The main function of a screen door is to let the cool breeze in, and keep the nasty bugs out. These functions haven’t changed much over the past century or so. The mesh in your window screen or door acts as a screen to keep disease carrying insects, like house flies and mosquitoes, from entering your home and keeps your pets and children safe. With fresh air flowing throughout your house, you will enjoy much better air quality.
However, with technology, innovation and creativity comes numerous styles of doors, colors, and types of mesh. Each type of screen door requires a different approach, and each has its own style. Some are easier and more inexpensive when you need screen door repair. You should take all these considerations into account when purchasing and installing your new door. However, these 3 questions will help you narrow down your choices and help you choose the best one to suit you, your family, and your home:
The first determination you must make is what kind of screen door you would like to have. There are three main types of doors to choose from:
This type of door contains a mesh stretched across a door frame. The door frame comes in metal, wood, or plastic models. You can purchase these door frames in a variety of custom sizes, or built by a professional technician. This is the kind of door people typically use in most homes.
If you need more protection from inclement weather, you should consider a storm door, which contains a sliding panel along with the mesh to keep out bad weather in addition to the bugs.
If you prefer your door to be more secure, then a security door is your better choice. Security doors use a strong metal grate instead of a mesh to let air in and bugs out. When closed, the door acts as a secondary barrier to thwart would-be thieves and burglars from entering your home.
You need to first determine what kind of screen door will best fit your door. Screen doors work to complement your front door, allowing it to open and close freely without being obtrusive. If you have a Dutch door, for example, you will want to make sure you get a similar Dutch door screen so you can open each half as desired, without the screen door getting in the way.
You should also determine how you would like your screen door to open. There are three major ways that screen doors can open:
This is the screen door most people are familiar with. It acts like a normal door in that it swings outward, open and closed. You can find traditional screens doors in most hardware stores, or you can have them made by a professional installer.
These screen doors install on a track and slide back and forth across the track to open and close. Some of these screen door tracks come pre-installed when you move into your home. However, a professional screen door installer can easily add those tracks to any door in your home.
These ‘doors’ are slightly different than other screen doors, in that that do not use a traditional door frame. Instead, a spring-loaded casing positioned either at the side or at the top of the door frame holds the screen mesh. You simply pull the mesh out across or down the doorway, and allow the fresh breeze in, and the bugs out. The best part about retractable screen doors is that you don’t need special accommodations to fit the door. You can easily install a retractable door for any door in your home with the help of a professional door screen installer.
Some factors you need to determine are aesthetic, such as the color of the frame, or the latch or knob you will use to open it. For metal or wood frames, you can easily paint the door frame to match the color of your home. However, it is tougher to paint fiberglass or other plastic frames, as the paint may not adhere as well as other materials.
Cost is another major factor in narrowing down the perfect screen door. Most traditional wood screen door frames are the most inexpensive to purchase from a traditional hardware store. They are usually cheaper than other materials, unless you use a higher grade wood. A metal or vinyl door frame starts at a slightly higher price for the base model. Strong security screen doors are more expensive, due to the sturdy metal used instead of mesh. Higher end models can include numerous extras, such as remote-controlled operation, or secure tracks. Once you know what kind of door you want, you can look at the different options to find the best choice for you.
No matter what kind of screen door you want to add to your home, it is always best to let a professional take care of it for you. A professional door screen technician can easily help you determine the best screen door for your doorway, based on your needs. In the Los Angeles Area, The professionals at Peninsula Mobile Screens come to your home or office, and are the experts in screen door installation, repair, and service. With their helpful advice and service, you’ll know you have a quality screen door that will last a lifetime.
There’s an age-old problem. Just when it starts getting nice enough to open your windows and doors, the bugs come out. Leaving your windows open without window screens is like inviting armies of insects into your home. Fortunately, your options for window screens have come a long way since they were weaving horse hair for their window screens a century ago. As a result, these days, you can not only pick from different kinds of screens, like retractable screens, you can also pick out what your window screen is made of.
On this page, you’ll learn not only the different modern types of window screen material, but the history behind the progress of window screen technology.
After textile looms were modified in the 1920s, galvanized steel was used for window screens in homes. For decades, it was the best material for protecting homes from insects. However, steel wire will rust over time, which gave rise to non-rusting alternatives.
You'll find Aluminum one of the more common materials used in window screens. If you're choosing Aluminum it's a little more expensive than other modern screen materials, but it will never rust. Aluminum window screens are light, and effective. If you’re purchasing window screens, you should see if you prefer aluminum.
Vinyl-coated fiberglass window screens are popular because they’re fairly inexpensive, and your screens won’t corrode, rust or stain. However, your fiberglass screens will stretch and tear easier than other alternatives like Aluminum. Vinyl-coated fiberglass screens come in several colors. Sun screens, or solar screens are generally made from vinyl-coated fiberglass as well.
Having your window screens in these types of materials is a bit of a luxury. aterial that is 90 percent copper, ten percent zinc is more expensive than cheaper options like aluminum, however it is more durable and unique. For a higher premium, you can buy copper, brass, or stainless steel window screen materials. Bronze is the least expensive of these screen materials. Copper and stainless come in next, and brass is the most expensive.
When your bronze screen is new, you’ll get a beautiful golden shine. If your window screens are made from copper, bronze, or brass, they will tarnish over time, ultimately taking on a verdigris patina. Stainless steel, while also being the strongest material, will stay shiny and silver.
If you’re using copper, bronze or brass for your window screens, do not install them in aluminum screen-door frames. When your aluminum screen-door frame touches these metals, it will begin to corrode.
There are several specialty materials available for your screens. Pet-Resistant screen fabric will resist your pet’s scratches and tears, and stay secure for longer. Additionally, you can use solar screen materials, which are very thick and good for blocking out light and heat. These types of screens are excellent for windows on the east and west side of your house. While these window screens are good at blocking out sunlight and heat, you can still easily see through easily.
There are a lot of options when it comes to choosing your window screen material. If you’ve got questions, or are looking to have quality screens installed, Peninsula Mobile Screens is here to help. Call (310) 736-9094 to see what we can do for you!
