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jrb451

Are Storm Doors "So 80s"?

3 years ago

We were watching a recent episode of HGTV's "Home Town". Erin, when showing the client the proposed upgrades to that home, if chosen, mentioned that it would not have a storm door as they are "so 80s".


I thought storm doors were functional and not decoration.


Do you have any storm doors on your home?

Comments (36)

  • 3 years ago

    Yes, on two of them. The porchdoor does not. The front door is full view. I hate to think of the drafts without it.

    However it seems people with formal entries do not have them. I dont think thats anything new, though.

    jrb451 thanked dedtired
  • 3 years ago

    yes, on both doors. it's the MW

    jrb451 thanked bragu_DSM 5
  • 3 years ago

    Our front door does not have one, I’m not sure if it ever did, because the entry was replaced at one time. I wish it did, for summer breeze and light.

    jrb451 thanked bpath
  • 3 years ago

    I have two but none on my oversized front door. That door has just a screen door which I think was likely custom. It's an old, wooden screen door with an actual metal screen built in....very nicely made and protected from weather, aging well. I'd like a storm door there, but facing our moderating ocean and under a deep overhang, I hate to change the one that seems to suit the house style (and fits so well).

    I have a storm door that leads to my patio in the back where we will get our coldest winds from the E. In summer, the glass panel is raised, the door locks still and I can have fresh air coming in that hallway. The one that was here when we bought the house didn't seem to fit the threshold well and I had it replaced - at no small expense. Who knew doors and installation were so expensive.

    There is a second storm door from the reading room off our bedroom leading out to a small deck. Again, on the side of the house that will get the brunt of an E winter wind. Breezes and wind from the W are moderated by the ocean. Those hitting the E side are either hot, hot if coming from that direction in summer, or quite cold in winter.


    I don't know about 'so 80's'. My doors are functional. And my house is 1955 :)


    jrb451 thanked morz8 - Washington Coast
  • 3 years ago

    More HGTV ridiculousness. Glad we gave up that channel years ago. It used to be good.

    jrb451 thanked User
  • 3 years ago

    Never had a storm door, and I had never seen a storm door until I visited my brother while he was in graduate school at SUNY Albany. I never knew what they were before then.

    I have a security door here, but it does not prevent sand from blowing in, from time to time. I have ordered a door sweep that is supposed to be delivered by Wednesday, along with a robo vacuum to vacuum the sand that blows in.

    jrb451 thanked Lars
  • 3 years ago

    I have two storm doors but the 1750s door we salvaged from a Lancaster farm doesn't have one. My other two are attractive old wooden doors painted in the house colors.

    jrb451 thanked lily316
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Our front door has a full glass storm door, and the carport door has glass and screen. None on the back door, just a weird sliding screen that is ueeless.

    My childhood home from the 60s had storm doors.

    jrb451 thanked aok27502
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    We had a formal entry at our last house - double front doors that opened into a large foyer. We had 5 doors and the only one with a storm door opened onto the rear porch. All of the doors had large glass panels to maximize the light. The front double doors were Pella with etched glass panels and storm doors would have detracted from the look.

    When we moved into this house there was a cheap, dented screen door that never shut properly. We replaced it with a heavy duty storm door that seals so well that we often leave our front door open during the day. In this house the front door is solid without any glass.

    jrb451 thanked maire_cate
  • 3 years ago

    No storm doors because our climate is mild and my front door is protected by an overhang. But if I lived where they would be useful, I certainly wouldn't base my decision on HGTV. Like all "reality" TV it lacks reality.

    jrb451 thanked wildchild2x2
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    My renters like them. They let you see outside like a window, but keep the cold-AC air inside in the Summer. I had one renter ask if she could add one...I said No. The front door has stained glass in it...decorative...it would ruin the look. I don't have one on the house I live in, but....my husband wants one. He thinks it's good to have a locked see through storm door when you open your front door to strangers. It's safer....he says.

    jrb451 thanked User
  • 3 years ago

    This house has always had a storm door, front and side. I am thinking of getting an all glass storm door where the glass can come out in the summer and a screen put in. I like to have my doors open in the spring, summer and fall and if I didn't have a storm door I couldn't do that.

    jrb451 thanked Cherryfizz
  • 3 years ago

    Most of our exterior doors are full glass French doors, and we have full screen wooden doors on the outside so we can have nice fresh air and summer breezes - we opted for the old-fashioned wooden screen doors with a spring at the top because both of us love the sound of them slamming - from our childhood. Our front door is painted a marine blue, it's wood and has a row of divided windows on the top. No screen door on that and no need for a storm door since it is well protected under a deep portico.

    jrb451 thanked seagrass_gw Cape Cod
  • 3 years ago

    My storm door is both functional and decorative. It’s heavy duty with stain glass design around the perimeter of full glass view, and airtight. When the front wooden door is open I enjoy the view looking out, especially on a sunny day when sunlight dances through the storm door and deposits splash of colors from the stain glass in the hallway area.

    jrb451 thanked palisades_
  • 3 years ago

    Storm doors are for insulation, not for storms. They were the old-fashioned way of coming up with double/triple glazing with air in-between. They're still useful even with modern windows and doors. As said above, for function, not for decoration.

