exterior doors and storm doors

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sdvinyl
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exterior doors and storm doors

#1 Post by sdvinyl »

I know this is a window discussion board, but I wanted to know for you guys who are concerned about things like air infiltration and such, what brand doors and storm doors do you get? What storm doors do you get?

I went to a lumber place here (Dykes lumber) and they recommended thermatrue or jelden doors for exterior doors and larson doors for storm doors. Are these any good? Found them to be pretty expensive, is there better and for less?

Here is an example at lowes: lowes.com/pd_253119-56593-SSCD4E28LB_1z0tnla__?productId=3041416&pl=1

Apart from the style what should I be looking at? I have no idea if this is their worse door or best door or what not.

Also, what do I need to think about when pairing an exterior door with a storm door?

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Windows on Washington
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Re: exterior doors and storm doors

#2 Post by Windows on Washington »

Not a fan of Jeld-Wen but Larson is okay.

I still think that Provia and HMI make better storm doors.

In terms of the doors, Provia is probably the king right now and for good reason. HMI makes a nice unit as well.

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Delaware Mike
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Re: exterior doors and storm doors

#3 Post by Delaware Mike »

Jeld-Wen makes a nice enough door if you're okay with warped slabs and out of tolerance manufacturing by minimum wage employees. Put one in yesterday and couldn't believe the manufacturing mistakes by Jeld-Wen. Custom ordered unit out of Lowes by the homeowners in which we were asked to install instead of the goon from Lowes as he was running so far behind schedule. This idiot was going to really butcher up the job from the installation materials that he ordered along with the door.

We had to marry up this nightmare with a very high-end Larson storm door featuring their multi-point locking security slab. After realizing that Larson installed the internal locking mechanism 180-degrees the wrong way in which they admitted on the phone it left the strike side z-bar frame destroyed once we re-set the internals. Thanks for the extra work Larson and Jeld-Wen. This was the first time in years that I've ventured outside of ProVia and learned what it's like being a bottom feeder.............

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HomeSealed
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Re: exterior doors and storm doors

#4 Post by HomeSealed »

Soooo... Mike.... Is that a like an endorsement or no? :lol:

I have to agree though. Larson's high end storms are servicable, but other than that the products mentioned are bottom feeders. If those are "pricey", you may want to rethink the budget or the project entirely until a later date. Provia and Homeguard are my favorites.

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Delaware Mike
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Re: exterior doors and storm doors

#5 Post by Delaware Mike »

Things were going great regarding the storm door as for once I actually read the directions. I've not done anything storm door wise outside of ProVia for many years. Those box store doors are not typically pre-hung or hinged like the ProVia's are. However, the homeowner had this Larson door ordered to be able to fit his new entry door and from looking at the set up we thought we were cruising on easy street. As soon as the the handleset required upward action to disengage the backset I knew that the bear was going to have himself a nice plate of roasted Mike for supper.

Called Larson and they admitted from the codes that they fouled up and installed the mechanism the wrong way. Now I have to head back to fix the z-bar since the punch outs were off-set wrong for rotating the locking mechanism. Nice door though except for the glass is considered somewhat security oriented and is glazed into the aluminum slab which makes for a fun time to set the first several screws on the hinge z-bar. Heavy with the glass in and trying to hold to elevation. I'm thinking not too many engineers spend their weekends installing the things that they design.

patgilm
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Re: exterior doors and storm doors

#6 Post by patgilm »

I'm in the process of buying a new front door with a storm door and the Provia is so nice. Everyone swears they are the best and from looking at others like Thermatru it seems like they are right but Provia's come with a hefty price tags. All in with fiberglass, side lights, transom and storm door the install ranged from $6k-$10k. Wow!

sdvinyl
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Re: exterior doors and storm doors

#7 Post by sdvinyl »

thanks all!

I'll take a look at provia, HMI and homeguard.

Looking at provia right now and I like the 430 with clear glass. This is for a side door, so it doesn't have to be fancy. I'm looking for door suppliers in my area now to ask about pricing. I'm probably priced out of this door but it's worth checking out.

sdvinyl
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Re: exterior doors and storm doors

#8 Post by sdvinyl »

If i'm priced out of these doors and I had to go with jeld wen, is there a model/series i should look for or it doesn't matter at that point?

sdvinyl
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Re: exterior doors and storm doors

#9 Post by sdvinyl »

they called me back and I am definitelt priced out of provia. Is HMI and homeguard similar in price? The dealer i spoke to only worked with provia so I'll have to find another.

TheWindowNerd
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Re: exterior doors and storm doors

#10 Post by TheWindowNerd »

I find Therma Tru Smooth Star with a rot proof jamb to work out nice for other than a front door.

toddinmn
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Re: exterior doors and storm doors

#11 Post by toddinmn »

Have put in a few Jeld-wens, the fiberglass units seem to be a bit better that the steel units. I would seal the jambs on the bottoms as they are not always painted their.
Polaris makes a pretty good door that is a bit cheaper than the Pro-Via's. It has an air infiltration rating of 0.02 which is pretty good.
I will be selling my house soon and it may just get a Jeld-Wen installed, the new house will see nothing of the sort.

sdvinyl
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Re: exterior doors and storm doors

#12 Post by sdvinyl »

Is rot proof jamb an option on the therma tru smooth star door? I don't see it on their website.

toddinmn
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Re: exterior doors and storm doors

#13 Post by toddinmn »

Gerkin makes a nice Storm door but limited on styles. Vented storms are recommended espically if the prime door is a dark color.

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HomeSealed
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Re: exterior doors and storm doors

#14 Post by HomeSealed »

I'd agree with Todd that the Polaris door is solid... Only thing is that their stain job looks cheesy if you go that route as it is a spray and glaze, as opposed to a hand stain. No such worries on painted product. They also have a "Value smart" door line that is very limited in choices, but presents a pretty good price point.

I've had mixed results with Thermatru, and my cost is actually comparable to HomeGuard and Provia. Not a bad choice though if the price is right.

Lastly, one thing to keep in mind is that price is going to vary by dealer more than anything. You can find guys installing Provia for not much more than beer money, but of course there is a lot more risk associated with that. Thing is, good installers don't like working with junk product, so finding a cheap price will not only be due to product, but will often indicate a suspect installation as well. I'd recommend getting a few estimates from reputable companies on good products. If the price trend is out of your budget, it's probably best to postpone for a bit until you can afford to get it done right... Just my $.02

patgilm
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Re: exterior doors and storm doors

#15 Post by patgilm »

While I agree about pricing, the pricing seems to be all over the place. $6k installed for what I am looking for (fiberglass signet model door, sidelights, transom and storm door). I know I can get from a dealer for $4.4k uninstalled but they are too far to install for me. Does $1.6k for an authorized dealer seem reasonable? I think so but I am not sure.

What I do know is I got another quote for the exact same door and the list price was supposedly $22k and they would give me 50% off of that like it was a good deal. I have had three dealers give me quotes for over $10k for the door. I have a hard time believing the work of the installer is worth $5-$6k more. The prices seem to be all over the place.

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