“Security storm doors” feature decorative metal grating and heavy, full-locking systems to prevent anyone from breaking in. Speaking of security, these doors can also be designed to protect your home from intruders. Some doors even include a built-in deadbolt security lock. Hinges, door closers, handles, and locks must be able to withstand repeated daily use. But you can also choose doors with glass inserts in the top, middle, and/or bottom sections. Full-view doors feature one solid glass expanse to allow the beauty of your entry door to show through. Storm door frames are available in aluminum, vinyl-clad wood, or steel. They shield the entry door against the effects of sunlight, heat, cold, wind, rain, super-storms, and hurricanes. These exterior doors are meant to protect. The best storm doors offer double or triple panes and low-emissivity (Low-E) glass to keep out heat and cold for greater energy efficiency. Storm doors: Your protective doorway sentryĪ traditional storm door features a tempered glass insert or inserts that allow natural light to fill the home’s entryway when the front door is open. Choosing a screen door with a solid panel or heavy gauge screening at the bottom would be a good option. Something to consider: If you have dogs or cats that like to go in and out, they may break a hole in your screen for self-service access. Leaving a door open to the hot temperatures and humidity of summer can send your AC bill soaring. In hotter, more humid climates, the benefit of a screen door may be limited to early spring and late fall. On the other hand, if you prefer privacy, a screen door could share a little too much with your neighbors. Screen doors also make a good option for entryways on porches or decks, allowing you to communicate easily between each area. Naturally, screen doors are the perfect addition for a screened porch and in more temperate climates are an excellent choice for ventilation, especially for kitchen entry doors. The screened opening can span most of the length of the door or just the top half. You’ll often find them constructed with wood or aluminum frames, and they generally have simple hardware and hinges. Screen doors: The breezy choiceĪ screen door allows you to enjoy all the sights and sounds of the great outdoors without the pesky bugs getting inside. But depending on your climate, location, and your family’s habits, you may find either a screen door or a storm door to be the better choice for your needs. They each offer protection for your entry door and keep pests and insects from entering the home. At the other end of the spectrum, memories of wintertime often come with the light-filled view from an open entry door that reveals a winter wonderland beyond the security and protection of a glass storm door.īoth screen and storm doors have their benefits and their place. Some of our favorite summer memories feature the familiar thwack of the screen door as we ran outside to play or came home to family and the delicious smells of good home cooking. A close look at what each option has to offer.

Screen soor