Storm Door Specifications

Frame: Style & Functionality

• Storm doors are made of steel, aluminum, vinyl, wood or fiberglass. They can feature contemporary or traditional styling elements so you can pick one that blends best with your home. Some manufacturers offer customizing elements such as glass insets with etching. While this is important for the appearance of the front of your home, consider the construction's influence on the sturdiness and energy efficiency of the door. Look for a one-piece, seamless outer shell. The inner core can be solid wood or insulated foam. Good doors come with two layers of weatherstripping at the top, bottom and sides for an airtight seal. Learn about the door's inner structure to decide if it is suited to your family's use. Aluminum doors tend to be strong and weather-resistant. They are good choices for beach and humid climates.

Glass: Energy-Efficient & Resistant to Heat Transfer

• Glass is a major component of a storm door. Because there is more glass than frame, it pays to select a door with energy-efficient glass. Low-emittance, also called low-E, coatings improve the glass's ability to resist heat transfer, thus saving on heating and cooling costs. Low-E glass also reduces the amount of ultra-violet light that can enter the door. Argon gas fills the space between double-paned glass. It is heavier than air so it provides better insulation than air. Argon gas is often used in combination with a low-E coating. Look at the R-Value of the glass. R-Value indicates the resistance to heat flow of the glass's glazing. R stands for resistance. Look for a high R-Value rating.

Sizing: Standard or Custom

• Measure your door frame. Take four measurements: width at top, width halfway down, width at bottom and height. Storm doors come in standard widths with some excess for minor adjustments. Take the three width measurements to be certain your door opening is a standard size all the way from top to bottom. Standard storm door widths are 30 inches, 32 inches or 36 inches. Standard height varies from 80 inches to 81 inches or 96 inches for 8-foot-tall doors. A standard 32-by-80-inch door fits an opening of 31 3/4 inches wide to 32 1/4 inches wide by 80 inches to 81 1/4 inches tall. A standard 36-by-80-inch door fits an opening of 35 3/4 inches to 36 1/4 inches wide by 80 inches to 81 1/4 inches tall. If your door opening is wider or taller, you might need a custom storm door unless you can use wood trim to adjust the door opening to allow for a standard-sized storm door.