Old Screen Doors

I was thinking this morning about my favorite screen doors. I’ve lived in houses that have had those crappy aluminum storm doors that converted to a screen door in the summer. I think of them as artificial doors and I don’t like them at all.

The house I presently live in has three doors. One is a slider off one of the guest rooms and that has a sliding screen; eh… The main door is a divided glass double door with no screen door. The final door has a side panel on each side of the door that opens and that those side panels have screens in them.

I really miss my old houses with the wooden three panel screen doors. There is something about the weight of a good screen door. There is something about the sound it delivers when the door closes. There is something about the sounds of the creaking springs when ever the door is opened. There is something special about the light and air that come through these screen doors. There is something special about how things look on the other side of these screen doors.

I need to mention that these doors can only have metal screens. When new, the screens glisten like a newly minted penny. When old there is a build-up of dust and what ever lands on the screen when the wire is moist from the rains or even the humidity. They can be cleaned, but the patina of an old screen is a mark of distinction only to be replaced when they disintegrate from a light touch.

Those of you with such a door need to count yourselves as fortunate. Most homes no longer have this type of door. Please think of me the next time you hear the squeaking spring or when you hear the sound of the door closing against the wooden frame. I celebrate with you.