Specialist, unbiased suggestions on what kind of window screening to purchase for your area and environment
Possibly Ogden Nash put it best: “God in His wisdom made the fly … And after that forgot to inform us why.” Simply when the outside temperatures grow pleasant enough for us to leave doors and windows open, squadrons of buzzing bugs induce their attack. Luckily, insect screening is a reliable countermeasure that enables us to preserve an open-door policy.
Screening has come a long way from the bug barriers woven from horse hair a century ago. Following adjustment of fabric looms in the 1920s, galvanized steel screening became typical in houses. It secured doors and windows for years, however, since steel wire has a tendency to rust gradually, it eventually paved the way to a non-rusting alternative– aluminum.
Today, aluminum– and newer vinyl-coated fiberglass– are by far the most typical screening materials used. Of the two, vinyl-coated fiberglass outsells aluminum 3 to 1 due to the fact that it’s about half the price. Besides price, there isn’t really much difference between the two. Historic choice plays a huge function in whether people pick one over the other. In certain parts of the nation, individuals prefer aluminum; in others, they select vinyl-coated fiberglass.
Fiberglass Window Screening
Vinyl-coated fiberglass, the most popular screen fabric product, doesn’t rust, rust, or stain, but it will extend and it tears more quickly than aluminum.
A representative at Phifer Wire Products, among the country’s largest screen makers, describes the process: “We start with raw spun-glass filament and use a vinyl (PVC) coating, producing remarkably strong single hairs that are typically.011 mil for window screening and.013 mil for pool enclosures, patio area spaces, and some door screening.” This screening is available in silver gray, dark gray, and aquamarine; silver gray and dark gray are the most popular.
In addition to the conventional 18-by-16 mesh, you can buy 18 by 14 for pool enclosures, decks, and so forth. You can even purchase 20-by-20 mesh, a really tight weave that stops tiny bugs such as no-see-ums, however it does reduce light transmission and breezes.
Solar or “sun” screen is likewise made from vinyl-coated fiberglass. Used for both window and door screening and patio, patio, and pool enclosures, this securely woven material can be a dramatic energy saver.
The latest advancement in the past decade, solar screening blocks heat gain, thus minimizing your cooling load, and keeps furnishings and carpeting from fading. But, in return, you quit about 30 percent of light. The most recent type provides a tremendous 90 percent shading.
During the daytime, solar screen appears practically nontransparent from the outdoors but provides good visibility from inside. 5 colors are available: charcoal, bronze, dark bronze, silver gray, and gold. Charcoal and silver gray are the most commonly used.
Fiberglass screening is offered in the same sizes as aluminum and up to 84 inches broad. Do-it-yourself rolls of sun screening run 30 by 60 inches, 36 by 60 inches, 36 by 84 inches, and 48 by 84 inches. In addition, you can purchase 100-foot-long rolls in varying widths. Price runs from 15 to 25 cents per square foot.
Aluminum Window Screening
Aluminum screening is a rugged, metal mesh. To make the material, a 3/8-inch-diameter aluminum rod is extracted to a.011-mil wire. The producer winds this wire on a master bobbin, loads the bobbin onto a customized loom, and begins the maker weaving.
As soon as the screen material is woven, it’s provided a finish. Aluminum screen material typically is available in three colors: black, dark gray, and brilliant aluminum. Black is least obvious from inside your home (the darker the color, the better the external exposure for the most parts, because darker colors have less light reflectance and glare). Dark gray is made to match painted window-and-frame systems. Although intense aluminum looks like raw aluminum, it has a clear coating that assists keep the material’s sheen.
Aluminum window screening is made as an 18-by-16 mesh. This just means that there are 18 horizontal and 16 vertical “yarns” (or wires) per square inch. This type of screening is generally readily available in diy rolls that are 7 or 25 feet long and 24, 28, 30, 32, 36, and 48 inches wide. Longer 100-foot rolls are readily available in extra widths, consisting of 18, 20, 22, 26, 34, 42, 54, 70, and 72 inches. Price runs in the area of 30 to 35 cents per square foot.
Specialty Window Screening
Numerous types of screening are made for specialty purposes. Here is a take a look at the primary ones:
Solar Screening
Solar screen comes in a white fabric where six horizontal strands are organized together as bands. This 57-by-16 mesh is used mostly as an interior roller shade– it has good presence away from the window but is a little distorted closer up because of the woven bands. A similar aluminum product, Phifer ShadeScreen, has small open louvers that block most direct sunlight but allow excellent outward visibility. This comes just in black and costs about $1.50 per square foot.
Bronze, Copper, Brass & Stainless-Steel Screening
You can also get screening made from bronze wire that is composed of 90 percent copper and 10 percent zinc, however this alternative is far more costly than aluminum. At an even higher premium, you can purchase copper, brass, or stainless-steel. All these other than brass are usually made using a. 011 wire size in an 18-by-14 or 16-by-16 mesh. Brass is made with much heavier wire: typically.018 wire in a 16-by-16 mesh.
Bronze is the least pricey, at about $1 per square foot; copper and stainless are closer to $1.20. Brass has to do with $2.15 per square foot. When buying specialty metals, anticipate a minimum order of about $75.
When brand-new, bronze has a golden shine. Copper, bronze, and brass will ultimately take on a verdigris patina; stainless-steel, the strongest, stays a shiny silver. Copper, bronze, and brass should not be set up in aluminum screen-door frames since where the two metals touch they will rust.
Pet-Resistant Screening Fabric
If you have pets that constantly shred your screens, check out animal screening material made from sturdy, vinyl-coated polyester. This material from Phifer is heavier than regular screening and is seven times more powerful. It’s offered as a do-it-yourself product in black and gray. FlexScreen from Elgar Products, Inc., is a versatile, nylon-reinforced product that will stretch without sagging. It’s offered specifically for do-it-yourself patio area door screen replacement and retails for $20 to $24 for the package.
Retractable Screens
Pella Rolscreen offers a retractable insect screen, made specifically to fit Pella’s Designer Series and Architect Series rectangle-shaped sash windows. This spring-loaded shade withdraws into the head of the window. It simply moves down between side-mounted guides and locks at the bottom when you want a screen. The screening is vinyl-coated fiberglass; the hardware is either white or champagne colored.
Phantom Screens offers retractable screens for both doors and windows. The entire screen rolls back into a tubular housing at one side of the door when not in use. When open, the screen is held in location by magnetic catches. 6 colors are readily available. Consisting of setup, prices run from $285 for a single door to $595 for double doors (windows are custom-made priced). A number of types of mesh are readily available, from bug to solar-blocking.
