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Full view storm door.

How To Pick The Right Storm Door For Your Home

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Storm Door Buyers Guide

Your storm door is the first thing a visitor sees when entering your home, so make a great first impression with the right style of screen door. Your front door system also guards your entry door and home from the elements and lets in fresh air and natural sunlight. In this post, we will discuss what storm door is right for your home. Most manufacturers sell pre-hung doors in kits for easy installation. The best storm door for you depends on your specific needs and the size and style of your house. 

Let’s take a look at the brands, styles and types of storm doors. We will also tell you how much a storm installation will cost and how long to install a screen door. Shall we dive in?

Storm door installation, styles of storm doors
A 3/4 storm door with lever handle.

Before Buying a Storm Door

Before buying a storm door, there are four things to consider. Size, style, color and material of the door.

Measuring the rough opening

Before you purchase a storm door you will need to do three things. The first is to measure the entry door rough opening to know what size storm door you need. 

For the width, measure from left to right inside the brick mold where the storm door mounting rails will be installed. Measure in three places, top, middle and bottom. For the height, measure from the threshold to where the storm door will sit on the top.

Storm door colors

Most storm doors models come in a few select colors. Many models have different colors to choose from. 

Popular storm door colors include:

  • White 
  • Black
  • Sandstone
  • Graphite
  • Tan
  • Green
  • Almond
  • Cranberry
  • Woodland

 

Choose a storm door that matches your lifestyle.

Pets, kids and what type of view you want when the entry door is open. Door manufacturers are always innovating their products with new features.Hidden closer is one of the newest door features. Multi point locking systems are great for homes that have toddlers that can unlock the door and get out. 

 

Speaking of getting out, there are many brands that offer built-in pet doors for the storm door. This saves you time and also eliminates any scratches on the doors. Half glass doors are perfect for those with toddlers. They keep you from having to clean the glass when the child’s messy hand and fingerprints are on the glass.

Strom door replacement, storm door types
Storm doors come in a variety of colors.
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Types of Storm Door for Your Home

Storm doors come in a variety of materials from steel, aluminum, wood and fiberglass. 

  • Full view which lets in the most light and air when screens are installed. 
  • Beveled glass for a classic look. Low E glass for energy efficient storm doors. 
  • Pet doors to let out our four-legged family members. 
  • Security doors which have metal scroll work to protect the door, which is great if you have kids playing ball near the door.  
  • Mid view or ¾ doors offering some lower door protection. 
  • Half or ½ doors which add some privacy when open and also keep toddlers from marking up the glass. 

 

Storm door screen types

You can choose between full-view, retractable and standard screens.Full view includes separate glass and screen panels that are switched out as needed. When not in use, a retractable screen hides in the top of the door. Standard screens are fixed and the glass panels slide up and down.

 

Galvanized steel screens are the least expensive and resist holes and tears. Aluminum screens resist corrosion but aren’t as strong as galvanized steel screens. Fiberglass screens offer corrosion resistance and are easy to install, which makes them a good replacement screen.Bronze screens are the most expensive, yet are the most durable of all screen types.

 

Storm door handle types

Handles are available in different finishes, including brushed nickel, satin nickel, brass, antique brass, aged bronze and matte black. Some models also have deadbolts and keyed deadbolts and locks. 

 

Push button handles come standard on basic models, while levered or turn knob styles come on higher end storm doors.

 

Storm door closers

A pneumatic closer prevents a door from opening too fast or far. It also closes the door slowly and firmly. Some models come with two closers, one at the top and another at the bottom. To keep the door from opening too far, they have a spring system at the top of the door jamb. Many innovative models come with hidden closer systems so you do not see the mechanism.

brands of storm doors, storm door installation service
Self storing storm doors are simple to use and maintain.

Brands of Storm Doors

There are many manufactures of storm doors, below you will find the four most popular brands of storm doors. These brands are easy to find at most home improvement centers. You may have to order the storm door if it has new and innovative features, a special size or color. 

Larson Storm Doors

LARSON products are widely available from most US home improvement retailers and dealers. They have been in business for over 60 years and have three product manufacturing plants in the United States. There claim is they are America’s #1 storm door. With 42 different models of storm door, it is easy to see why. See all their models here.

