Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Jan 11, 2000 09:46pm | #1

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   Chris. Dark color stain in direct sun? Hinge or latch side? I find it hard to believe even a goofy install would cause this movement. Was the lite factory installed? Hopefully the installer is doing the legwork. Let us know the outcome of this please.

   Have you removed the storm to see if it has anything to do with it?

   Best of luck.

1. 
   Guest_ | Jan 11, 2000 11:08pm | #2

   *Chris: It seems odd that several door slabs would warp the same. Maybe the door jambs are slightly out and the problem is made worse by the direct sun on the door. Check the jambs carefully for plumb with the best 4' or longer level you can put your hands on. An additional method for checking the door opening called cross-stringing is shown in the diagram below. My building supply told me that Therma-Tru does not warranty it's fiberglass doors if they are installed behind a glass storm door, but that seams inconsistent with what you have been told?? Also, a door/window installer that I used told me that he could just about guarantee that the Therma-Tru fiberglass doors would warp if painted a very dark color and exposed to intense direct sunlight.

1. 
   Guest_ | Jan 14, 2000 08:27am | #4

   *You don't say if you have a southern facing for the door but I suspect this is the case. I know of no manufacturere warranting doors behind a storm door. The reason is it traps heat ( think of your car on a summer day) & cooks the plastic surrounds, fiberglass, whatever. The other aspect is the inner skin of the door & the outer skin of the door are seperate & are subject to different rates of thermal expansion. The skin behind the storm door can easily be 30 degrees warmer than the surface inside the house. That skin will grow with the expansion causing the door to bow & pull away from the weather stripping. the problem isn't always so evident in steel doors because the magnetic weather strip will stay on the door when it moves. The compression type on fiberglass & wood won't.The short answer, lose the glass in the storm door.

2. 
   Chris_Pogioli | Jan 14, 2000 08:27am | #3

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   In remodeling my house I hired a company(supposedly reputable) to replace my old warped entrance door with a stainable ThermaTru fiberglass half moon glass door. When the sun
   shines on it from 11:00 to 1:00 pm. the upper right hand corner of the door actually curls back in the house away from the seals 5/16 of an inch. The door slab has been replaced twice and they assured me that the full glass storm door
   on the front of the house is not trapping enough heat to cause this problem. ThermaTru thinks it's a installation problem, but I am having a hard time believing it. Why would the door seal fine when cold and warp that dramtically
   when the sun hits it. Any ideas suggestions or comments would be appreciated.

3. 
   commander30 | Dec 22, 2012 04:34am | #5

   Yes Same problem

   Just in stalled a fiber classic with a side light all  is plumb and true but the same problem the right corner peels in when faceing the sun the door faces the west and gets quite hot  even now in chicago even when temps are in the 20's (DEC)..Hummmmm class action law suit if they wont admit to an error or replace ...how many doors do they sell throught the US that  face south or west ?? in warm cliamtes  / cold ???? < time to get a list possibly  of all homeowners with the same problrm ...

1. 
   calvin | Dec 22, 2012 11:22am | #6

   com

   well, the post you replied to is 12 yrs old.

   I have heard no class action on the door but you can easily find out with a google search.

   As was mentioned above-usual reasoning is Door too Dark, Trapped heat within a glass storm.

   After that, as was mentioned also-installer error..............

   That's a tough one, but in my business over the years, I've seen several poor installs that certainly could be considered in poor fitting doors..............not usually a "peeling away".

   Remember too on the weather angle-Cold outside-not so cold inside.  Indoor humidity, potential for a not so good job on weathersealing the opening, etc.

4. 
   commander30 | Jan 04, 2013 02:40am | #7

   Therma tru fiber classic warping hot sun

   Well been reading more on this problem , seems it happens when the door faces south and west painted a dark color and has a full view storm door attached , one recommendation is to use some type of reflective paint but like Chris says the components ans materials of the door don't compensate each other when the door heats up , inside temp and outside temp and the temp on the door when the sun hits it'll looks like I will get a storm door that vents with a screen and see if that helps out , thanks Chris foe your reply...

1. 
   commander30 | Jan 04, 2013 02:42am | #8

   Therma tru warping hot sun

   sorry meant to say thanks Calvin for your comments

1. 
   calvin | Jan 04, 2013 06:16am | #9

   I have had zero problems in doors I've installed over the years.  Might be blind luck.

   B/4, wood doors might have finish problems, warping and checks when exposed to the weather or harsh sun.  Then came steel-they too warned (maybe not in the beginning) about dark colors.  They could twist in the heat and with minimal wood  stiles and rails, not much to prevent it.  But, minimal movement was compensated by spec'ing magnetic weatherstriping on the jamb.

   Fibreglas has the same sub structure and I suppose it could be said that the skin can move because of or in spite of the thin rails and stiles.  But now, all you have is compression weatherstrip-which can cause closing problems if a tight jamb install-air passing if too wide an opening.

   It's a drag to have a "storm" door (for insulatory value) and then have to let the air pass to hopefully keep the door in plane.

   Is your door a dark color?

   I've seen countless doors that were painted forest green, midnight blue, deep red etc, that had none of the above problems.  Of course, the ones that do are documented.  I wonder if that narrow rail and stile, foam filled core might have something to do with it...................

   Please come back after your test and fill in the story.

   thanks.

2. 
   DanH | Jan 04, 2013 08:52am | #10

   Any setup facing south, painted dark, with a storm door will have trouble.  We had a steel door warp under those conditions.