Should You Get a Storm Door?
Are you considering getting a storm door? You may be interested in a door to keep bugs out, or maybe you’re worried about the harsh winter weather’s effect on your door. Maybe you’ve heard that a storm door can help your home be energy efficient, and you want to save money on your power bill.
If you’re not sure if a storm door is worth spending money on, keep reading. This blog will show you when a storm door is a good investment and when it is not.
Good Reasons to Get a Storm Door
A storm door is not for everyone. However, if you’re interested in the following benefits, it can be a great addition to your home.
Prevent Front Door Damage
The most obvious reason to get a storm door is to protect your front door from bad weather. Front doors can be expensive to replace, and if your door gets hit by driving rain, sleet, and snow, it won’t last as long. Installing a storm door will cost less than constantly replacing your front door.
Keep in mind, however, that if your front door is already protected, you won’t need a storm door. Your front door will probably be fine if there is an overhang over the door or if you have a porch. Just check the overhang’s size-it needs to be at least four by four feet to be effective.
Add Ventilation
Are the summers hot where you live? If so, you may not like leaving your front door closed all the time. You want to be able to hear your children playing outside, and you want breezes to pass through your house.
However, you may not be fond of bugs wandering inside, so you can’t just keep your door open. If this is a concern for you, a storm door can be a great solution. Just look for a retractable storm door: if the weather starts getting nasty, you can pull the glass into place, and if the weather is great, you can use the screen. That way, you can enjoy leaving the door open and keeping your door protected.
Secure Your Home
You might be worried about your home’s security, and you might wonder if adding an extra door will be safer. While not all storm doors are designed for security, some are, and they can be helpful. A solid storm door can make your home less attractive to thieves because it will be that much harder to kick through the door and gain access to your home.
Of course, a storm door is only helpful if the rest of your home is also secure. A storm door will not stop a thief from entering through a window. As a bonus, though, a solid, secure storm door may help deaden traffic noise from the street.
Bad Reasons to Get a Storm Door
While storm doors can help with ventilation, security, and storm protection, they aren’t always a great fit for your home. If you want the following benefits, you may have to look into other options.
Stop Drafts
You may be interested in a storm door to stop the drafts you feel coming from your front door. While a storm door can help with this issue, you would be better off finding and fixing the source of the draft.
For example, if your door is old and has shrunk, it may not seal tightly enough to its frame when closed. Or maybe you need new weather stripping. Either way, fixing these issues will be more effective than adding a storm door.
Increase Energy Efficiency
You care about the environment, and you want your energy bills to stay low. You may have heard that a storm door can prevent heat loss, which will reduce how much energy your furnaces uses to keep your house warm.
While energy efficiency is a great goal, a storm door is not the best use of your money to achieve it. Comparatively, very little energy escapes through your doors. Most energy loss goes through things like air ducts, holes in the home, and poorly insulated walls. You would be better off working with those issues than covering a front door that doesn’t lose much energy anyway.
Instead of getting a storm door, try adding insulation, fixing any drafts, and making sure your weather stripping is intact. You’ll get more value for your money.
A storm door is a great idea for some situations. If you live in a climate with harsh weather, if you like summer breezes without bugs, and if you want a secure home, a storm door can be the right solution. However, don’t expect a storm door to fix problems with energy inefficiency and drafts.
If you are interested in a storm door, contact Central Glass Company. We can help you pick out the perfect storm door for your home and install it for you.