I can't speak for the snow/rain issues, but the advantage in the winter if you have a storm door with removable glass panels, it will let the sun in and help warm the house through those glass panels. In the summer, you want to have the glass panels out so that heat isn't trapped between the storm door and your entry door. You would be able to use it as a screen door in the nice weather months as well as they come with screens. The storm door will take the snow and keep it from the entry door.

Hi,
Our front door will have side lites and a transom, all in simulated divided lite wood. So, a storm door wouldn't be able to protect that part of the entry. We will have an ante room/vestibule between the exterior door and the foyer so insulation isn't an issue.
Thanks.

threeapples-Having a painted door vs. a stained door will certainly help. I would also look into the fiberglass options. The Jeld-Wen Aurora line looks just like a smooth sanded real mahogany door. Unlike the other brands of fiberglass doors (including ThermaTru & Pella) I had a hard time telling the difference between the Aurora door and the solid mahogany doors in the showroom.

Here is a link that might be useful: Jeld-Wen Aurora Doors Link

I apologize that I have nothing helpful to add, but I had to say hello to another Ohioan. We're in Green/North Canton, and will start digging tomorrow!

FWIW, I know we're doing a ThermaTru door.

What is the major route into your home for groceries? Guests? It's a real PIA to stand in the rain/snow with your hands full trying to grab a door handle to open the door. And it's extremely unwelcoming to your guests as well. Could you leave the door off of the vestibule and have your main front door be between the vestibule and foyer? That would give you protection from the elements and a place to store the muddy shoes.

Hi icfgreen--good luck with your build!
We will mostly go in through the garage with groceries and then through the mud hall into a hidden pantry to get into the kitchen. The front door will likely be used just for guests.

I'm in central Texas where we almost never have snow and, this year at least, have had far too little rain. But, when I go to visit someone and it is raining, I very much appreciate having a covered place to stand while waiting for my host/hostess to answer the doorbell.

But then, I'm a southern girl born and bred and, to me, a house without any front porch at all is kind of like a marriage without love. You can make it work but why would anybody ever WANT to? LOL!

No offense please, It's your house and I know not everybody shares my love of porches!

Just be aware that, even with fiberglass doors, manufacturers usually recommend a certain amount of "overhang" to protect the door from the elements and they may not honor their warrantys if you don't have the recommended overhang. I'd be certain to make sure of exactly what the warranty terms are with respect to protecting the door before I purchased.

thanks, bevangel. i too love porches (though i'm a midwestern girl) and think they look lovely on homes, but we were going for the very simple Georgian, almost saltbox look, so we have no porch or overhang. i've seen a million old historic Georgian homes with no overhang above the wooden door, but have no idea how often those doors had to be replaced. uggh, this is so frustrating! maybe i'll call my architect tomorrow and talk about the ramifications of all of this. thanks! :)

In my old neighborhood, the homes with the front doors facing S/SW had to re-paint the doors MUCH more frequently than the rest of us. Those with big porches had a little less trouble, but small porches really didn't help that much. If you get a really good paint and just realize that this is a maintenance thing like cleaning gutters, I think it will be fine. If I wanted a certain look, I would go for it and just realize we might be painting the door each Spring.

thanks, nini804, i feel less terrified now. :)

My MIL had a painted wood front door facing due east, no porch, in southeast LA. The west sun was brutal. We also have humidity, rain, and the occasional hurricane. Other than repainting every 8 years or so, that door stood rock solid and beautiful from 1984 until the paramedics had to chop through it when she pressed her medic alert button in 2007. We didn't hesitate to replace it with another wood door. We used a reclaimed door. Not sure about today's wood options.

I'm sorry! Does dyslexia come with advancing years?? Meant to say 'due west'----not east!

thank you, emmachas! i'm now wondering how the muttons on the transom and side lites would hold up to this kind of weather. might they be more fragile than the door itself? thanks!

Doors which receive direct Sunlight and are behind a storm door must always be white. Colors collect too much radiant heat and often are damaged by the heat.

threeapples,the muntins in the side lights are as solid today as they were in 1984.

The house that is our temporary home is about 10 yrs old. Windows and doors are all custom made wood with single(!!!) glass panes. No storm windows, just the single glass. I hear you-----I would NEVER build with those! They were all repainted before we moved in 2 yrs ago. All are sound except one. It is in an inside corner with heavy plantings that trap moisture.

Interesting fact, bus driver.

Unless you plan to provide umbrella escorted car to door service for your guests, I would at least provide them with enough overhang so that they aren't standing in the freezing rain while they are waiting on you to answer your doorbell.

I don't know about your climate but my parents have a cape cod style house with no front porch and a wood door with sidelights and it is going strong after many years. If you want a saltbox style house, a porch wouldn't fit very well I wouldn't think.

I was also thinking you could recess the door a bit and panel the sides of the recess (you see this a lot with Georgians) but I was thinking you wanted a georgian style house not a Saltbox style one . . . Are you doing brick or siding? If you are doing brick, you could recess the door a bit into your anteroom (this could leave an area for closets on either side which you could make attractive - I'll try to find a picture), but you would lose some of the focus of the spiderweb look. I think this other look is equally attractive and can be really beautiful but it may not be what you are looking for. It would protect the door more though!

Hi,
I only said saltbox to illustrate the flat face with no overhang. Thanks, Athensmom, you're right about losing the focus of the spider web if we recess the door a little and cut away space from the size of our ante room/vestibule. I'll have to talk to the architect, but I'm not sure that a foot or so would provide too much protection for the door.
As for our guests waiting outside in the freezing rain or snow, they can come into the ante room/vestibule and wait in there. I guess this sounds less hospitable than having a porch, but that really isn't the design we are going for.
Any other thoughts?

I wouldn't worry too much about it. I am in Cleveland as well and it really isn't a big deal. Our back door faces west and it is fine. There is only a small overhang over it from the second story gutter, really not much of anything. If you put a storm door on it should be just fine. That's what they make storm doors for.

Tons of houses around here do just fine, your door will be just fine too.