Entry Door Replacement

entry door Questions and Answersentry door questions

Entry Door Replacement

Dear Tony,
We are getting ready to reside our house and replace a warped, six-panel wooden entry door with two 12″ half-sidelites.  There is also a full glass storm door which has a entry doorremovable glass panel that we change out for screen when the weather is warm. We live in Connecticut and our entry door faces true west.  This easily accounts for the warped wooden door, but it’s taken a few decades to warp this way.  The door closes but leaks cold air around the outside framing in the wintertime. The door itself also becomes hard to open in high humidity.

That said, we are confused about what is the best new entry door for this application.  A steel door (with a storm door over it) will get too hot.  I’m not sure how fiberglass will perform, and we already know how wood performs.  One suggestion was to eliminate the storm door to reduce the heat load.  However, that means that there will be no screen door for the lovely weather months when the soft breezes come.

Do you have any suggestions?  Thank you in advance.
Renae

 

entry door answer

Renae,

Wood doors are great in some areas but are prone to warping, splitting and swelling if exposed to excessive heat or moisture. Based on the photo you provided, a wood  entry door would likely suffer premature failure due to moisture if not protected by a storm door.

For this application either a steel or fiberglass entry door would preform better, though IReplace entry door still recommend keeping whichever you choose protected with a storm door.  Regardless of the type door you choose ask about the availability of  a frame saver jamb, which are less subject to decay than standard wood jambs.  Aluminum clad jambs are also available at a much higher cost. Choosing a lighter color paint will minimize the heat buildup between the entry door and storm door.

A possible solution that could mitigate both the heat and moisture issues would be the addition of a porch.  Since you are re-siding anyway it is an opportune time for modification to your home.  A simple flat, shed or “A” roof attached to the house and supported on columns would, I believe, be aesthetically pleasing and provide relief from the sun and rain.

Good luck with your project,

Tony


 

Did you enjoy this post?  Tell us what you think in the comments box below. 


Want to see more?
Subscribe to our RSS feed  or Subscribe by e-mail

Wood’s Home Maintenance Service offers solutions for a wide range of building, maintenance and repair needs.  Give us a call or click the button below to contact us  today for a free estimate.

Contact us about entry door replacement

“by Tony Wood”

About Tony Wood

Tony is a life time resident of North Carolina with over 40 years experience in multiple facets of the industrial, commercial and residential construction industry. For the past 33 years he has owned and operated Wood's Home Maintenance Service, providing services primarily in Johnston, Wake and Sampson Counties of North Carolina. ______________ ______________________________________________________ The information contained in this Blog is opinion derived, from hands on experience of over 40 years in the construction industry and by extensive research by the author. All postulations are referenced to the geographic location in which this experience was gained.
This entry was posted in Exterior Maintenance, Questions and Answers, Windows & Doors and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

One Response to Entry Door Replacement

  1. Renae says:

    Thank you, Tony! We love the idea of adding a porch to the front. Great suggestion!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *