Which front door to upgrade as priority (for warmth)?

Hippodrome Song Owl

I'm trying to budget for new windows and doors in the next year.

I have a small unheated, uninsulated front porch with brick corner pillars, full length windows on each side, and full length windows either side of the front door. The door is probably aluminium I think, since that's what the windows and sliding patio doors are - but not certain.

I also have a hall door with full length glass panel on one side, between the porch and the entrance hall. This is a wooden door.

With heat loss in mind, and if I could only afford to get one door replaced initially, should I prioritise the front porch door or the hall door?

ted1

Have the doors get letterboxes , is there draft excluders on the bottom? Are the gaps around the frame ?

can the glass be replaced?

a porch door and a front door should be pretty good

Hippodrome Song Owl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121703497#Comment_121703497

Both doors have letterboxes and both have a strip along the bottom. There's no glass in the wooden door. The aluminium door has a small fan light only. The plan would be to change the glass panels beside the doors whenever that door is upgraded.

It's not that there's a particular issue with either door, it's the windows that are the big issue. The windows are 25+ years old and BER report says they're awful. So I think replacing the doors will just be part of that upgrade. It's just the added expense of the extra door means one may have to be postponed a bit.

My thinking was that while I'd like to upgrade the porch door first for the sake of exterior appearances, it would really be better for heat retention to upgrade the hall door because the porch isn't heated or insulated. But I know nothing about it so happy to take advice.

circadian

I'd do the hall door first, at least the porch provides minimal shelter from weather.

niallb

If it's cold right now, would you consider putting a heavy curtain up to be able to cover up both the inside of the wooden door and the window?

We had one inside our front door when I was a kid (70's/80's) and it made a big difference.

what_traffic

How big is your Porch OP? in sq meters ?

If its very small then ya would say go with the Porch door first.

Hippodrome Song Owl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121706054#Comment_121706054

The house is losing heat, but it's not really the front doors that are the problem. I just want to do whichever will affect heat loss most along with the windows which have to be done. The other door will then prob be done a year later anyway.

I have put thermal curtains at the sliding patio doors at the back, though, as they are shocking bad for heat loss. And it has helped.

Hippodrome Song Owl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121706378#Comment_121706378

The porch is 2m x 1.6m.

10-10-20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121705768#Comment_121705768

I'm in agreement. The porch will keep the hall-door sheltered so getting a better quality and well-sealed hall-door will pay dividends.

what_traffic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121706440#Comment_121706440

Is the uninsulated front porch. both walls and roof?

ted1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121706378#Comment_121706378

If he’s getting a new door , he’s better off found the porch and bringing the porch into house.

if it was me I’d just seal up the post boxes. A new door won’t be much better , it would count for the BER..

Hippodrome Song Owl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121707021#Comment_121707021

The porch is bare brick with a lot of windows - floor to ceiling on two sides and either side of door. It has an apex roof with a timber ceiling - there is definitely no insulation above the timber.

circadian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121707264#Comment_121707264

In terms of new doors and windows, it might just be as effective to tear it down and put up an insulated one.

Would be worth getting a few quotes just to see where it lands compared to getting new windows and doors. I'd still replace the hall door first.

listermint

Front door, I wouldn't even consider swapping the door on that porch as described, pissing right into an oncoming wind.

That porch is no more than a rain breaker. Exposed pillars, aluminium door, aluminium windows. I'd consider getting rid it would cost more to salvage it and incorporate it into the house. Treat it for what it is somewhere to stand out of the rain and not a serious heat retainer.

Hippodrome Song Owl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121707363#Comment_121707363

Is it worth it? Or just do the hall door and all the other house windows and leave the porch as is?

I don't really use it or need it, but it is a sun trap (South facing), and the cat likes to sunbathe in it!

circadian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121707401#Comment_121707401

It's up to you to decide if it's worth it, I'd focus on the house. If you want or need a porch and feel it could do with work then yeah, tear it down and get a new one in.

Hippodrome Song Owl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121707395#Comment_121707395

Yeah, that makes sense. I'd be happy enough to just do the hall door for insulation when the windows are done. Maybe a cheap replacement porch door for aesthetic reasons later on?

But I would have intended doing the full length porch windows whenever the porch door was done. My neighbours have all put in new windows and composite front doors in the porch - but no change to the bare brick or the ceiling insulation. It looks good - but must not be doing much for insulation.

circadian

Composite doors on an uninsulated porch seems like an amazing waste of money.

what_traffic

Hall door for me all the way considering the Porch situation

ted1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121707395#Comment_121707395

Replacing the porch windows , insulating the internal brick and ceiling wouldn’t be much different than a door.

the porch is also a wind breaker and sealing letterboxes and other gaps would make a difference

circadian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121709418#Comment_121709418

It's an unheated area so even if it is insulated it will be prone to temperate fluctuations and draw warmer air from the hall. At least if the hall door is insulated you can retain more heat within the house itself.

listermint

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121709418#Comment_121709418

Throwing bad money after good.

Feisar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121707446#Comment_121707446

I'd agree. I'd consider the porch to be little different to a wendy house in this situation, would one advise putting a composite door in one of them? Seal/insulate the house up, the hall door, and let the porch do it's own thing. Now depending on how the porch was added there is probably cold bridging issues as well but that'd be for another day.

Hippodrome Song Owl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121709494#Comment_121709494

The porch was built with the house - every house in the estate has the same one. But yes, cold bridging may well be an issue.

I'll budget for just the hall door and glass panel to be done with the rest of the house windows. Thanks everyone for your advice.

astrofool

Hall door, and switch to a standalone post box rather than openings in the door (or just continue using the porch door for letters).

Once that's done, the porch goes way down the priority list.

jackboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121711899#Comment_121711899

Is there also massive damp issues with that porch?

Hippodrome Song Owl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121715574#Comment_121715574

I don't see any evidence of damp.

Hippodrome Song Owl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121715543#Comment_121715543

Yeah I'll leave the letterbox in the porch door but won't get a letterbox in the new hall door.