Well, I do intend to hang onto him; I've already invested a quarter- centry of my life (that's almost half at this point).
Our guests universally use the back door. Pretty much only the pizza guy, door-to-door solicitors, and I use the front. (And I only use the front to interact with the pizza guy and fetch the newspaper.)
I suppose I should resign myself to losing this one.
Who knows? Maybe I'll like his way. He usually is right. I don't know why I bother to argue with him.
Cindy Hamilton
Absent a compelling reason to do otherwise I would never install one that way for all the small PITA problems already mentioned.
Now having said that I must confess that I have 2 rental house where I have done that for 2 compelling reasons. Tenants and kids never take the time to make sure the door fully closes and the normal wind direction blows them open ripping them off the hinges. By putting the hinges on the predominant wind side I am no longer replacing storm doors on a regular basis.
When he tries to move a table or couch through that set up you (and he) will see YOU are correct.WW
Okay, check the doors on every house on your block. Consider the majority vote as some indicator of best practice.
If the door cost more than a couple hundred bucks, it will weather storms, gunshots, meteor strikes, Halloween tricksters, home invaders, termites, a blow-torch, SWAT team battering rams, and almost anything else nature, God, ferocious animals, or humans can throw at it.
If you're still concerned, you can wrap it in aluminum foil.
re: *Nobody* likes it.
Not true. As I described in my reply about my shop door, it would be more inconvenient if the doors were hinged on the same side.
Either the interior door would open into the shop (and right into the traffic path) instead of against the wall, or the storm door would open into the yard (and right into the traffic path).
Comparing the overall convenience based on the actual usage of the doors, this set-up outweighs the bad things that you mentioned in your post.
I don't disagree with the bad things you mentioned, I just disagree with the "*Nobody* likes it" part. I'm quite happy with my set-up.
P.S. My front door and garage entrance are both set up the "right way". ;-)
re: "So you bought a nice expensive designer door ...and now you're going to hide it behind a storm door."
I bought a nice expensive designer door but also bought a expensive designer *full view* storm door.
We enjoy having the interior door open and with new hi-efficiency retractable screen full view storm door, we can have the interior door open more often than we could in the past.
The full view storm makes a huge difference, both from inside the house and outside, and doesn't hide the interior door.
Another vote for "nix the storm". Fiberglass doors are *intended* to be in the weather. That's why they make them out of fiberglass.
-snip-
If it's election day, then I vote *for* the storm. [never had a bassackwards setup, so I can't help the OP with hubby-- except to remind *her* to remind *him* that when 'momma ain't happy-- then
*nobody* is happy' ]Biggest storm door advantages are ventilation in summer and reduced heat loss in winter.
Protecting the other door is a minor advantage in my opinion.
Jim
Several factors go into making a decision on which way to mount a storm door.
Prevailing winds. If winter winds will blow across and grab the door out of your hand and smash it all to heck that is a really good reason to mount the door backward.
If the handle on the screen door would conflict with the door handle that would be a good reason to mount it backward also.
If none of the above applies then my opinion is that is a real stupid way to hinge a storm door.
What do you do with whatever you are holding in your hands, as you go through the door?
You are right, it is a dumb idea. I've seen a few houses (as a kid) where there was no other choice for clearance reasons, and it was always akward.
Things like the door are of little consequence. There are more important battles to be decided, like what kind of toppings go on the Pizza. There's a little place nearby that makes Pizzas to die for. If my toppings get on her side I could die for it. :)
LdB
You said that there are *several* factors (which means "more than 2") then you listed 2 then you said if "none of the above" apply.
I agree that there are *several* factors but I don't agree that those are the only 2 which make it "OK" to hinge the doors on different sides.
Traffic patterns and convenience also enter into the decision, as I've mentioned a couple of times regarding my shop doors. By hinging them on opposite sides, they both open against a solid structure (wall and shed) as opposed to opening into the traffic pattern and forcing users to go around them.
Are fiberglass doors *intended* to be in the weather or are they able to *withstand* the weather?
That's 2 very different things.
My car seats are made of a material that dries very quickly. DAMHIKT
They are not *intended* to be left exposed to thunderstorms, but they can *withstand* the exposure fairly well.
As far as the use of storms doors, I've had them on every hinged door in every house I've ever lived. Even growing up I remember the entry doors being open for light, air and that general feeling of "openess". As I mentioned earlier, I love my new full view, retractable screen storm door for those very reasons.
There's nothing like the cross ventilation you get with multiple doors open - without the danger of contracting the West Nile virus in your own living room.
How many people here think that the only reason for a storm door is to protect the entry door?
That's a possibility...if you keep your door closed all of the time. Some people might prefer it, or require it for safety reasons. But in most instances a storm door provides somethings a single door can't. A storm/screen door is great for ventilation and light, and provides a more open feel to the house. Particularly important during parties and other gatherings where people are coming and going.
R
Losing one of my wife's dogs through the open door would ruin any chance of me ever having an "experience" with her again.
But I know what you mean...the sliding screen on the deck is usually left open. However, there is a gate to keep the dogs on the deck.
I don't know where you live, but my area is very wooded. Not using screens at night during the summer would mean bugs of varying shapes and sizes, some being pretty friggin' scary, would be attracted to the light inside the house. We'd be overrun.
Don't 'cha just love the smell of a large fried moth on a 300 Watts Halogen Torchiere?
You said that there are *several* factors (which means "more than 2") then you listed 2 then you said if "none of the above" apply.
I agree that there are *several* factors but I don't agree that those are the only 2 which make it "OK" to hinge the doors on different sides.
Traffic patterns and convenience also enter into the decision, as I've mentioned a couple of times regarding my shop doors. By hinging them on opposite sides, they both open against a solid structure (wall and shed) as opposed to opening into the traffic pattern and forcing users to go around them.
OK I will give you credit for another factor that I didn't consider.
Mrs. Hamilton said in a different post something to the effect that in 25 years Mr. Hamilton is usually right. Perhaps I was a bit hasty in calling the left/right method stupid, but in my defense I would tend to agree with Mrs. Hamilton's position that it is incontinent to have to open the door wide to open the storm.
Also I thank you for pointing out that several is properly more than two. I had not been aware of that prior to your pointing it out.
I'm only here to help! ;-)
Incontinent?
Well, yeah, I guess if I were in a hurry to use the loo and had to fiddle with a kludge door arrangement...
Luckily, our front yard is screened by shrubs. I could probably get away with it.
Cindy Hamilton
you know, posters are always asking for pictures....
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