Screen enclosure cable bracing

One of the most cost-effective ways to get your pool cage ready for hurricane season, is replacing old cables or installing extra ones, if your screen enclosure has none or not enough.

Cables are usually installed at the corner of the screen walls and diagonally from the top of the wall down to the bottom.

First, inspect your cage and make sure that you have cables installed. If you do, follow these steps:

• Pull the cables and make sure they are nice and tight, a loose cable brace is useless.
• Check for any signs of rust (screws, cable, eye-bolt, anchors, etc.), most cable braces are stainless but some are not.
• Make sure that there are no missing screws or anchors.
• Count how many cables you have, medium to large size cages may need extra ones.

After this inspection, if you think that your screen enclosure needs new cables, call a professional to have them installed before hurricane season. That could save lots of money and headaches.

If you don't have any cables and your cage is rather small, you might not need them, but could benefit from having 1 or 2 cables installed.

If your screen enclosure is medium or large, and yo don't have any installed, make sure to have a professional look at your cage and get cables installed before next hurricane season.

Remember, a screen enclosure needs regular maintenance, just like a house or a car. Regular maintenance will extend the life span of your cage and will save you money on the long run.

Call Juan Zorrilla Inc. Screen & Aluminum to get a free screen enclosure inspection. 941-928-2296 (Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice, FL.)

Here is a link with information on how to make sure your pool/patio enclosure is hurricane ready: www.sarasotascreen.com/HurricaneReady.html

Pet Screen

Pet screen is the answer pet owners were looking for. A screen that is resistant to tears and punctures caused by dogs and cats, eliminating the need for recurring screen repairs.

Made of strong vinyl-coated polyester, pet screen is seven times stronger than regular fiberglass insect screen and offers excellent outward visibility.
It's ideal for areas of the screen enclosure exposed to pet damage (lower screen sections of a pool cage, for example).

The only cons of pet screen are:

• It's more expensive than regular screen
• It's harder to install
• There is not a big variety of sizes

A less expensive way to protect your screen enclosure from pets is using super-screen, halfway in price and strength compared to pet screen (strongest) and regular screen (least pet resistant).

Let Juan Zorrilla Inc. Screen & Aluminum install pet or super screen for you. Call for a free estimate: 941-928-2296. (Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice, FL.)

Rusted Screen Enclosure Screw Replacement

Most screen enclosures in Florida have been installed using regular ceramic coated steel screws. After a few years under the action of the weather, pool water and chemicals, rain, proximity to salt water, etc. this kind of fasteners begin to rust. Many times the screws that anchor a pool/patio enclosure to the ground are the first ones to rust, living ugly stains and most of the time, snapping and braking or getting loose, compromising the strength and integrity of your cage. This is specially dangerous during hurricane season.

The solution to this problem is a complete screw replacement of your screen enclosure. There are 2 kinds of fasteners that can be used:

• Regular ceramic coated steel screws


• 304 series ultra coated stainless steel screws

Regular ceramic coated screws:

These are probably the same kind of screws that have rusted on your pool cage. You can get them in white or bronze to match the colour of your enclosure and are cheaper than stainless. The cons are that they will eventually rust again after a few years. It's a good option if you are not keeping your screen enclosure or house for a long time, or if you are trying to save some money.

304 series stainless steel screws:

These are more expensive than regular steel screws (2 to 4 times), but they will virtually last forever, even outlasting your screened cage. They are a great option if you are concerned about the integrity of your enclosure on the long run, but not much about budget. Just like regular screws you can get them in white or bronze to match your cage, and they are ceramic coated to avoid galvanic reaction and corrosion of the aluminum frame.

If you are planning on replacing the rusted screws on your screen enclosure for new regular or stainless fasteners, and you live in Sarasota or Manatee counties in Florida, give Juan Zorrilla Inc. Screen & Aluminum a call for a free estimate on screw replacement: 941-928-2296.

No-See-Ums Screen (20 x 20 mesh screen)

Some people experience problems with small insects even after screening their porch, front entry, windows, etc. Smaller insects known as no-see-ums in Florida sometimes can get through the holes of regular fiberglass screen (18 x 14 mesh).

