I need help with two things. First I have a Larson Storm Door that won't close all the way and the problem seems to be seasonal. Second I need some storm door recommendations based on local weather conditions. Please be aware I'm not experienced with building, tools and stuff like that, so try to use simple language. I just found this forum by accident and I hope some of you can help with my door problem. Details are as follows:
I have a Larson Vinyl Covered Wood Core Storm Door (with screen) that won't close. The door was just put on my house in September 08, so it's not even a year old. There appears to be nothing wrong with the hinges and it swings freely - it just won't close all the way. It appears to be sticking / striking at the top. That is, the top of the door is hitting the metal frame thing that came with the door. This leaves about a two inch gap when the door is 'closed' as it refuses to close all the way.
This morning there was a big drift of snow in my back hallway, between the two doors because the Exterior Door (the Larson) won't close. I feel this is the worst door I ever have seen, especially since I paid $500 for it. The man that installed it had said it was a good brand and that he had the same brand of door on his own house for years with no problems. I find this very hard to believe, as my door has gone bad very fast. Perhaps his door faces a different direction or he gets less rain/snow in his neighborhood as he lives many miles further inland. He is honest but I think he just doesn't know very much about door brands and so forth (as he really is a roofer but does other handyman jobs for me as well).
I have researched this weekend and have found many bad reviews on both Larson doors and Wood Core doors, that they rot away from the inside within 3 to 6 years. I fear now that this door won't last long at all and will rot away just as the previous Aluminum clad door the Larson had replaced. That door had lasted from 2000 to Sept 2008, having big holes at the bottom (holes about as big as your fist) with a strange white powder. I don't know what the powder was and I feared it might make my cats sick (any ideas?). The outside metal on it had rotted away and my handyman had said it was 'aluminum rot'. Sometimes that door acted up in winter, too, not wanting to close but it was just for a short time at the middle/end of March.
This door (the Larson) started acting up in Jan so its much worst! First it was hard to close and I really had to pull on it with all my strength to slide the deadbolt. That grew worst and worst until in the the end of Jan/ beginning of Feb it wouldn't close at all. It almost looks as if the door grew bigger in that one spot (not that there is a lump or anything, but it closed OK in Autumn)? I know that should be impossible but I can't think of what else it could be? The previous door would go back to closing by itself once the weather warmed up, but I can't have the Larson open all winter (from Jan to April) as that is just INSANE. It's letting in the cold as the interior door is not good enough by itself to keep out the cold. It's just 17 degrees out now and yesterday it was only 12. This poorly constructed door is making my heating bills skyrocket.
I should add I don't really know anything about home repair or the proper names of various parts. I would just like recommendations on a GOOD type of door, a door that would actually CLOSE in winter. Surely that is not too much to ask for, is it? I would also appreciate ideas of what is CAUSING the door to do this. Many other people in my neighborhood have metal or vinyl doors, yet their doors close fine. I don't understand why my door won't. It's frustrating.
I did notice that this door is made very badly. There is nothing to stop the water from running down the glass and into the inside of the door. I'm sure a lot of rain and snow has gotten inside it already. My old wooden windows have caulking (or whatever you call that stuff) on them and that keeps the weather off & the glass in the frames. This door has nothing like that at all. I should have refused it, but I had trusted his experience to pick out a good door and now I'm stuck with a door that doesn't work at all. It's useless. :furious:
Any recommendations for a NEW door? Here are the weather conditions:
Back door facing the East (with a river nearby and Lake Michigan to the East). Shady during the summer (tree nearby) with partial sun in the mornings. Frequent often bad thunderstorms with blowing rain, the rain often striking the door. Summers have high humidity and temps can be anywhere from 80s to upper 90s. Winters are extremely cold with heavy snowfalls. Snow often drifts against the door and the wind blows it there. Even in the winter our humidity can be high. There is no porch or anything protecting the door, so it receives direct weather on it.
The house is about 120 years old with aluminum siding installed in the 80s. I need a SCREEN door as the old windows don't open and the summer breeze always comes in through the back. I need the screen for ventilation. There is a sloping roof a few feet just above the door.
Please, NO Pela, Larson or Wood Core doors!! Would a regular wooden screen door be better? Or would that stick in winter, too, 'growing' as this one did? I know wood expands from moisture, but I don't see how aluminum or vinyl can do that? Is the wood inside the door expanding and pushing the vinyl upward to hit that frame thing?
Someone is coming by on Wed to look at the door and I have no idea if he has seen this odd problem before. Just in case he hasn't, I need some ideas on how to fix it so I can get this door closed before it ruins my back hallway. He knows a lot of things but I fear this odd problem may be out of his experience.
I will try to post some photos of the problem spot. I already took the photos but need to put them onto my computer.
There is NO ice blocking the door track or in the hinges. The bottom of the door has clearance, too, so there's nothing wrong at the bottom. Its just that one spot at the top. It seems to be seasonal, whatever it is. The question is, how do I stop this from happening again? I'm unsure what is under the metal frame for the door at the top -- wood I guess or maybe aluminum from the siding. I really am tired of this problem and need ideas as to what is causing it and how to fix it. Having the old door open in March was bad but this is just ridiculous.
