Screened Porches

When summer arrives, we want to enjoy some time outside on our porch; unfortunately, sometimes we just cannot do that because of all those irritating insects. This usually cuts the time we spend outside in half, or prevents us from enjoying our porches and our relaxing furniture to the fullest. There is one solution that can prevent this invasion every summer and that is a screened porch. All you have to do in order to make sure that your screen holds up is to run a few tests. Below you will find a few of the mesh types available to you and also some dos and also don’ts from those in the business.

When you consider standard screening, the size is either 18x16 or 18x14 mesh. That means that there are 18 wires for every inch running the one direction and 14 to 16 wires for every inch running in the other direction. So, when looking at it and measuring, there should be a 1/16 inch opening between the wires. This space is small enough to keep out those invading pests. For those that live in regions where minute bugs are a huge problem, a 20x20 fiberglass tightly woven mesh should solve it.

You don’t have to settle with fiberglass, because general porch screens are manufactured in galvanized steel, aluminum and also bronze. However, galvanized mesh offer the owner short life and this is because the protective layer on the metal flakes off. This results in the wires rusting. Aluminum is resistant to corrosion and rusting but this metal can deteriorate in regions near the coast.

What one should also look into, especially those with pets is a porch screen with pet resistant. These are seven times stronger than you regular insect screen, and because it is made up of a vinyl-coated polyester, it is installed like any other conventional screen. It is not only pet-damage resistant, but also offers outstanding outward visibility. For something dependable, reinforce the lower panels of the screen with what is called hardware cloth. This is basically galvanized screen with a wider mesh. You could consider this option or you could install clear acrylic plastic sheets over the screen’s lower panels. They block air, but they do offer enough protection from those pets’ claws. As time passes and these have become heavily scratched, you can replace the sheets.

Try sun-shading and wind resistant screens. In areas where wind shows no mercy, it is recommended that you look at stronger mesh. The 18x14 fiberglass weave will solve that problem. For the sun you have a wide selection of products to choose from. These products are great for the porch, and guarantee to shade you from 65 percent up to 90 percent of glare and heat from the sun. 

Many home improvement stores offer a do-it-yourself alternative. It is easy-to-install and also dependable. Included in this system is the base strip that you attach to the wooden frame, and once this is secured, you roll the screen into place with the screen roller and spline. A vinyl cap is then used to secure this into place. It couldn’t get any easy than that.