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 removable 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

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 I 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

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“by Tony Wood”