Front Door
 

We are thinking of replacing our front door. Based on Florida heat, humidity, and hurricanes. Any suggestions on wood, metal, or fiberglass?

We want a glass insert and storm door.

Thanks in advance.

front door
 

We used Perry's ( Spanish Springs) they put in a new insert and side glass at fraction of the cost and so many options.

Just a couple thoughts to consider. Is the door exposed to sunlight? Have you spent at least a full year in the Villages? Have you investigated the composition of the existing door? Why do you want a storm door?

A storm door as I see it is a door that allows either glass or a screen depending upon season. It would not be for hurricane protection. If primarily for the screen, there are rollaway screens that might be a better option. And that depends upon your tolerance of to pollen either for allergy or cleanliness.

My existing front door is extremely heavy. Obviously not wood or fiberglass. There must be a reason. I am guessing that it may be due to warping issues from heat and or humidity.

Best Wishes

Be careful if you face the sun you might not like your wishes when the glass magnifies the sun rise or sunset in your hallway. We had this up north and thankfully the glass was a small peek a boo frosted glass. While not a deal breaker our current setup is the small side glass which semi failed or actually leaked during Milton. Towels took care of it but glass is just another entry point. I would check out Romac who did some of the home construction.

Another thing to consider besides materials that will stand up to Florida weather . . . security. How important is security to you?

If you would like a glass insert, check out "Villages Decorative Glass" - VillagesDecorativeGlass@gmail.com / (352) 552-8800.

Definitely against a storm door... You will cook your Regular Front door. If you must, I recommend a Metal Security door/ with small ventilation holes.. You will have the appearance of a security door...Don't do cheap, or you will be unhappy with the quality..

Andersen has storm doors with “Stormwatch protection “. Apparently the glass is impact resistant and has more wind resistance than their other models. Also a professional that installs doors on a regular basis could advise you on replacing your door. Could be that they could cut the existing door and install the glass insert. If your door jamb, threshold and weather stripping is in good shape then it could just be replacing the door slab, if not you may need an entire door unit

We have an Andersen storm door and love it. The screen is stored in the top of the door.

Pella
 

We replaced our front door in NC and got talked into a mahogany 6 panel glass double door. The contractor said many custom homes were using wood doors and we even rode around looking at front doors. It's a beautiful door but it gets afternoon sun and the polyurethane finish wore off in a matter of a couple of months. The contractor refinished the door with a higher grade poly and it lasted maybe 6 or 7 months. This summer I finished it with a high end marine varnish. Eight thin coats to be exact! That was the recommended application. So far it's doing well 3 month in. In NJ we installed a Pella fiberglass door. Not cheap by any means. At the time it was one of the few doors rated to be installed with a storm door. That door was rock solid! I wanted a Pella door for NC but we wanted the clear beveled glass panes more. Rewind, I would have a Pella door. Good luck with your search!

We had Perry’s put a glass insert in our previously solid front door. They recommended keeping our original front door and said that the doors The Villages uses are very good quality.

Perry’s butchered my front door! I wouldn’t let them work on a dog house two thumbs down.
Good luck if you have a problem
Owner is a first class Ahole

Fiberglass would be best… make sure it is insulated

As long as the sun doesn’t beat down on your front door, any of these doors are okay. According to the Fine Homebuilding and the Journal of Light Construction, direct sun is very hard on fiberglass doors or wood doors with a finish on them. Keeping those doors in good shape can be expensive. My first home in The Villages had a front porch, and the sun reached the porch in the morning but never the door. No problem. I now live in a courtyard villa, and the sun beats on the door for several hours a day. My door is steel with foam inside. When the sun shines on the door, the door doesn’t feel hot. A large window and a sliding door face south, and the sun beats on them all afternoon half the year. Even though I have shade film on that glass, the sun raises the temperature in my home by up to 4 degrees for hours in the afternoon and evening in July, even with the shades drawn. I have an expensive, efficient AC, and it can’t quite keep up.

I know a lot of people like a big expanse of glass on their front doors. They like to see out. They like to see who’s at the door. If I had glass in my front door, you could stand at the door right now and see me sitting here dressed in a way that would embarrass you. I will stick with my insulated steel door. I have a friend who has a beautiful home here with a full glass storm door. She leaves that main door open whenever she is home so she can see out. But when I come to visit her I can clearly see her in her favorite chair forty feet away, whatever she is wearing. I don’t usually need to ring the bell. I just wave at her and she waves back. I need more privacy than that. Takes all types. If you have a glass front door and storm door, the sun won’t hurt the glass if it beats on the door, but it may really heat the house. My friend has a motor operated screen on her porch, three or four feet from the door, and in the morning when it’s sunny, she lowers that enough so the sun doesn’t hit the door. If you like privacy, I’d say at least go with frosted glass or cut glass in the door.

As for hurricanes, when one approaches, make sure all your screen doors or storm doors (and other doors) are locked as well as latched. The locks are cheap, but when used, it’s unlikely that the storms here will open a latched screen door, but if it wasn’t closed until it latched, a strong wind could grab it and cause damage.