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Can I use an exterior door as a storm door?

10 years ago

We are renovating a 1947 house and want to keep the old dutch front door. However, it had a skeleton key, and therefore only locks from the inside (can't enter the house that way even though it is the front door.) I had the idea to add an exterior door with glass panes as a "storm door" that opened out. My contractor said it was unusual and more work but doable. My husband thinks it will look strange. I don't see any difference between a glass paned storm door and an exterior door that looks the same. Am I missing something? Thanks!

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Comments (2)

User
10 years ago
A storm door will usually be as much as 3/4" thinner than an exterior door, have a small latch set and fit into the outer reveal of the exterior door frame/trim. Storm doors are intended to provide weather protection and entry doors are intended to provide weather protection and security.

It is possible to have two thick entrance doors but the exterior door trim usually needs to be altered or replaced to accommodate the thickness and greater hinge projection. Such doors usually have closers and a very strong one would be required for an entry door.

I don't know how an entrance lockset would be installed in the outer door without extending or replacing the original door frame. The ease of splitting the frame or removing the hinge pins would make such a design far less secure.

Why can't a new lock set be installed on the existing door?
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KelinMD
Original Author
10 years ago
Because it would harm the historic integrity of the door. It's a really cool old lock set that is almost 70 years old. I really would probably be OK with a wooden storm door, I just like the look of the exterior door I picked, and it matches the other three exterior doors we are putting on the house. The locking thing was a bonus. We usually enter via the garage/mudroom but I guess we would use the front door if it were an option!
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@Jane, sorry, but I have lived in MA all my life. Storm doors are not necessary if you have a thermal front door. Actually, a storm over a thermal can be dangerous, particularly if the front of the house faces south. The heat that builds up between the doors can, for instance, start a fire, as it did with my neighbor's Christmas wreath. A storm door will not keep the cold out with the old wood, ill-fitting door. Then there is the ugly storm door, over a perfectly nice front door. Then there is a full view white storm door, over a red front door. You want a picture frame? Our first house, 1911, had a gorgeous wood front door, in perfect condition, no storm, because the older houses in New England often had an air lock entry, before stepping into the foyer.
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