As a homeowner, you want to do everything you can to protect your home’s exterior. That’s why it’s important to pressure wash your home every six months or so, repair your siding when necessary, and hire exterior painters when your paint job starts to fade, peel, or chip away. As you take care of your house, though, you might overlook your doors. Keep in mind that, like your siding, your doors are also vulnerable to damage. If they get too worn down, the inside of your home may get damaged, too. This is why some homeowners have storm doors installed.
A storm door is an additional door (typically glass) that goes outside your standard door, acting as an extra environmental barrier. In most cases, the glass pane itself can be removed and replaced with a screen to allow airflow. Storm doors are fairly common and useful in a number of ways, but do you need to add them to your home? Let’s go over some considerations.
What’s Your Climate Like?
As their name implies, storm doors are primarily designed to guard your doors against harsh weather conditions (conditions which also determine how often you’ll need to hire exterior house painters). So, the first and most obvious thing to consider before installing storm doors is your region’s climate. Depending on where you live, you may experience more turbulent weather on a more frequent basis. If you live in an area with strong storms, high winds, heavy snows, etc., storm doors are often good to have. Otherwise, your door will be exposed and subject to all kinds of damage. As a result, you will likely have to invest in more frequent repairs and exterior painting, or perhaps have to replace the door entirely.
Added Insulation, Ventilation, and Protection
Even if you live in a mostly temperate area and your doors don’t require all that much protection, storm doors still yield year-round benefits that any homeowner can appreciate. For one thing, storm doors add another layer of insulation to your home, keeping air out when it’s unwanted, and preventing insects and other harmful substances from gaining entry to your home. Conversely, storm doors also allow for increased ventilation when you want a dose of fresh air, while still keeping out unwanted visitors. By replacing the glass panel with a screen, air can comfortably circulate in your home.
Some Downsides to Storm Doors
Storm doors do come with a few minor caveats, of course. Mainly, they can become cumbersome when you’re trying to easily access your home. You may need to fumble with an extra key or prop the storm door with your foot while you open the internal door. Also, the glass pane of storm doors can trap heat when sunlight pours directly on it. This can raise your home’s internal temperature and also wear out your entry door’s paint job and structural integrity. If your home receives a lot of sunshine, a storm door may cause more trouble than it’s worth, especially for your residential painting.
The Verdict?
Do you need storm doors, then? Unsurprisingly, the answer here is: it depends. To make the right call, you must consider your climate, your needs, and the various pros and cons storm doors offer. If you’re still on the fence, ask the experts. At All American Painting Plus, we’re more than just painting contractors. Our expertise in home improvement allows us to help you make big decisions like having storm doors installed and much more. To learn more about all that we can do for our clients in Northern Virginia, give us a call at (703)-620-5563!
