storm door advise

[John Piwaron]

I'm going to be buying a new storm door soon. I was thinking I'd go with an Anderson but I found a page with complaints about Anderson quality. Well!

What's your experience? Any real concerns with buying an Anderson or should I buy some other brand. Pella comes to mind. I'm sure there are plenty of others. What's good?

[Sam Murdoch]

I'm one who has been completely happy with the Andersen 4000 series storm/screen door. I don't hesitate to recommend this door.

I like the full view version with a full glass storm panel that can be changed out with a full screen panel. In Maine I like putting the screen away in the winter. I'm not a big fan of the screen that stores in the door. Check out their warranty too!

http://www.stormdoors.com/doors/4000...ew-storm-door/

[John Piwaron]

Thanks. I've got an Anderson brochure. I do like what I see, but I'm also concerned about quality.

I guess I'll have to spend time looking at a few places. Lowe's has Pella, HD has Anderson. Plus there's an outfit around here that builds and installs them. Allis Industries.

[Bruce Page]

We had a ProVia entry & storm door installed a few weeks ago. I'm very impressed with the quality.

[Bob Vavricka]

I need to replace a storm door also, but my door faces southwest and the storm door seems to traps a lot of afternoon and evening heat. I've thought about just leaving a storm door off, but do like to leave the door open sometimes for the extra light it lets in. Does anyone else have a problem with a storm door trapping a lot of heat. May need to look at one that is not full glass and allows some ventilation.

[Brian Elfert]

I need to replace a storm door also, but my door faces southwest and the storm door seems to traps a lot of afternoon and evening heat. I've thought about just leaving a storm door off, but do like to leave the door open sometimes for the extra light it lets in. Does anyone else have a problem with a storm door trapping a lot of heat. May need to look at one that is not full glass and allows some ventilation.

How about just going to an entry door with full glass in it and forgetting about the storm door? A good quality entry door doesn't need a storm door.

My brothers and I used to sell Christmas wreaths in the 80s for the Boy Scouts. We had several customers that hung wreathes on the front door behind a full glass storm door. It got so hot in there with the sun even though it was 20 degrees outside it fried the wreaths.

[Ed Aumiller]

Have Andersons (4), not sure of model number but they are full view and have been abused by children & animals and still great.... especially like the closures on both top & bottom of door, think that adds a lot to the rigidity of it... had Larson, Pella & other brands... Anderson beats them all... I never use the screen in it as we use A/C in summer...

One door is south facing and we normally keep the regular door open... if both doors are closed it is like an oven between them... but we have 2' roof overhangs so it is a minimum amount of heat trapped...

[Joe Tilson]

We bought a Pella several years ago and it is still going strong. Ours is double hung glass on stretch bands, and faces west. We just leave a small opening top and bottom in summer to let the heat out. We also have a Reliable insulated metal door, which does not get hot on the inside. Works very well for us.

Joe

[Ole Anderson]

I just installed an Andersen 2500 for a friend last week. I didn't see any quality issues other than I couldn't get the vinyl trim to snap in over the top screws, odd since it fit on the sides fine. No biggie. I liked the self storing roll up screen. This model had one closer at the bottom you could latch in the open position with your foot. Don't get a universal left or right version though, they are not drilled for the lockset, get a dedicated left or right model.

[Harry Hagan]

I need to replace a storm door also, but my door faces southwest and the storm door seems to traps a lot of afternoon and evening heat. I've thought about just leaving a storm door off, but do like to leave the door open sometimes for the extra light it lets in. Does anyone else have a problem with a storm door trapping a lot of heat. May need to look at one that is not full glass and allows some ventilation.

Installing a storm door on a door that catches any direct sunlight or has plastic moldings will most likely void the manufacturer’s warranty. The space between the two doors becomes intensely hot and may damage the door’s surface, associated moldings, weather-stripping, etc.

[Bruce Page]

Our new ProVia doors face due west and get full New Mexico sunlight from mid afternoon to late afternoon. I measured the temp with my Fluke meter and thermocouple, it was reaching 133° @ 6:00PM / 90° ambient. Hot enough that you didn’t want to hold the door handles very long. With the storm door glass opened top & bottom 2” it got up to 98° @ 6:00PM / 90° ambient. That was still too hot so I had a local tinting company come out and install Panorama Slate 10 window film that blocks 99% UV and has 79% Total Solar Energy Rejection rating. It has the added benefit of being a gold tint one way mirror looking in during daylight hours and a mild tint looking out. It still gets warm between the doors but nothing like the 133°.

Installing a storm door on a door that catches any direct sunlight or has plastic moldings will most likely void the manufacturer’s warranty. The space between the two doors becomes intensely hot and may damage the door’s surface, associated moldings, weather-stripping, etc.

I looked at the warranties and it says nothing about being voided in this circumstance.

[John Piwaron]

First, I like the fact that a film is available to help lower the temperature between the storm and the entry door. But second, it'd be sad for it to come to that. I want to get a full view type storm to help show off the entry door and jambs that I built and installed last weekend. The good part - I live in Wisconsin. I'd most likely have the screen on in the summer. The less good part - it's a south facing door.

[Sam Murdoch]

First, I like the fact that a film is available to help lower the temperature between the storm and the entry door. But second, it'd be sad for it to come to that. I want to get a full view type storm to help show off the entry door and jambs that I built and installed last weekend. The good part - I live in Wisconsin. I'd most likely have the screen on in the summer. The less good part - it's a south facing door.

You could always install a blind or shade between the doors but I doubt that would prove useful or practical. Here in Maine (probably not unlike at your place in WI) in the winter the extra sun is welcomed and doesn't really get to overheat between the doors and in the summer we put in the screen. And in the early spring before the screen goes in we open the main door to capture some of the heat.

[Rich Riddle]

I have Andersen 4000 storm doors on the house and have absolutely no trouble with them in the least. We own a house with all new Andersen windows and storm doors and a condominium with Pella units. I will always buy Andersen units in the future after comparing the two as home owners.

[Myk Rian]

I want to get a full view type storm to help show off the entry door and jambs that I built and installed last weekend. The good part - I live in Wisconsin. I'd most likely have the screen on in the summer. The less good part - it's a south facing door.

Keep the screen in it all year round.
Really.