  • 3 years ago

    Neighbors across the street took off their storm door. The only rain protection the door then had was a small canvas awning that weathered to shreds. The wood door got repeatedly wet and started coming apart. It had been a beautiful door with an arch at the top. They had to get a new one made; could not buy something standard to fit.


    I'd like to get a nicer looking storm door on my front. I've always been told that it is actually the law in my city to have storm doors, but I've never checked city code. I see few houses without.


    Our storm door helps in a way I wouldn't have thought of. The threshold is hard, smooth limestone, nearly like marble. When wet it is slippery. The storm door keeps most of the threshold dry. The outermost part, not enclosed by the door, now has a friction strip on it to stop any slipping.

    jrb451 thanked matthias_lang
  • 3 years ago

    Probably but I like having one. I have the one with the hidden storage and I love it. Let's in fresh air!

    jrb451 thanked Annegriet
  • 3 years ago

    Here in the upper midwest yes a storm door is most appreciated. When we lived in Torrence we had screen doors so one could leave the door open and catch a breeze. Some places the 'storm door' has glass and screens that swap. They are a very FUNCTIONAL part of a home. I have noticed several postings from people seeking to paint their door some vibrant color, discussion of taking off the storm door. I have been wondering WHY one would do that and lose the function.

    jrb451 thanked arcy_gw
  • 3 years ago

    No on front door. Just screen door on the deck and a sliding screen on the sliding doors.

    jrb451 thanked Annie Deighnaugh
  • PRO
    3 years ago

    My front door storm door is nice, it has the upper roller so it can be glass or screen. It is nice during storms to protect the inner door. Also nice during warm weather to have the inner door open and the upper screen open. Or closed if we have the AC on. The extra air pocket of insulation does make a difference. The office door does not have a storm door, it has a vestibule. We tend not to use it much when it's crappy out. It's getting a storm door next summer hopefully.

    Storm doors are functional, and IMO necessary in some climates. And a lot of building situations. But they can look dated. Just like other doors, color, style, and hardware can make a difference. My storm door looks a bit dated between the color and hardware, but I don't care. It works great.

    jrb451 thanked beesneeds
  • 3 years ago

    I love my storn doors. It seems that they are not so much for use in a storm as they are a nice glass door that still offers some security, to keep the nice people out, but they also function as a window and can be used in screen mode.

    I think that remodel program was just trying to sell some pretentious nonsense.

    Sure, if you had some special kind of door with fancy glass and all that, maybe not.. I wouldnt want that. I like a nice window/door.

    All this fear of being out of style with your home over a nice glass door is nonsense.

    jrb451 thanked claudia valentine
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    "Storm doors are for insulation, not for storms". Then why aren't they called insulation doors? They could be considered an anti-infiltration door but most people have understood and become accustom to the term "storm door" as a barrier that stops the infiltration of wind and rain during a storm.

  • 3 years ago

    Our front entry door is an oversize mahogany-stained wood archtop, set within an arched surround with panes of glass on both sides. A storm/screen door would look odd. The stoop is roofed, and the door has needed touching up twice in 20 years, despite facing north. This door has a mortise lock and a deadbolt. Yes, someone could break one of the double-pane glass panels, but it would be smarter to break in through any of the French doors along the south and east of the house! (Actually, our burglar of 15 years ago walked in through the door DH left unlocked when he went out through the garage to walk our dog.)

    There is a storm/screen door over the half-glass door from the back hall to the back yard.

    I would never depend on an 'over-door' for security. Their locks are usually weak, and in the summer it's simple to slit a screen to gain entry. We don't open our front door to anyone we don't recognize.

    jrb451 thanked chisue
  • 3 years ago

    It had one before I bought this house but the previous owner took it with her. I wish I had replaced it years ago but never got around to it. I'm going to replace the front door this coming year and will probably put one on.

    jrb451 thanked Kathsgrdn
  • 3 years ago

    I would imagine that if you lived in a warmer climate, a storm door wouldn't be as necessary as it is here in Missouri. Huge winds are common, thunderstorms, snow and ice. Having a storm door as a barrier is extremely helpful. Mine has the rolling top so I can tuck the glass down, and then it's a screen to allow fresh air in on a pretty day.


