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The purpose of a storm door

A storm door is installed in houses. It is used to improve the energy efficiency of heating systems, since it reduces the amount of cold air coming in from the outside.

A storm door is nothing more than one door behind another. With one of these structures, houses are fully protected from the cold outside. This improves the energy efficiency of the domestic heating system, as it prevents the heat from inside from escaping when the front door is opened or cold air coming in from outside. These temperature fluctuations, which may seem insignificant to begin with, are significant when looked at as a whole, since they increase energy consumption. Furthermore, nowadays all actions must be aimed at reducing energy consumption, according to environmental criteria. Installing a storm door has three fundamental advantages for the consumer and a fourth, top benefit, for the environment: the consumer experiences increased comfort and well-being by not losing heat from their home; the heating bill is reduced; and they have a protective barrier against adverse weather conditions (strong blizzards, hail and heavy rain). The environment will always appreciate any action aimed at protecting it.

Formats and materials 

There are two options available, which are made from different materials, in order to satisfy the consumer’s needs. A DIY enthusiast capable of doing jobs on his own can obtain a storm door by adapting a piece of wood to fit their front door. However, given that manufacturers sell ready-made models, which come with all of the accessories and instructions required to install them, normally the consumer will decide to buy one of these kits, which come with hinges, locks and bolts. 
In terms of materials, you can choose between wood, aluminium and plastic. The latter is the most popular, as they are made from special plastics which are easy to maintain and are highly resistant to being rubbed, scratched and exposed to solar radiation. Before going to the shop you will need to measure the door space in three different areas (bottom, middle and top), as well as the height. You must also measure the width and height of the doorframe and the distance between the outer frames. 

The perfect choice

With all of these details, you will need to look at all of the different options in the shop and select that which most suits your needs and preferences. There is an extensive and varied range, and the different models offer specific details and mechanisms for particular cases. 
Attention must be paid to the panels they include, which can normally be dismantled depending on the season of the year, and which can create so much heat in the space between the two doors, that the front door is damaged. It is very important that the materials making up the storm door components are compatible with those of the front door, since sometimes the former contains metal elements which can damage materials in the front door. Particular attention must be paid to metal and wood. 
It is also sensible to assess storm door security systems, as there are models with vents and bolts which offer more protection than those without both elements. Locking and adjustment systems are essential. It is advisable to check that the selected format meets the consumer’s needs since most versions are manufactured taking into account the normal characteristics of different front doors but it may be that the purchaser has a handcrafted door, the measurements of which differ from standard parameters. 
Whilst in the shop, it is important to open and close the storm door and check that they function correctly. You also need to compare prices and features, as there are products of varying quality available. However, it is not advisable to go for low-quality materials, since in the long-term, the cheapest components are almost always those that wear out first.    

 

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