How to Install a Storm Door: Tips & Tricks

Learning how to install a storm will provide extra protection from the elements to the exterior door and give a further layer of insulation, providing further temperature regulation inside your home. They also give you the ability to let extra light inside by leaving the exterior door open on sunny days.

Learning how to install a storm door needn’t be a difficult task. I would like to give you some tips and ward off some potential problems you may encounter when installing a storm door.

You will receive instructions with your new door, but here are a few tips you will want to know before you get started:

• Storm doors are made to fit over the exterior brickmolding, which usually comes applied when you buy a new exterior door.

• When installing a storm door that gets direct sunlight, be sure the exterior door manufacturer recommends their door can be used in conjunction with a storm door. You need to be aware that direct sunlight will cause the air between the storm door and the exterior door to heat-up. I have seen caulking turn to liquid and even the plastic that holds the glass in the exterior door warp.

• If you are installing the new storm door in an area that will get a lot of rain or moisture build-up, use a door without a wood or particle board core. Too much moisture will eventually cause the door to swell and become a problem. Use one made completely of aluminum, composite or vinyl. Otherwise, you will be replacing it in a few years.

• Install the storm door with the handle on the same side as the exterior door handle. They won’t hit together as the exterior door height is different than the storm door handle. This makes entry and exiting the house much easier than crossing over your body to close the exterior door.

• During installation, cut the side rails of the storm door to match the slope of the exterior doors sill. Otherwise, you will be left with a gap at the bottom of the rails where they meet the sill. Bugs will definitely find their way in.