Install a storm door

Today’s storm doors do a good job of protecting an entrance door from weather damage and unwanted intruders. Many combine style with function, featuring clear glass often visible through decorative or security glass panels; some open full or halfway for ventilation. The most ordinary straight panel styles have easy-to-interchange screens and glass panels, so transitioning from one season to another is easy.

You’ll find an aisle full of storm doors sold at home centers and lumberyards, where they stock a large selection of standard doors measuring 32 or 36 inches wide by 81 inches high that are made of aluminum with a baked-on enamel finish. Many feature weatherstripping and a door closer, so they’re complete units ready to install.

A door installer will charge $453 to replace a good-quality, 36-inch-wide aluminum storm door, which includes labor and material. If you have carpentry experience and tools, you can buy the door for $275, install it yourself and save 39 percent. The job involves removing the old one and replacing it, but the cost will be more if the door frame requires repair work or painting. To watch a video and download instructions, go to www.larsondoors.com.

If your doorjamb is less than perfect or the frame is out of square, consider hiring a pro who has the experience to custom-fit the unit properly.

Before you install a storm door, take a look at the front entry to see if it needs a coat of paint, a job that’s easy to do after removing the old door and before installing the new one.

To find more DIY project costs and to post comments and questions, visit www.diyornot.com on your laptop, tablet or smartphone.

Pro Cost -- DIY Cost -- Pro time -- DIY Time -- DIY Savings -- Percent Saved

$453 -- $275 -- 3.7 -- 6.0 -- $178 -- 39 Percent

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