Crazy Wonderful

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just say no to storm doors – tutorial

I have a hate relationship with our storm door.

First off, we live in a part of the country where it’s either freezing cold or blazing hot.  You really only get a couple of storm door only days a year.  And, when I’ve opened the main door on those days I’m met with, “No!!!  You’re letting all the store bought air out!!!” 😀
Secondly, ours is not very attractive and I can’t stand that you aren’t able to see the front door due to the reflection.
Finally, I’m not a fan of getting smacked in the backside by it when I’m trying to get the main door unlocked, or of throwing it into our guest’s faces when they come over.  Just not very inviting.
And, let’s just look at this fabulous storm-door-less beauty I pinned on Pinterest.
{via Pinterest via Casual.Classic.Home}

When I saw it I literally started itching to get the door off.  It makes me want to beef up the trim around mine too.
If you hate your storm door and want it gone, here’s what you do:
STEP ONE:  Remove all the screws and hardware on the inside of the storm door
STEP TWO:  Remove the screws holding the frame and door in place on the outside.  There may be some on the inside hinge as well.

STEP THREE:  Remove the frame and door.  And, stand in awe and disgust at what was living inside the frame.  Yuck!

STEP FOUR:  Sand down the screw holes and any flaking paint before filling in with exterior wood filler.

STEP FIVE:  Hopefully you have some leftover paint from when the trim was last painted that you can use to repaint the frame with.  If you’re like me, and the leftover paint is one big rusted disaster, you can pick up a sample pot of your paint color and use that to touch up, or grab a quart and give her a fresh coat all over.

STEP SIX:  Enjoy your new found freedom from the storm door!

Me so happy!!!
And would you look at that, you can actually see the door now.

If you haven’t already, be sure to enter yourself in my giveaway!
Winner will be announced November 14th!
I’ll be linking up to these fab parties!

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Comments

  1. [email protected] says

    I have the exact same relationship with my storm door! Mine has the additional flaw of a broken hinge which means it won't stay open when you need it to, and it slams shut whenever you open it. It also is covered in kids' fingerprints. I'd love for it to be gone! Your door looks fantastic now!!

    Hmmmm… you've tempted me to go rip it down…

  2. Gwen @ The Bold Abode says

    Wow! It's that slow-motion movie scene where the super-cute-popular hotty takes those hideous glasses of the pretty girl whose beauty has been unwittingly cloaked…

    I can hear yur door sighing with relief…

  4. Little Penpen says

    Wow! I hate my storm door too, but had been thinking about replacing it. I think I would rather it be gone forever… we rarely use ours either! hmmmmmmm yours is so pretty now… I'm surely thinking!!! Is your front door a metal door?

  6. Revi says

    I've been considering the same thing! The only thing is that the door is another barrier to me (single woman) and the outside person – sometimes scary people who want to cut my grass or sell me something. I must say, after your post, I'm leaning toward nixing the ugly door.
    -Revi

  8. Jennifer says

    Looks great! My ILs have a storm door and it bakes their front door….they can't paint it any colors for that reason. 🙂 That was enough to convince me that we don't need one. I also love your door hardware!

  9. Nicole says

    WOW! That is so wonderfully amazing. You truly have a gorgeous front door!

    And ps, I love the bit about letting out the store bought air! haha!!

    xoxo

  11. Sally says

    Looks Great!! I'm your newest follower from the creative bloggers party. I'd love you to stop by my blog & maybe follow along too!
    Sally
    loveofhomes.blogspot.com

  14. The Starr Family says

    A. It looks fan-tabulous! So freeing, almost 'bra-less' 🙂

    B. Girl, how in the world can you link up to that many parties? You some kinda motivation & energy.. share please 🙂

  15. Sam @ The Junk House says

    Looks so much better! I've been thinking about removing mine, but the other half of this household likes it on. Sigh, he just doesn't understand that it messes with my design flow!

    Stopping by from Homemaker on a Dime!

  16. Renewed Upon a Dream says

    Oh I sooo want to take ours off. We rent, so we'd have to keep it & put it back on before we move out, but I think it might be worth it considering how beautiful your door looks without it!

  17. Ann @ makethebestofthings says

    We just did this last week. We had that storm door propped open so long that I finally said take it out. It helps that our front deck is not on the "weather" side of the house and stays mostly dry. Yours looks good!

  19. B. Haven Boutique says

    I really like your blog. I am your newest follower!! I am new to blogger, but am excited to share my New boutique that is coming soon with the latest trends on clothing at affordable prices. I also will be selling Mineral Makeup. I will be giving a lot of free giveaways here shortly for our grand opening! I hope you will stop by my blog and follow me back and like my facebook… And Look out for free giveaways on makeup and clothing 🙂

    -B. Haven
    bhavenboutique.blogspot.com

  21. Meg says

    Such a difference! I love it. What purpose is a storm door anyway?? I need to get rid of mine now! Thanks for the inspiration!