The interior wooden door closes with no problems and it never sticks. Its just the outer door that is causing problems.
I will post the photos soon. Thanks in advance for your help.
I have a Larson Vinyl Covered Wood Core Storm Door (with screen) that won't close. The door was just put on my house in September 08, so it's not even a year old. There appears to be nothing wrong with the hinges and it swings freely - it just won't close all the way. It appears to be sticking / striking at the top. That is, the top of the door is hitting the metal frame thing that came with the door. This leaves about a two inch gap when the door is 'closed' as it refuses to close all the way.
This morning there was a big drift of snow in my back hallway, between the two doors because the Exterior Door (the Larson) won't close. I feel this is the worst door I ever have seen, especially since I paid $500 for it. The man that installed it had said it was a good brand and that he had the same brand of door on his own house for years with no problems. I find this very hard to believe, as my door has gone bad very fast. Perhaps his door faces a different direction or he gets less rain/snow in his neighborhood as he lives many miles further inland. He is honest but I think he just doesn't know very much about door brands and so forth (as he really is a roofer but does other handyman jobs for me as well).
I have researched this weekend and have found many bad reviews on both Larson doors and Wood Core doors, that they rot away from the inside within 3 to 6 years. I fear now that this door won't last long at all and will rot away just as the previous Aluminum clad door the Larson had replaced. That door had lasted from 2000 to Sept 2008, having big holes at the bottom (holes about as big as your fist) with a strange white powder. I don't know what the powder was and I feared it might make my cats sick (any ideas?). The outside metal on it had rotted away and my handyman had said it was 'aluminum rot'. Sometimes that door acted up in winter, too, not wanting to close but it was just for a short time at the middle/end of March.
This door (the Larson) started acting up in Jan so its much worst! First it was hard to close and I really had to pull on it with all my strength to slide the deadbolt. That grew worst and worst until in the the end of Jan/ beginning of Feb it wouldn't close at all. It almost looks as if the door grew bigger in that one spot (not that there is a lump or anything, but it closed OK in Autumn)? I know that should be impossible but I can't think of what else it could be? The previous door would go back to closing by itself once the weather warmed up, but I can't have the Larson open all winter (from Jan to April) as that is just INSANE. It's letting in the cold as the interior door is not good enough by itself to keep out the cold. It's just 17 degrees out now and yesterday it was only 12. This poorly constructed door is making my heating bills skyrocket.
I should add I don't really know anything about home repair or the proper names of various parts. I would just like recommendations on a GOOD type of door, a door that would actually CLOSE in winter. Surely that is not too much to ask for, is it? I would also appreciate ideas of what is CAUSING the door to do this. Many other people in my neighborhood have metal or vinyl doors, yet their doors close fine. I don't understand why my door won't. It's frustrating.
I did notice that this door is made very badly. There is nothing to stop the water from running down the glass and into the inside of the door. I'm sure a lot of rain and snow has gotten inside it already. My old wooden windows have caulking (or whatever you call that stuff) on them and that keeps the weather off & the glass in the frames. This door has nothing like that at all. I should have refused it, but I had trusted his experience to pick out a good door and now I'm stuck with a door that doesn't work at all. It's useless. :furious:
Any recommendations for a NEW door? Here are the weather conditions:
Back door facing the East (with a river nearby and Lake Michigan to the East). Shady during the summer (tree nearby) with partial sun in the mornings. Frequent often bad thunderstorms with blowing rain, the rain often striking the door. Summers have high humidity and temps can be anywhere from 80s to upper 90s. Winters are extremely cold with heavy snowfalls. Snow often drifts against the door and the wind blows it there. Even in the winter our humidity can be high. There is no porch or anything protecting the door, so it receives direct weather on it.
The house is about 120 years old with aluminum siding installed in the 80s. I need a SCREEN door as the old windows don't open and the summer breeze always comes in through the back. I need the screen for ventilation. There is a sloping roof a few feet just above the door.
Please, NO Pela, Larson or Wood Core doors!! Would a regular wooden screen door be better? Or would that stick in winter, too, 'growing' as this one did? I know wood expands from moisture, but I don't see how aluminum or vinyl can do that? Is the wood inside the door expanding and pushing the vinyl upward to hit that frame thing?
Someone is coming by on Wed to look at the door and I have no idea if he has seen this odd problem before. Just in case he hasn't, I need some ideas on how to fix it so I can get this door closed before it ruins my back hallway. He knows a lot of things but I fear this odd problem may be out of his experience.
I will try to post some photos of the problem spot. I already took the photos but need to put them onto my computer.
There is NO ice blocking the door track or in the hinges. The bottom of the door has clearance, too, so there's nothing wrong at the bottom. Its just that one spot at the top. It seems to be seasonal, whatever it is. The question is, how do I stop this from happening again? I'm unsure what is under the metal frame for the door at the top -- wood I guess or maybe aluminum from the siding. I really am tired of this problem and need ideas as to what is causing it and how to fix it. Having the old door open in March was bad but this is just ridiculous.
The interior wooden door closes with no problems and it never sticks. Its just the outer door that is causing problems.
I will post the photos soon. Thanks in advance for your help.