screen door or storm door?
Not only is our current storm door one of the most hideous available in recent years (That horrible scalloped edge!) it’s too small for the door opening, the bottom of the screen is busted through, and, most insultingly of all, when our house was painted by the previous owner, they just went ahead and sprayed the white metal door the same tan, matte color as the rest of the house. But while my reasons for needing a new door are plenty, my choices, not so much. The doors at Home Depot are serviceable but boring. Lowe’s isn’t much better, though they do carry some old fashioned wooden screen doors. They may not block the chill (not that our scalloped horror has been) but I just like the look of retro screen doors better. Check out these fab metal screen door inserts from Moon Shine Lamp & Shade and Hip Haven, $250 (just for the insert, not for the door). It might fit a vintage-style aluminum door from Columbia Royal Aluminum, $135 according to this post at No Pattern Required. I also found Garden Woodworks, a Seattle company that will custom make and ship you a wooden door wherever you are in the States, starting at around $300. Will a storm door make a big difference in our utility bills? (It hovers in the 50s for most of the year here.) If I go for efficiency, must I sacrifice style? — Mary T.
Photos via Garden Woodworks
how good is the seal on your actual door? Do you have a buffer zone or semi-contained entryway?
I don’t have storm doors. I live upstate NY and average winter temps hover around freezing. I took off the similar storm from my back door a few years ago and don’t miss it.
Why don’t you just take it down and store it for a while and do a test while you contemplate a screen-only door?
Taking it down is one of those, Oh! relief moments because it looks so good. Then there is the Oh! I’m suddenly outside and exposed immediately moments because you don’t yet have a screen door up.
good luck. the second door is so cute and looks similar to one of the lowe’s options too.
Funny — we’ve actually done that already, Ellie! The previous door wasn’t doing much of anything except maybe keeping the dogs out while letting a breeze in (it didn’t keep out bugs since the screen was broken). But it is weird to open the door and be like, Oh! Outside!
This is not beautiful, but it’s what we have and we love it: http://www.homedepot.com/Doors-Windows-Storm-Doors/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xg1Zas85/R-100250521/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053.
It’s simple white and glass, so it’s just pretty simple. It keeps cold and heat out well (we live in a 1950s house in north Florida). What we really love about it is you can pull the top half down (it retracts into itself) when it’s nice out. Lets the nice weather in, but keeps the bugs out. Plus, it’s almost all glass, so we get to look at everything that’s outside.
Good luck in your search!
I love wooden screen doors–and we need to replace the ugly storm door that came with the house on our front door. We actually have two very attractive wooden screen doors on our screened porch, I adore them. My husband really wants something energy efficient though, while I want something attractive. Are there energy efficient wood doors out there??
[...] 1) The debate on storm and screen doors leaves us dissatisfied. Mary T. is looking for a stylish storm door or an efficient screen door, and many of you are right there with her. Pencils says: “I love wooden screen doors–and we need to replace the ugly storm door that came with the house on our front door. We actually have two very attractive wooden screen doors on our screened porch, I adore them. My husband really wants something energy efficient though, while I want something attractive. Are there energy efficient wood doors out there??†Well, are there? [...]
….here in Canada, we have wooden screen doors (wooden bottom, screen for approx top 2/3) that come with a good quality plexiglass insert to replace the removeable screen for the winter months……..if someone could make you the wooden door, perhaps they could source the ‘glass for you……?
@laura: i have roughly the same door & i love it. i wanted the full view so the cats could sit & look outside. (it doesn’t really help keep them inside, like i’d hoped, but they do seem to enjoy the view for a bit before they start crying to go out.) it has a funky fit–which is more to do with the new orleans humidity & my house settling than it has to do with the door itself–but it’s very sturdy. i’m very happy with it!