Why screens wear out
Standard fiberglass pool cage screen loses strength as UV breaks it down. Panels on the top and the west side, where the sun is harshest, go first. You will see fading, then brittle spots that tear when you push them, then sagging as the spline that locks screen into the frame shrinks and pulls loose. Summer storms and the wind bands of tropical systems finish off weakened panels, and falling palm fronds punch holes in roof screens.
Screen choices for a lanai
Choosing the right mesh depends on what you want from the cage.
- Standard 18 by 14 fiberglass is the common choice for walls and roofs.
- Small insect screen has a tighter weave that stops no-see-ums, which matters on lanais near ponds, wetlands and the Cypress Creek area.
- Heavy-duty pet screen is thicker vinyl-coated polyester for lower walls and doors where dogs and cats push.
- Privacy and solar screen cuts glare and heat on west-facing walls, at some cost to the view.
Panels or the whole cage
If a few panels are torn and the rest are still flexible and strong, replacing those panels makes sense. When most of the screen is faded and brittle, a full rescreen costs less per panel and gives an even color, since new charcoal screen beside old faded gray stands out. We press a thumb into panels around the cage to test strength before recommending either.
Wall panels are handled from the deck. Roof panels require walking the beams with care and protecting the pool from debris. We bag old screen as it comes off and skim the pool before we leave.
Frame, doors and coating
While rescreening, we check screen doors, closers and latches, kick plates at the base of the walls, and the bolts and gussets at frame joints. Loose screws get replaced with stainless steel, and a door that drags gets adjusted. If the aluminum frame is chalky and oxidized, rescreening is the ideal moment to coat it, because the screen is already off. Our pool cage and lanai painting crew can coat the frame before the new screen goes in. A rinse with pressure washing on the deck afterward clears the dust.
Call us when you notice
- Roof panels are sagging or flapping in the wind
- Screens tear when lightly pressed
- Bugs get onto the lanai through gaps or holes
- The screen door scrapes or will not latch
- A storm or falling frond tore through the roof screen
- Spline is pulling out of the frame channels
How a pool cage rescreening job runs
Count and test
We test panels for strength, count damaged ones, and check doors and frame joints.
Choose the screen
We go over mesh options for walls, roof and lower panels and agree on what goes where.
Strip old screen
Old spline and screen come out, channels are cleaned, and debris is bagged.
Install and tighten
New screen is rolled in with fresh spline, pulled tight and trimmed clean.
Fix doors and clean
Doors, closers and kick plates are adjusted or replaced, and the deck and pool are cleaned.