How do I install a storm door?
Check that the trim around your entry door is solid and deep enough, measure the opening at three widths and one height, and buy the size that fits. Then fasten the hinge rail to the door, set the door on the sill, screw the hinge rail, rain cap and latch rail to the trim, and finish with the sweep, handle and closer, following your door's own guide.
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By Kasra Taheri, Founder, LoclisPublished
Researched and drafted with AI, then checked claim by claim against the sources listed below before it was published. Prices and rules change; the dates beside each source say when it was last checked.
Step by step
Read when to stop and call a pro, further down this page, before you start.
Step 1: Check the trim
Make sure the brick mold or trim around the entry door is firmly fastened and has at least 1 inch of mounting depth and 3/4 inch of face.[1]
Step 2: Measure the opening
Measure the width inside the trim at the top, middle and bottom, and the height at the centre down to the top of the sill.[1]
Step 3: Pick the size and hinge side
Match your measurements to the size chart in the door's guide and choose the handle side so the storm door handle will not hit the entry door handle.[1]
Step 4: Prepare the door flat
Lay the storm door exterior side down on its carton, take out the screen and shipping clips, and fit any loose retainers the guide calls for.
Step 5: Attach the hinge rail
Screw the hinge rail to the hinge edge of the door frame with its top about 1/8 inch above the top of the door frame.[1]
Step 6: Fit the sweep
Center the sweep on the bottom of the door, pressed tight against the frame, and screw it on through the bottom of its adjustment slots.[1]
Step 7: Set the door in the opening
Stand the door on the sill, tip the top into the opening, and screw the hinge rail to the trim once it sits flush.[1]
Step 8: Fit the rain cap
Rest the rain cap on top of the hinge rail, close the door, slide the cap for an even gap above the door, and screw it to the trim.[1]
Step 9: Fit the latch rail
Use the supplied spacer pads to hold the latch rail a set gap from the closed door, screw it to the trim, then remove the pads.[1]
Step 10: Adjust the sweep
Loosen the sweep screws and slide the sweep until its fin just touches the sill when the door is closed, then retighten.
Step 11: Install the handle
Fit the handle set and latch from the hardware bag, checking that the latch catches cleanly on the latch rail.
Step 12: Install the closer
Screw the closer's jamb bracket and door bracket in place, pin the closer between them, and remove its preload clip.[1]
Step 13: Set the closing speed
Turn the closer's adjustment screw until the door closes at a safe speed with the entry door both closed and open.[1]
A storm door is one of the more approachable exterior jobs: it hangs on the trim around your existing entry door, so you are not touching the wall, the framing or the entry door itself. Most kits follow the same order. You confirm the trim is sound and the opening fits, fasten a hinge rail to the door, set the door in the opening, then add the rain cap, the latch rail, the handle and the closer. Work from the guide that came with your door, because part names, screw bags and dimensions differ from model to model.
Before you buy: check the trim and measure
Everything the storm door does depends on the brick mold or flat trim board around your entry door. Andersen's installation guide is blunt about it: "The storm door will sag over time if the mounting surface is not sufficiently fastened to the entryway."[1] Press on the trim along both sides and the top. It should feel solid, with no soft, rotten or split spots.
The trim also has to be big enough to screw into. Andersen's Fullview doors need a minimum of 1 inch of mounting surface depth, 3/4 inch of mounting surface face, and 2 1/2 inches of depth for the storm door hardware.[1]
Then measure. The guide says to measure the width at the top, middle and bottom, from the inside of the brick mold or trim, and the height at the centre, from the inside of the trim down to the top of the sill.[1] Use the smallest width. Storm doors are sold by nominal size: in that guide, a nominal 36-by-80-inch door fits openings 35 3/4 to 36 3/8 inches wide and 80 to 81 inches high,[1] and a door that size may have an actual frame of about 35 1/8 by 79 1/8 inches.[1] Check the size chart on the box or the maker's website for the door you are buying. If you are just outside the range, call the maker before you buy: Andersen notes that openings up to an inch wider, or trim only 5/8 to 3/4 inch deep, can sometimes be handled with a special kit from the manufacturer.[1]
Decide which side it opens
Most homeowners prefer the storm door handle on the same side as the entry door handle, but in a shallow opening the two handles can collide.[1] If yours might, hinge the storm door on the other side. Handing is named from outside the house. From the outside, a left-handed storm door has its handle on the left.[1] Settle this before you open any screw bags, because the hinge rail, closer and latch are all fitted for one side.
