How to Install a Storm Door

Installing a storm door is one of the smartest home fixes you can undertake, as it saves energy even as it helps protect the door behind it. Storm door installation is a relatively simple project that requires only basic tools that you might already have on hand. It's also one of those remodeling projects that you can feel confident about. The rewards of storm door installation far surpass the modest amount of labor and cost of materials.

Reasons to Install a Storm Door

Before you purchase a storm door, acquaint yourself with its features. In some cases, you might even find that a storm door is unnecessary for your situation.

Storm doors are aptly named because their main purpose is to protect your exterior door against the effects of weather, in general, and inclement weather in particular. Storm doors also help preserve your heated interior environment by reducing drafts that may enter through your exterior door's weatherstripping.

There are many reasons to install storm doors. Storm doors can:

• Protect your main, exterior door from direct contact with rain and snow
• Add more light to your room during fair weather with the solid door open
• Provide short-term protection against banked-up snow
• Reduce drafts that pass through your exterior door's weatherstripping

Some storm doors include a sliding panel and screen, making them a year-round benefit; you can slide the panel up to allow for a flow of air through the screen during the warmer months, and slide the panel down to seal up the door during colder weather. Either option can help save on your utility bills.

Project Limitations

Storm doors are not a cure for all weather-related woes. If you have a covered porch that reliably prevents moisture of all types from reaching your front door, adding a storm door will add little or no value. Replacing your exterior door with a better model might, in fact, be a wiser move. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a storm door will provide minimal benefits if you already have a newer, insulated front door. Your energy savings may not offset the cost of the storm door.

Consider these other limitations to storm doors:

• Storm doors cannot prevent floodwater from entering your home.
• Storm doors banked with snow will eventually leak through the seals if the snow is left in place too long.
• The air pocket between the storm door and the front door is of minimal R-value.
• Storm doors usually cannot be painted to match or otherwise complement your home's exterior.

Before You Begin

With no complicated shimming required, storm door installation is a less exacting process than slab door or pre-hung door installation. Even though most storm doors are relatively light, weighing in the range of 60 to 80 pounds, an assistant is always helpful for a second hand. If the storm door has a screen and if the glass is removable, take both out now and set them safely aside. This will lighten your load, making installation easier. Both items can easily be put back into place once the door has been installed.