Let Screen Doors Mesh With Your Style
If you're spoiling all that lovely extra light and fresh air with a dull screen door, consider these imaginative options instead
I love front doors that have glass to bring in extra light to brighten the home's entry area. And in nicer weather, being able to open the front door to allow all that light and fresh air to come inside is a truly wonderful thing. But I so dislike so many of the screen doors that are available. It's truly sad when a beautiful front door is covered with a screen door that little thought was given to.
For those wondering where they can get a nicer screen door, a good local carpenter should be able to make one or, better yet, try a local millwork company. I've had great experiences using millworkers, as these folks have the right tools and skills for creating just about any door you design. And while the cost can get up there for some of these doors, many of the examples below can be obtained for just marginally more than the ubiquitous aluminum doors from the big-box retailers.
So have at it. Let your imagination be your guide in creating a beautiful screen door that fits you and your home. Let's take a look at some examples of screen doors that do just that.
For those wondering where they can get a nicer screen door, a good local carpenter should be able to make one or, better yet, try a local millwork company. I've had great experiences using millworkers, as these folks have the right tools and skills for creating just about any door you design. And while the cost can get up there for some of these doors, many of the examples below can be obtained for just marginally more than the ubiquitous aluminum doors from the big-box retailers.
So have at it. Let your imagination be your guide in creating a beautiful screen door that fits you and your home. Let's take a look at some examples of screen doors that do just that.
Susan Wallace
1. Make it artful. Artist Susan Wallace in Austin, Texas, creates screen doors that are unique and intriguing. Whether as studies of circles or ...
Susan Wallace
... as branches, Wallace's screen doors are as much about art as they are about function. You can see more of these doors and her art here.
3. Make it fun. The screen door doesn't have to be all squares and rectangles. How about some patterns and cutouts? A carpenter or woodworker could make something like this for you.
4. Make it a double. Screen doors can be double doors too, especially when they're part of the entire porch. Just be careful and use some extra reinforcing, like a cable rail, to keep these doors from sagging and warping.
Whether at the line of the porch wall or the house wall, a double screen door will certainly keep the interior light, bright, fresh and bug free.
Motorized Screen Door
5. Let it retract. Maybe not so much a door in the conventional sense, these screen panels retract up into the structure, and the tracks are incorporated neatly. They're a well-thought-out solution when there are multiple screen panels.
6. Make it a combo. A screen panel in the warm weather can easily give way to a glass panel when it's cold outside. This keeps the screen door useful all year round.
7. Match the entry door. Don't hide some of the nice features of the main door. Instead, make sure the structure (stiles and rails) of the screen door line up with those in the main door.
8. Let things slide. A screen door doesn't have to be hinged. In fact, there will be a number of situations when you'll want that screen door to slide to the side — something that's easily done with an overhead track.
9. Make it metal. Whether you have a wrought metal door made or ...
... you repurpose a salvaged wrought iron gate, a screen door such as this will add beauty and security to your home while keeping it bug free.