

Storm doors come with a slew of benefits, but your most important consideration will be the amount of direct sunlight your entry door is exposed to.  Like many homeowners, you might not be able to install a storm door on every entry door in your home, but there’s a good chance you can install one on your front or main door.

Purpose of Storm Doors

Don’t miss out on great energy efficiency with your outdated storm door. Outdated and old storm doors can be costing you up to thousands of dollars with energy costs. At Feldco, you are getting nothing but the best from award-winning windows and doors services to great installation. Speak to a product specialist and get a free quote online today.