  22. Amy says

    I hate storm doors. One more thing to clean. Isn't it nice being grown up and being able to make these decisions? I can here my mom saying…"but you have to have a storm door"!

  23. Chris says

    Hi Shelley, you did a wonderful job on your front door. It looks awesome. Thanks for sharing. I have recently found your blog and am now following you, and will visit often. Please stop by my blog and perhaps you would like to follow me also. Have a wonderful day. Hugs, Chris

  26. speedfit says

    Most storm doors are made of aluminum because they are corrosion resistant and low maintenance. Allow yourself about three hours for the installation.These doors can be heavy; it's always a good idea to have a helper.

  27. Rolf says

    Aside from the comfortable feeling it brought you when it was removed, it also revealed the true beauty of your front door. It wasn't that noticeable when it was covered by glass due to sunlight.

    Rolf Matchen

    • Anonymous says

      Your entry door looks great. We have orange and black in our brick and trying to decide on black, lighter green, or fiberglass woodgrain door. Also thinking of doing away with the storm door.

  28. Otis Kunkle says

    I get what you mean, Shelley! However, there are other types of storm doors that aren’t made of glass and don’t have spring in them. Or, you may choose to adjust its spring in small increments, testing after each piece, as every small adjustment can have a large impact in the tension level.

    Otis Kunkle

  29. Kevin Porter says

    Hi,

    Thanks for the tips. Usually, I do not post on blogs, but I wish to say that this post really forced me to do so! Thanks, incredibly nice article. Thank you lots, I am obliged to announce that your blog is excellent!

    Buy Cabinet Doors

  30. Mary says

    That’s amazing! Did you do all the steps by yourself? That seems like a tough job, particularly removing of screws and door frame. I love the new one; it looks more homey and welcoming. 🙂
    Mary Martin

  31. Sarah says

    I am loving the look of the storm door-less front entry! Thinking about removing mine but wondering if I'll miss the screen door option in the spring/fall. (I too live in a freezing/blazing area, though…) What color is the door is painted?

  32. Joe Kelch says

    We had a storm door and it broke, and we really miss it. Going out to buy a new one this weekend. Sorry, but having the option to open the front door and let in sunlight or air (if screen is available) is much too tempting. I do need to remove the old door's frame though, so this is helpful…

  38. Jillian Ortner says

    We have storm doors on all of our doors, and we also live in an area where they just aren't practical (Hot and Humid, and Freezing cold). My husband, and in laws, believe since there is a storm door on the door, they don't need to close the main door (allowing easy access for small people to escape, and although they haven't, this mommy will go into a tail spin when they don't close the door.) I HATE when friends come over, and have an armload, with the stuff their small people want to bring, and we end up doing the door dance, trying to get it all in. So, while discussing the removal of storm doors with my husband, he said "They're wood doors! Wood can't be exposed to rain!!!" Then there was this look of panic on his face, when he realized just how stupid that sounded (it sounded like my in laws had taken over his body). Anyway, It's better to ask forgiveness… the first storm door is coming down!!!!
    Thanks.

  39. Jillian Ortner says

    We have storm doors on all of our doors, and we also live in an area where they just aren't practical (Hot and Humid, and Freezing cold). My husband, and in laws, believe since there is a storm door on the door, they don't need to close the main door (allowing easy access for small people to escape, and although they haven't, this mommy will go into a tail spin when they don't close the door.) I HATE when friends come over, and have an armload, with the stuff their small people want to bring, and we end up doing the door dance, trying to get it all in. So, while discussing the removal of storm doors with my husband, he said "They're wood doors! Wood can't be exposed to rain!!!" Then there was this look of panic on his face, when he realized just how stupid that sounded (it sounded like my in laws had taken over his body). Anyway, It's better to ask forgiveness… the first storm door is coming down!!!!
    Thanks.

    • Shelley | Crazy Wonderful says

      Ha!!! That cracks me up, and TOTALLY is something my husband would have said 😀 You'll be so happy when they're gone! We drove past our old house (we sold this one last year) and I was blown away to see that they put up another storm door. What?!!!

  40. cadamy says

    Thanks for this! I had a double storm door until today. They were ugly. Hinge was broken. Once I removed them I realized why they wouldn't fit – they were installed with only about half the screws they should have had and couldn't withstand the Oklahoma wind.

  41. Matthew says

    These doors can also provide a way of ventilation in your home, since most of them feature a sliding panel that can open to promote air flow. Not only are these doors a smart economical choice, they come in a variety of styles that can enhance the beauty of any home.

    Wooden Storm Doors

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