The problem: Jules (a homeowner in Euclid Ohio) had a couple of problems at the front entrance of his home. One was a badly deteriorated wood storm door that was peeling paint and had no screen – which prevented him from getting ventilation through the storm door. The other problem was the trim moulding around the doors. This molding was failing, buckled, and rotted out (particularly at the bottom of the door). In short the front storm door and wood trim surrounding the door detracted from the looks of the home and required a lot maintenance.
The solution: John Murphy (Sales Representative from Cleveland Design & Remodeling & Cleveland Window Company) suggested two new products for Jules to solve these problems. The first was the use of Azek trim boards/ crown mouldings vs. the traditional wood trim Jules had in the home. The second was replacing the wood storm door with a high-grade aluminum storm door.
Here’s some of the benefits these product selections provided:
Azek PVC Polymer Based Trim & Crown Molding
Wood trim requires a lot of maintenance and painting over the life of a home – and even then there is no guarantee wood will stay looking like new given the impact of the extreme weather conditions in Ohio. Azek (which is a brand of PVC polymer based trim and molding products) provided these advantages to Jules:
The product is virtually moisture resistant and insect resistant
Azek trim can be used even where there is contact with the ground. The door toe kick in this case can be maintenance free.
The trim boards were custom milled to create the architectural design desired by Jules by Steve Vlk and John Exton using standard woodworking equipment.
Trim does not require paint for protection – Since Jules was using white trim the Azek material did not need to be painted but since the material was routed and milled out the final trim was primed and painted white.
Other advantages of using PVC based trims and mouldings include the ability to heat the materials to create unique shapes and designs around doors and windows.
Not all storm doors are created equal! The professional grade ProVia line Jules selected offered the following advantages and improvements over the wood storm door he had:
Increased durability through the use of 20% thicker aluminum vs. a standard door and aluminum requires no maintenance vs. a wood door.
Ventilation– The ProVia door Jules selected came with a full self storing screen. So when Jules wants air flow he can use the screen option and in the winter season he can slide up the glass to protect the front door from the elements and save on fuel costs.
Multiple paint, hardware and art glass options are available. For this project Jules chose a Deluxe series door in a montainberry color in a Crossbuck style to keep the character of the previous door.
Do you have any questions or problems with a storm door and trim work? Have you completed a project like this and would like to share your lessons learned? Please comment below.
President of Innovate Building Solutions a nationwide supplier and regional (Cleveland and Columbus) remodeling contractors. Some of our product lines include glass counters, floors, backsplashes, glass blocks and grout free shower and tub wall panels
Meaghan- thanks so much for working with our Cleveland Glass Block and Cleveland Window & Door divisions in the past. We will be glad to have one of our team come out to your home and help you with a new door and some Azek planks.
Mike
Meaghan
Mike,
I am *so* ecstatic to find this article. The original front door on my parent’s home (which I now own) has a crossbuck bottom with diamond glass. The screen/storm door is also crossbuck. It almost resembles the above door perfectly. I am a past customer of Cleveland Window and Door and Cleveland Glass Block, so finding this blog entry has me totally excited for a couple reasons. I want to replace the doors on my parent’s home, but I want to keep the integrity of the original style. I also want more security, so I no longer care for wood doors. Additionally, I want to replace our front porch with Azek planks, for a more aesthetically pleasing Cape Cod style. Can you please have a sales person contact me pertaining to these two ideas? Thank you so much!
Exterior Door Trim
Thanks for the information about the maintenance of a front storm door! It was very useful!
Mike Foti
Meaghan- thanks so much for working with our Cleveland Glass Block and Cleveland Window & Door divisions in the past. We will be glad to have one of our team come out to your home and help you with a new door and some Azek planks.
Mike
Meaghan
Mike,
I am *so* ecstatic to find this article. The original front door on my parent’s home (which I now own) has a crossbuck bottom with diamond glass. The screen/storm door is also crossbuck. It almost resembles the above door perfectly. I am a past customer of Cleveland Window and Door and Cleveland Glass Block, so finding this blog entry has me totally excited for a couple reasons. I want to replace the doors on my parent’s home, but I want to keep the integrity of the original style. I also want more security, so I no longer care for wood doors. Additionally, I want to replace our front porch with Azek planks, for a more aesthetically pleasing Cape Cod style. Can you please have a sales person contact me pertaining to these two ideas? Thank you so much!
Exterior Door Trim
Thanks for the information about the maintenance of a front storm door! It was very useful!
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