The addition of storm doors in homes serves a vital purpose as they provide added security against extreme weather conditions. However, from a homeowner’s perspective, there is a temperature concern that is often neglected. The area of airspace that lies between the storm door and the main door experiences significant heat accumulation, especially during the summer season.
So basically, solar radiation enters through the airspace and increases the temperature of the door. This can heat the doorknob to searing temperatures, or even worse, lead to damage to the front door. Luckily, there’s a simple and effective solution to these issues, which is to reduce your storm door heat buildup with energy-savings window tint for doors.
Let’s delve deeper into storm door heat buildup and explore how it occurs, its implications, and the solutions available.
What Causes Storm Door Heat Buildup in Homes?
This is a regular situation for homes, especially those with full glass panels on their storm doors. It happens when sunlight streams in and gets confined in a narrow gap between the storm door and the entry door. When the UV rays hit this region, it emits radiant heat in the form of infrared light. The solar radiation from the sunlight doesn’t escape easily, so it builds up in the narrow space.
It’s the same principle that makes a car interior scorchingly hot on a summer afternoon. This process is often called the “greenhouse effect on storm door heat buildup”. When this is happening, you will notice the doorknob becomes extremely hot while causing other damage to your door.
The Effects of Storm Door Heat Buildup in Homes
Storm door heat buildup is particularly problematic if your main door gets a lot of direct sunlight. If you live in a hot climate or your door faces direct sun for most of the day, here are some of the risks you will likely face when your storm door gathers heat.
Warping
This side effect is troublesome for wood and vinyl doors, as these materials react to temperatures. If the problem is not addressed in time, the considerable heat can lead to warping or twisting over time. This is why it's necessary to protect entry doors from heat at all costs.
Paint Fading
Essentially, sunlight damages the bond of the paint chemical, resulting in loss of color (silver) and luster (shine). This destroys the door's aesthetics while incurring further cost in paint. This excessive cost is why many homeowners go the extra mile to protect entry doors from heat.
How Window Films Reduce Heat in Storm Doors
We have encountered many questions from homeowners asking if UV protection window films can be used to solve heat buildup on storm doors. Yes, of course, as we stated earlier, storm door window tint is the most cost-effective means to reduce heat in storm doors.
Since most window tints are UV protection window films, they have specialized particles that reflect a significant portion of infrared light. The materials basically reflect rather than letting light pass through the glass. Now this reflexive ability of most window tints has helped homeowners curb heat penetration for windows, but in this case, it stops infrared rays from destroying entry doors.
Benefits of Using Window Tint To Protect Entry Doors From Heat
Let’s explore some of the top benefits that come with adding window tinting to your storm doors.
Energy Efficiency
This is one of the main perks of energy-saving window tint for doors. These materials block out a lot of the heat from the sun during the summer. This means your air conditioner doesn’t have to work overtime, keeping your home cooler and saving you money on electricity bills.
Door Protection
Besides energy efficiency, tinted storm doors can actually make your door stronger. Safety films hold the glass together in the event of an accident or break-in. Also, if the glass of your storm doors breaks, the shards are less likely to scatter, reducing the risk of injury.
Aesthetics
A subtle window film addition to your storm doors can enhance the look of your home. It’s a small update that can have a big impact on the curb appeal of your home.
Conclusion
When applying tinting to your storm doors, it is always preferable to contact an expert before installation. Talking to our professional installers on Solar Screen is the best way to evaluate your needs and determine the right exterior window film to control heat buildup between doors.
We can assess the direction, material, and other factors to recommend the ideal solution. Also, visit the Solar Screen blog to learn more about window films.