Answers to Your Toughest Bungalow Questions: Summer 2003


Q: I've been restoring my bungalow's exterior to its original look, but I'm perplexed as to what to do about the front storm door. It's an ugly aluminum one from the 1950s or 60s. Is a wood storm or screen door appropriate? What did the original ones look like? Where do I find them? Will wood hold up to Minnesota winters?

A: The front door of your house is a primary focal point, and few elements will enhance your home's charm like a nice looking front door. That usually means a storm and/or screen door protecting your main door, as is required by some city building codes.

If you drive around bungalow neighborhoods, however, you'll be hard pressed to find a house with its original storm or screen door. Unfortunately, yesteryear's aluminum door salesmen were apparently as successful as today's vinyl window salesmen. That any original storm doors are left at all is a testament to their durability. The few houses that do have them exude a certain integrity that is impossible to capture with any type of aluminum door.

We spoke with Jim King, project manager at Adams Architectural Wood Products in Eldridge, Iowa, about wood storms and screens, which the company makes to order. We asked Jim a series of tough questions about wood doors. Will they sag over time? Will they get out of square? Will they stick? Will they rot?

"You want the truth?" said King. "A wood door may do all of those things." Still, he said, such problems can be avoided and the life of a wood storm door extended greatly by demanding solid construction, using good primer and paint, and doing maintenance from time to time. "Using a wood door is a lifestyle choice," said King, who lives in a bungalow himself (with wood storm doors, of course). "People live in old houses for a reason. If you want an aluminum door, they look fine on new houses."

First, says King, buy a door with solid mortise and tenon construction, which will keep the door square. It's not uncommon to see older wood doors retrofitted with a diagonal cable brace with a turnbuckle in its center, which is used to keep the door square. But, says King, this shouldn't be necessary if the door is well constructed to begin with and the opening for the screen isn't too big.

Use three high-quality hinges to hang it, instead of the usual two. This will help prevent sagging. It may be necessary to plane an edge six months to a year after the door is hung, after it settles.

Bare wood should be primed with premium quality alkyd resin exterior primer, then painted with a couple of coats of high-quality (meaning expensive) exterior latex paint. A glossier paint will have a more durable finish. King recommends painting all surfaces, including the edges, though some people prefer to leave the edges unpainted, theoretically to allow moisture to escape.

King says he uses a standard hydraulic closer on his doors, but one could also use an old-fashioned spring. "That screen door slam will bring back memories of your childhood," he says.

What about insulation value? "Insulation value depends on an airspace trapped between the storm door and main door," says King, "not so much on absolute air tightness." Besides, he says, wood is a much better insulator than metal.

What style should your bungalow storm or screen door be? Drive around older neighborhoods, and you'll see a few original models. But to make things easier, we did some research and found historic photos of Twin Cities bungalows at the Hennepin History Museum, 2303 Third Avenue South, Minneapolis, 612-870-1329. In many of the photos the storm or screen (or combination) door could be clearly seen. Below are some line drawings of the most common styles originally found on local bungalows.

Adams Architectural Wood Products sells combination storm and screen doors with one or two horizontal panels in the bottom portion of the door. "The styles we carry are typical of what people are seeking to replace their old ones," says King. Adams Architectural can also make any style or configuration to order, and they ship throughout the country. They can be reached by calling 888-285-8120 or get an online quote at www.adamsarch.com.

Locally, bungalow owners find old-fashioned style combination storm and screen doors through Scherer Brothers Lumber Company, 612-379-9633 and Shaw/Stewart Lumber Company in Minneapolis, 612-378-1520. Also, A&A Millwork at 4439 Hiawatha Avenue in Minneapolis, 612-721-1111, constructs custom doors and windows for older homes.