Storm Doors

Started by MaureenM1 • 12 replies • 5810 views

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MaureenM1 (PA)
Posts: 344

Posted:

Do your developments allow storm doors to be installed in the front of the building?

The board voted against allowing residents to install storm doors in the front, only in the back and they all have to be the same.

Every request to intsall storm doors in the front has been denied.

We are still under developer control and only 70% complete, however, several owners have asked the Management Company to send out
a letter with a ballot to vote for or against storm door installation (front and back).

Can the residents request this vote? Can the builder, who has the majority of votes say storm doors can be installed even though it will ruin the asthetics of the development?

Is there anything that can be done to stop this?

as always, thanks for your advice

RobertR1 (South Carolina)
Posts: 5,164

Posted:

Maureen,
If you are still under developer control and he does indeed control, not much you can do. You, as a group of concerned owners, may be able to push him to make an amendment to your documents to address the situation since, storm doors are allowed in the back. When you do take control you may want the New Board to address the issue and maybe consider the current interest in passive cooling. Me, I would love to hear a screen door slam, but that is not going to happen. Of course the flexibility of these door to serve a screen door or a storm door should be considered. Reality says the Boards will not approve them because of the enforcement issues of keeping them in shape and color and the noise element. I think it would be worth it. Tons of condos and houses have sliding doors with screen inserts that don't seem to cause a lot of trouble.

DonnaS (Tennessee)
Posts: 5,671

Posted:

Maureen,

First, do a little research into New Jersey energy saving laws. There might be something in there that you can use. From your post, I would guess that all of your structures are the same-aka condo, villas? The builder wants everything to be uniform and if he is still building structures, he will not want to spend the extra hundred dollars on new units, therefore he will vote NO. Petition him and see if he might soften his position on the energy saving side of this.

BonnieE (Illinois)
Posts: 338

Posted:

Hi Maureen,

Guess this thread shows how much I do not know as I would think that storms doors would be allowed! :-)

We are townhome style condos in Illinois. Our developer included storm doors in our Declaration to allow HOs to install them if desired (rather than install them himself):

“STORM DOORS: All storm doors shall be light in color and shall have full glass panels. No storm door may be installed on the front door of the Unit without approval of the Board; it being the intent to have all storm doors of a Building be identical in quality, appearance and cost for the benefit of all Unit Owners of the Building. If a storm door is replaced, the new storm door must be identical in quality, appearance and cost of the replaced door and must meet the standards of the Board.”

Our Board has not developed any architectural control guidelines/policy in writing, but has approved white framed doors with a full glass panel. Not all front doors have a storm door. The storm doors vary in style depending on the manufacturer. IMO, some more specific architectural guidelines should be in place.

The single family homes in our Master HOA do not have any restrictions/controls re storm doors.

I have observed many similar IL townhome style HOAs with storm doors.

If the builder opposition is the primary reason for not allowing storm doors, try petitioning to allow them with Board approval per a written request, and specific architectural control guidelines (such as identify a specific make of door that is allowed) - rather than be builder installed.

Good luck,
Bonnie

P.S. IMO – storm doors do not ruin the aesthetics of the development – even with our some do/some don’t have them "look". Also, we do not have a noise problem with storm doors slamming shut as they have those whatcha-ma-call-its that allow them to close slowly. We also do not have any problems with maintenance nor with color.

MaryA1 (Arizona)
Posts: 7,043

Posted:

Maureen,

In AZ we call them security doors and I cannot see how that type door would take away from the aesthetics of the unit. There are some very attractive doors and they come in a wide range of colors. IMO, your BOD needs to revisit this. They can select a style and color that would be acceptable so that all the doors would be in conformity to each other.

MikeS1
Posts: 521

Posted:

If you provide specific parameters for this and focus on FULL VIEW storm doors where the door color either matches the wood trim or the house siding color, they look fine. I do hate the look of a storm door that has a 3 inch bar at the veritical mid point and we don't like 1/2 view and 3/4 view and buck doors, but there are some nice larsons and Pellas out there.

RobertR1 (South Carolina)
Posts: 5,164

Posted:

This has got all the kindling necessary to produce a roaring fire.

How are you going to address screen doors. Can you actually put up a storm door and exclude a storm door that has a screen. I like a screen door, have no opinion about storm doors but would install one to get a screen door insert. Then what are you going to do about the folks that don't want either, and in this case what are you going to do about the developers desires. Best let sleeping dogs lie until you get control, then you at least don't have so many to please.

BonnieE (Illinois)
Posts: 338

Posted:

Don’t know about other parts of the country, but around here, the storm doors come with a screen. The glass can be removed and replaced with a screen (this is for the full view type).

I have also seen storm doors with a half view screen and the glass part can be pulled down to expose the screen (similar to a single hung window).

AnnaD2 (Florida)
Posts: 960

Posted:

Our condo association allows only retractable screen doors. They are full-length and the casing is attached to the outside frame. The doors pull across and close with a magnet. They run on a top and bottom track. They're nearly invisible.

At one time our previous board stated that our fire department would not allow us to have screen/storm doors that opened out, onto the common walkway. So that is why they approved only this type of door.

While some people are also rigged up a "fish hook" lock on their doors, I choose not to have one of these doors. One simple slit with a box cutter and a "bad person" would have instant access to my home.

BonnieE (Illinois)
Posts: 338

Posted:

Hi AnnaD,

You said:

“Our condo association allows only retractable screen doors. They are full-length and the casing is attached to the outside frame. The doors pull across and close with a magnet. They run on a top and bottom track. They're nearly invisible.

At one time our previous board stated that our fire department would not allow us to have screen/storm doors that opened out, onto the common walkway. So that is why they approved only this type of door. “

Just curious – why would your local FD prohibit screen doors that open out onto the common walkway? Do you have a village/city/town ordinance prohibiting them?

Thanks!
Bonnie

AnnaD2 (Florida)
Posts: 960

Posted:

Hi Bonnie,

Good question! As I said, our "previous board" made that claim about the fire department. They could have just made it up, for all I know. Could be that two of the three board members at that time didn't want anyone to have screen doors at all and allowed the "invisible" retractable doors just to appease some people.

Our documents state no screen/storm doors PERIOD. The old board (at that time) was constantly just "winging it" and doing whatever they wanted.

But you know what? The next time the fire inspector is on the property I'm going to ask him about that. I'm curious now.

MaryA1 (Arizona)
Posts: 7,043

Posted:

Anna,

If your docs say "no screen/storm doors" how did the board get away with allowing the retractable door? Passing a rule that is contrary to a CCR restriction is prohibited.

AnnaD2 (Florida)
Posts: 960

Posted:

Tell me about it, Mary. This was a board which simply "appointed" themselves as the Board when we took over from the developer. You would not believe how uneducated this group of people were, all the crap they did AND got away with. They honestly thought they were running a little club with no hint of knowing what the documents meant and I doubt they even knew what a Florida State Statute was. Seriously!!!

It took many years of fighting and educating all the members to prove there were some of us out there running for a seat on the board to run the association LEGALLY. One of those people was even using the association money to pay all of her own bills.

But that's another nightmare........which has nothing to do with screen doors.

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