    With my old storm door, which I believe was from the 80s when the house was built, was not airtight. I opened my front door one winter day to find close to 2-ft of snow between the storm and main door. Had the new door installed shortly after that!

    jrb451 thanked Mystical Manns
  • 3 years ago

    I love my full view storm doors on all my entry doors, I love the light I can let in,

    jrb451 thanked krystalmoon2009
  • 3 years ago

    3 storm doors here. 2 are under porch roofs so they're mainly for a buffer against wind/drafts. The 3rd one isn't under a porch roof so it's main purpose besides preventing drafts is to also protect the inner door/entrance stoop from soaking/driving rain storms. All 3 can also be locked which is another layer of home protection.

    jrb451 thanked vgkg Z-7 Va
  • 3 years ago

    I consider storm doors as a safety feature. Screens are easily cut but the sound of breaking doors if someone would attempt to enter would draw attention to them. When expecting service people I can open the inside door to verify that they are who they say they are. Ring cameras are good but I often have messy hands and I can clean the inside door latch easier than my computer or phone.


    I have those roll down screens on both front and back Pella installed stormdoors which is on my replacement list. Seeing a raccoon pulling the screen from the side while funny also underlined that anyone can reach in and unlatch the lock. Nothing in this house is a standard size so it is not as if I can go and just install a new one.

    jrb451 thanked maifleur03
  • 3 years ago

    WWe northerners have snow, so space is needed between the warm house and the snow and wind.

    No covering over front door, that leads to concrete steps and 20 some feet of grass to the laneway - and seldom used.

    Storm door with lower panel and split upper panel, upper covered with a pane and lower with screen and glass panel that can be slid up to allow air to come in when desired. It protects the hardwood door with somewhat elderly paint, two fairly large panes above and three rather thinner wood panels below.

    O. K. - it leaks cold air, but much better than if it weren't there.

    The door into the back porch are two sheets of thin plywood on a frame, so the storm door protects it and there is one on the door into the house, which deters drafts. Both have sliding glass panels that open to allow air circulation through a screen.

    ole joyfuelled ... wh needs heavier fuelling (and clothing) in winter

    jrb451 thanked joyfulguy
  • 3 years ago

    We have storm doors on our Minnesota home and our Florida home.

    jrb451 thanked JoanMN
  • 3 years ago

    A couple posters above have stated that they have a certain model of screened door where when the top window is rolled down a screen unrolls from the top to take its place. Sounds like 2 of my doors which also have that same design. I bought both at Lowes a few years apart and they perform well other than 1 major flaw. It can be too easy to lock yourself outside with these doors, there is no keyhole (or key) to unlock these doors from the outside. So if you flip the lock switch when exiting and the door closes behind you then you're locked out unless someone is inside to unlock it for you.

    A fix I use to avoid being locked out is to never close that upper window into its locking position (via tab on top). So if I do lock myself outside (not yet) I can at least lower the screen part and cut through it to reach the door locking knob. Once that damage is done (screen cutting) it looks impossible to replace the screen since it's on a roller mechanism within the door's housing.

    jrb451 thanked vgkg Z-7 Va
  • 3 years ago

    There aren't many around here. We've considered getting one just for the functionality.

    jrb451 thanked User
  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    vgkg, I’ve just gone and studied my storm door after reading your comment.

    I have one that has a roll down screen. It also has a lock on the outside but we never use it and the key just hangs on our key rack.

    I tried locking myself out but the door doesn’t close in the lock position. I can lock it from the outside using the key or lock it from the inside by turning the the little knob.

  • 3 years ago

    Absolutely no need to cut through the screen on the rolling type. Just stick your arm through the sides and unlock the door. Both of the ones I have are keyed but it is basically impossible to lock yourself out unless the door is sticking or someone inside locks it after you have left.


    The reason I am wanting to replace both of the ones I have is the screen breaks after about two years. Both are Pella now handled by Larson. Having replaced mine now for the forth time I am planning on going back to the type where the glass can slide up or down with hopefully a metal screen.

  • 3 years ago

    My wooden storm door off the kitchen is painted to match the house and has small-paned windows in the top half, and wood panels on the bottom. The top half can be removed in the summer for the screen insert. I would guess this storm door is maybe 80 /100 years old. It functions very well with the open main door and was built to match the 1840 main door. Same with the front door.

    jrb451 thanked lily316