Tools and safety
You will need a tape measure, a pencil, a drill with bits, Phillips screwdrivers, a hammer, scissors, gloves and safety glasses. A second person is close to essential for setting the door in the opening. Andersen's warnings are worth following exactly: "Use safe lifting techniques and a reasonable number of people with enough strength to lift, carry, and install window and door products to avoid injury",[1] and always wear safety glasses with hand and power tools.[1] The guide also says to use stainless steel fasteners where the opening is framed in pressure-treated or fire-retardant-treated lumber, because ordinary metal fasteners can corrode.[1]
Two more cautions. The guide says: "The insect screen is intended for reasonable insect control and not the retention of objects or persons within the interior."[1] It will not stop a child or a pet falling through. And when you pre-drill the storm door's own frame, do not drill completely through the door frame, which leaves a hole that can let water and air in.[1]
The installation, in order
The steps listed with this answer follow Andersen's Fullview sequence; your kit may differ in detail but rarely in order. A few points make the difference between a door that swings cleanly and one that drags:
- Hinge rail height. On Andersen's doors, the top of the hinge rail extends about 1/8 inch above the top of the door frame.[1] Get this right and the rain cap sits properly.
- Seat the door before you fasten it. The door may look out of square while you tip it into the opening. Screw the hinge rail only once it sits flush against the trim along its full length.
- Let the spacers set the latch gap. On Andersen's doors, the spacer pads hold the latch rail a 3/16-inch gap from the door.[1] Too tight and the door rubs; too loose and the latch will not catch.
- Set the sweep last. Adjust it so the fin just touches the sill with the door closed. Pressed hard against the sill, it makes the door hard to close.
Set the closer, then test it twice
The closer is where most homemade installs go wrong. Andersen warns: "Storm door will close more quickly when entry door is open."[1] Set the speed with the adjustment screw on the end of the closer, where turning the screw clockwise slows the door and counterclockwise speeds it up,[1] and check it with the entry door both closed and open. A door that slams catches fingers and pets.
Heat and sun
A glass storm door turns the space in front of your entry door into a small greenhouse. Simpson Door, which makes wood entry doors, says: "Storm doors must be vented to eliminate temperature build-up."[2] An Illinois state energy guide goes further, advising never adding a glass storm door if the door gets more than a few hours of direct sun each day, because the glass can trap enough heat against the entry door to damage it.[3] If your front door faces south or west, use the screen or vent panel in warm months and read your entry door's warranty before you buy.
Permits
A storm door mounts to the existing trim. Virginia's building code exempts replacing a door with one of similar operation and opening dimensions that needs no change to the existing framed opening and is not required to be fire rated, in a single dwelling unit in Group R-3, R-4 or R-5 buildings such as houses and townhouses.[4] If your project grows into changing the opening, that is permit work, and a different job.
Stop and call a pro if
- The trim is soft, rotten, split or loose, or the sill is soft underfoot. Rot around an entry door usually means water has been getting in, and the trim or jamb needs repair before anything hangs on it.
- Your measurements fall outside every size the maker offers and no adapter kit fits.
- The entry door itself sticks, sags or does not latch. Fix that first; a storm door will not hide it. See why a front door is hard to lock.
- Anything would require cutting siding, brick or framing to make the door fit.
- The storm door's glass is cracked, or the door arrives damaged. Call the maker; do not try to install it.
Related on Loclis
If drafts are your real problem, weatherstripping a drafty door may do more than a storm door. If you are thinking about replacing the entry door as well, see what a new front door costs installed in Virginia and whether to hire a contractor or a handyman. Browse entry and storm door businesses and more exterior answers. If you would rather have it done, describe your storm door job once and local businesses will quote it.
Common questions
- Can one person install a storm door?
- Much of the work is one-person work, but not all of it. Andersen's guide warns that doors can be heavy and calls for enough people to lift and set them safely. Plan on a helper for tipping the door into the opening and holding it while the hinge rail goes on.
- Do I need a permit to add a storm door in Virginia?
- A storm door screws to the existing trim and does not change the framed opening. Virginia's building code exempts replacing a door with one of similar operation and opening dimensions that needs no change to the existing framed opening and is not required to be fire rated, in a house or townhouse. If you would have to change the opening or the framing, ask your local building department before you start.
- Which side should the hinges go on?
- Most people put the storm door handle on the same side as the entry door handle. If the opening is shallow and the two handles would hit each other, Andersen's guide says to hinge the storm door on the opposite side instead. Decide before you drill, because the rails are fitted for one side.
- Can I put a glass storm door over a door that gets afternoon sun?
- Be careful. Simpson Door says storm doors must be vented, and an Illinois energy guide warns against a glass storm door where the entry door gets more than a few hours of direct sun a day. Use the vent or screen panel in summer, and read your entry door's warranty before adding one.
- Why does my new storm door slam?
- The closer needs adjusting. Turn its adjustment screw clockwise to slow the door, test it, and repeat. Check it with the entry door open, because the storm door closes faster when the entry door behind it is open.
Sources
- [1] Installation Guide for Andersen 1-1/4" Fullview Storm Doors (Rev 1-2014), Andersen Storm Door Division (EMCO Enterprises). Checked October 26, 2026.
- [2] Care & Finishing Guide, Simpson Door Company. Checked October 26, 2026.
- [3] Doors (Keep Warm Illinois fact sheet), State of Illinois. Checked October 26, 2026.
- [4] 13VAC5-63-80. Section 108 Application for permit (Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code), Virginia Administrative Code, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 26, 2026.
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