Screen Door vs Storm Door: Know Difference Between Them

Looking to install a new door in your home? You may end up looking at a wide array of models available. But we’re sure, sooner or later, that you’ll end up choosing between a storm door vs screen door.

Both are excellent types of doors to put in your house’s main entrance. But they are so different that choosing one over the other is a matter of knowing what you’re getting.

In this article, we’re going to help you with that.

What Is a Screen Door?

A screen door, as its name says, is composed of a screen inside a frame. The frame is usually made of wood, yet it can be plastic, fiberglass, vinyl, aluminum, and more.

These doors are not entirely closed. That means they leave some air go inside the house. Apart from that, they don’t block all the visibility between the interior and exterior of the home.

As you can guess, these are somewhat affordable and usually better for the exterior or secondary door of a home. While it offers decent protection against bugs and pests, it doesn’t protect much against people.

Overall, it’s just like a regular door but with a screen instead of a solid body.

Pros

• Excellent ventilation & breathability
• Allows tons of clarity
• Easy to install and use
• Simple designs

Cons

• Not protective or durable
• Less discretion

What Is a Storm Door?

In contrast with screen doors, storm models are robust. That means they don’t have screens in their bodies.

A storm door, similarly, comes with a wooden frame. But it can also be made of vinyl, aluminum, steel, and so on. Some storm doors even come with glasses, small openings, and more.

Storm doors are pretty solid and protective. They keep houses safe from external factors of all kinds. And they are super secure against intruders.

These doors are the most popular out there. And they are the closest you can find to a typical door.

Pros

• Huge protection & discretion
• High durability and resilience
• Good-looking appearance
• Top-notch insulation

Cons

• Difficult to install
• Often expensive

So, what factors separate screen doors from storm doors? Here, we’re going to talk about them, and how different they are.

Insulation

We’re going to start with insulation. This refers to the ability of the door to keep external temperatures out.

If you’re in winter, for example, you’ll want the door to protect against the cold climate outside. It should stay cool and don’t let snow and/or rain go inside.

In that case, a storm door performs infinitely better than a screen door. This happens because the solid body of a storm door is way more effective at keeping exterior factors outside. At the same time, they don’t cool down too much – so they help keep the house’s interior warm.

On the other hand, screen doors are ineffective at preventing outside climate from affecting the interior. Due to the open body, they let cold or hot air get inside.

Here, you’ll find that storm doors are better insulated than screen doors.

Protection

Similarly to insulation, a door also needs to protect against all exterior factors. This is not only climate-related stuff like rain or snow, but also all kinds of bugs, pests, smells, and intruders.

Let’s start with screen doors. These are excellent to keep pests away. The screen body prevents everything from small bugs like flies to large animals like squirrels or rats to get inside.

As for climate protection, they’re not so useful. These doors leave more air, and exterior factors go inside, including snow, rain, harsh winds, cold, sunrays, and so on. So you won’t be protected from climate factors of this kind.

Last but not least, they protect decently well against intruders. These doors usually have locks and knobs that are used to open and close. And of course, this can be pretty effective at keeping standard intruders out. But they are still not the most effective way to do so.

When it comes to storm doors, the protection levels are entirely better. From the capacity to block factors like rain and snow to not letting even the smallest of bugs from getting inside – storm doors are super effective.

On top of that, they usually pretty useful at keeping outsiders out thanks to the security locks they often have. In fact, you may even find several locks in the same storm door for extra protection. And considering their sturdy build – then you can be even safer.

So, it is safe to say that storm doors are way better in protection than screen doors.

Light and Air

Not many people will consider the amount of light and air the door lets inside, similar to what happens in a garage. But it’s still essential if you want to be sure of what they offer before buying.

Here, you will find that storm doors are usually sturdy and closed all around. That means they don’t often let many sun rays or air go inside. That’s an advantage in winter, but a massive drawback in summer.

Some storm doors, however, may come with small glass parts that let some light inside. And if you look well enough, some models may come with windows that open to allow both light and air.

In contrast, screen doors are usually more breathable and open, so they leave a lot of air and sun to go inside the house. That’s a massive advantage if you want to feel more comfortable on a hot summer afternoon.

We can say that it all depends on what you’re looking for. A storm door will be immensely better if you don’t like anything going inside. But if you prefer some fresh air in hot months and some light inside – then a screen door is your way to go.

Convenience

How practical is the door? That’s something you need to consider as well – especially if it is the primary home door.

Here, you will find that a screen door performs well thanks to its light and often easy-to-use design. The screen allows people to go in and out of the house with ease, including children. And in some cases, it is left open for people to come in and out with even more ease.

This could be an excellent choice for homes in rural areas that don’t have to worry much about safety but more about how practical it is.

A storm door, on the other hand, is slightly less practical. The bulky design and often ultra-heavy build makes it much more challenging to handle. This will make it less convenient and often less desirable for people who need to go in and out continuously.

If you don’t care having your home door closed most of the time, then this is your best bet.

Installation

Installing a door is not an easy deed. And depending on the model you have, then it can be even harder to do.

Screen doors, being less bulky, and lighter are the easiest-to-install out of the two. But this depends heavily on the exact kind of door you’re getting. Some sliding screen doors can be somewhat tricky to set up, for example.

But when installing a storm door, the experience will be completely different. Because they are sturdy and bulky, carrying one for installation, aligning it, and setting up the locks and other parts can take a lot of time and effort. Especially if it’s made with a heavy and solid wood type – then it will be even harder.

Durability

To be even surer of what you’re getting, you need to consider how durable the doors can be.

Similarly to the protection and almost all the other factors, the sturdiness of a storm door makes it stand out. So you’ll find them super durable and reliable, especially the bulkiest ones with strong wooden builds.

Usually, storm doors may last up to 10 years without a single scratch. The most expensive ones can last a lifetime with ease.

A screen door is not that durable. While it won’t wear down, break, or malfunction fast – it may not hold as much time as a storm door. So they’re clearly less durable and reliable.

It may last from 5 to 10 years. If you get a high-end model, you may end up getting 20 years or more.

Screen Door or Storm Door: Which One To Choose?

Overall, you can say that the differences between screen door vs storm door is mostly about the sturdiness and overall quality of a storm door. But this comes at the expense of less practicality and breathability or comfort.

That’s why we can safely say that if you prefer a super durable and more secure door, you need to go for a storm model.

However, in case you want something more convenient with extra versatility, then a screen door is your way to go.

So, what are you getting? Be sure to pick precisely what you need and can enjoy to the max. That will be your best idea.