 

Some of Larson storm door models include:

  • Retractable screen

  • Pet friendly

  • Full glass

  • Venting

  • Security

 

Their most popular model is the Screen Away storm door. These exterior storm doors offer protection and are built to last. The aluminum frames are maintenance-free. These self-storing screen doors come with dual weatherstripping that provides a tight seal and keeps weather out. The hidden screen offers ventilation when needed and keeps bugs out.

 

Visit Larson storm door website here.

 

Pella Storm Doors

Pella has 11 varieties of storm and screen doors to fit and home style and homeowners budget. The most popular among homeowners is the Pella Select Low E full glass window. It comes in 8 colors with five different handle colors. It is a versatile storm door. Offering ventilation with an interchangeable full screen. Low-E glass for increased energy efficiency. One-touch® closer holds the door open with a touch of a button and a keyed deadbolt for security.

 

The Pella Select storm door comes in 32 and 36 inches wide and adjusts from 80 to 81 inches high. It has an adjustable bottom to fit uneven thresholds.

 

Check out the model Pella has to offer here.

Full view storm door installation, screen door replacment
Security storm doors add peace of mind and an elegant look.

Anderson Storm Doors

Anderson is known as a leading window company, but they have a line of storm doors to match their reputation of great quality. Andersen storm doors and screen doors allow you to enhance your entryway to complement your home.

If you have toddlers and do not want a full glass storm door, they offer ¾ & ½ light panel ventilating storm doors. Partial light doors, often called panel doors, offer classic looks with their ½ or ¾ view over a solid lower panel. 

 

Anderson also offers LuminAire® Retractable Insect Screen Door. These screen doors offer the ability to protect from pests, while keeping your entry doors look. These screen doors retract, rather than swing open. Perfect for when the swinging of the door would be obstructed. 

These retractable screen doors come in widths of 32-26 inches and are adjustable. The door heights range from 78 to 84 inches. Make it an easy installation for your handyman, and it fits almost any door.

 

You can visit Anderson here.

 

Emco Storm Doors

Emco doors are an Anderson brand. They come in 8 different styles and models. Some models come with a built-in dual close system that is 50% stronger than the standard dual closers. It has an advanced two-part operation for a smoother close motion and a more consistent latch. Includes easy-to-use hold-open feature.

 

There full view storm door models are:

The 4000 series is the top of the line storm door offered by Emco. This full-view storm door comes with dual-pane insulating glass, which makes it a very energy efficient storm door.

 

Partial view Emco models are:

  • 400 SERIES

  • 300 SERIES

  • 200 SERIES

  • 100 SERIES

  • K900 SERIES

 

Emco pet storm door model K900 can be made for small or large pets, it comes with a self storing screen and storm window system. If you have a fenced-in backyard and a pet, this door is great to allow your pet to go out, get exercise or do its duty, without you. It also comes with security features to keep out trouble.

 

Visit Emco storm door website here.

pet door storm doors, pet door installation
Built-in pet doors are a nice feature to have.

Cost to install a storm door.

The price of the storm door is a factor in how much your screen door installation will cost. Labor costs remain quite firm regardless of the door you purchase. Labor to install a storm door from our handyman  services typically runs anywhere from $125 to $200 labor costs. 


Any additional items, materials or services would be extra. The average cost to install a storm door materials, labor and misc. materials would be in the $400-700 range. Though some wooden screen doors are less and high-end models with added features could cost as much as $1,000 or more to install, everything included.

Click here to get a quote in Burlington County, New Jersey
storm door colors, screen door models
Storm doors come in several colors.

How long does it take to install a storm door?

The average storm door replacement takes a little less than 2 hours from start to finish. This includes removing the old door. A little prep work, unpacking the storm door and checking the installation manual are the first steps. Make sure to read the warranty, so your storm door installation doesn’t void the warranty. 

Storm Door Conclusion

Picking the right storm door can be a challenge, but if you sit and think about what uses the door serves, the view you want, considering safety and security, plus energy efficiency, getting a new storm door installed isn’t that hard. Whether you’re adding an exterior storm door or replacing one, get a price quote from our handyman services.

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