Build it with what you have. Single should be fine for you. Look into heat-activated, non-electric, pneumatic openers. I think I saw that the Chinese Consulate, um, I mean Harbor Freight has them for about $20. There are also solar powered attic vent fans available at places like Home Depot for a bit more. If you go with single but find that you want more heat retention in the winter, look into preventing heat loss by air infiltration through small gaps in the walls and around the door and windows, insulate your north, east, and west walls, and consider temporary plastic over the windows to raise their R-value. I assume that in the heat of the summer you'll be leaving the place empty.

I have a Pella wood-grained fiberglass entry door with sidelight. I also bought mine at Lowe's. It was $2k cheaper at Lowes than it was at the Pella store. Exact same door. I paid Lowes for the installation, and finished the door myself. I don't remember the intallation cost, but it wasn't more than a couple of hundred dollars. It was an exact match size wise to the existing hole. Regarding staining...I used a Bartley gel stain and followed Bartley's instructions. Because the stain doesn't absorb into the wood (fiberglass) you have to wait for it to dry on the surface. I applied two coats of stain and two coats of poly...took about 4 days per side. I don't think you'll find many fiberglass doors that come stained. Too many variables. It's easier to custom blend a stain that matches your existing woodwork than buy a prefinished door.

There is barely any gap on the hinge side, so, your suggestion of having the installer shimmy the hinges is very helpful. They have to come back, in any event as the door is not flush at the bottom (lock side) with the jam. This entire door replacement has been such a struggle. I really appreciate your input.

We moved a year and a half ago so the list is still pretty fresh. Must haves: - 1 of 3 neighborhoods that we liked in our town. We live in a college town and it was important that we be able to walk downtown and live in one of the older established hoods with kids. - 4 bedrooms and at least 2 full baths - Front porch. - Biggish yard for a city lot. - Finished basement or a basement that could be finished. Our old house had a fieldstone basement that was really just for storage. - Older home. I really wanted a 1930 or earlier or a mid century modern. - Not concerned about paint or cosmetic choices but I definitely did not want some thing that had been remodeled to change the layout or for the finishes to be inappropriate to the period of the house. It would have really bothered me to pay a higher premium for an updated house that I would just want to redo. I'd much rather have the original details and upgrade to my taste. It just would kill me to rip out finishes that had just been put in. Did not want something that had been remodeled and not appropriate for the period of the house. - Closets! Our last house was an 1860 farmhouse with pretty much no closets. - Mudroom - First or second floor laundry - Place for my yellow Chambers stove What we got: - 1942 brick colonial with the right number of beds and 3.5 baths. Big yard with a buildable empty lot adjacent to it that we also bought giving us an acre. Tons and tons of storage and an awesome master suite that was added on in 1950. Beautiful hardwood floors throughout. Everything very well maintained but not updated and a Finished basement. I also got my mudroom. The PO was a master gardener and our landscaping is amazing. Well it was amazing. I haven't been great about maintaining it to the same level. - We got our 2nd choice neighborhood. It's the nicest of the three neighborhoods we had on our list (from a purely financial and aesthetic standpoint) but it is the farthest from downtown (about 1 mile and the number 1 choice is about a half mile). Not as many kids as our #1 choice but there are some and also a lot of older retired folks. No sidewalks! This really annoys me. It gives the neighborhood a nice feel but with young kids and dogs to walk it bugs me. What we didn't get: - No front porch but a sunroom. It doesn't compare at all. I really really really miss having a porch. Hopefully someday I can add one on. - No place for my Chambers stove. :( BUT! It has the original Thermador stainless range and Nutone stainless hood that is super sweet. - Laundry in the basement. I thought I'd hate this but I kind of like having a place to throw dirty clothes that no one can see. What we got that we didn't know we wanted: :) - Traditional layout. I LOVE having my kitchen separate from my living area. - eat in kitchen - our kitchen is smallish but the layout is square and super functional and I love having a small kitchen table and chairs. Much prefer it to an island. It's not a pretty kitchen but it works beautifully. - The most adorable cozy knotty pine den. I love having a small space to watch tv and I love that the tv is not the center of our home. It's just right. I also like having a living room that is always ready for company. Sorry for the novel!