Because of that reason, 20 x 20 mesh screen was created. 20 x 20 means that, in 1 square inch of screen, there are 20 holes in one direction and 20 holes in the other one. That means smaller holes than 18 x 14 screen, too small for no-see-ums to fit through.

Some qualities of 20 x 20 screen are:

• Excellent protection from small insects


• Provides better daytime privacy than regular screen


• Good outward visibility


• Good ventilation


• Smaller 20 x 20 mesh
  

It is a great option if you have problems with smaller insects and is just a little more expensive than regular screen.

Get your enclosure screened with 20 x 20 screen in the Bradenton/Sarasota/Venice, FL area by: Juan Zorrilla Inc. Screen & Aluminum 941-928-2296

Lanai

Most people call any kind of screen enclosure lanai. Actually, a lanai is a screened in porch. It's usually installed under a existing roof or overhang, has an aluminum frame (white or bronze), screen walls and most of the time one or two doors.

Just like a screened front entry, Florida-glass (vinyl laminated screen) or kick plate (aluminum bottom plate) can be installed on the lower section of the enclosure for added privacy and protection.

Screening your back porch will allow you to enjoy Florida's nice weather without getting annoyed by flies, mosquitoes, no-see-ums (specially installing 20/20 screen), etc. It will make a great place for parties, barbeque's, or just a place to relax.

If you are thinking about screening your back porch give Juan Zorrilla Inc. Screen & Aluminum a call: 941-928-2296 (Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice area, FL.)

Super Screen

Super Screen (Twitchell Corp.) offers the homeowner extended durability and protection, by incorporating superior tear resistance and tensile strength. It gives the homeowner a quality investment and trouble-free enjoyment, with lasting aesthetic appeal and low maintenance, backed by a 10 year limited warranty.

Super Screen's advanced polymer formula defies deterioration. In a simulated seven-year weathering test, It lost only 1% of its original strength. In fact, it remained 3 times stronger than new fiberglass screen.

Characteristics:

• Tear and puncture resistant.
• Stability from UV damage.
• Mildew resistant.
• Pet resistant.
• Resists wind damage and flying objects.
• Life expectancy of more than 10 years backed by a 10-year limited warranty.

Get Super Screen installed on your screen enclosure by Juan Zorrilla Inc. Screen & Aluminum 941-928-2296 (Sarasota/Manatee, FL.)

Rescreen

The usual lifespan of regular screen is 7 to 10 years. After that period of time screen becomes brittle and turns into a grey/silver color. Storms and gusty winds, critters (squirrels, raccoons, rats, etc.) and pets can damage and tear screens easily. Once your screens are damaged or torn, your enclosure won't be bug-proof anymore and leaves and debris are going to find their way into your deck and pool.

One option is fixing or replacing one panel at the time. It's a temporary fix and sooner or later more screens will need to be repaired. It might be cheaper now, but it's a more expensive option on the long run. Besides that your screen enclosure will have panels of different tones and levels of fading, affecting the looks of your cage.

A rescreen may be a more expensive option now, but is 20% to 50% less expensive than replacing the screens of the whole enclosure one or few panels at the time. Your cage will look much better and you won't have to worry about replacing screens for another 7 to 10 years.

You can try doing it yourself. You will need:

• Screen of different sizes (measure wall and roof openings)
• Spline (1 or 2 1000' rolls)
• Ladders (8', 10' or 12' tall depending on height of the cage)
• A walk board or walk plank (to screen across the pool or spa if you have one)
• A roller knife or other screening tool
• Needle-nose pliers (to remove old screen and spline)
• Good balance and some knowledge or experience screening

It's usually a day long process for a experience screener and can take twice or three times as long for someone without experience.

Juan Zorrilla Inc. Screen & Aluminum can help you with your pool cage or patio enclosure rescreen. Call 941-928-2296 for a free estimate (Bradenton/Sarasota/Venice, FL area).

Screened Front Entry

You can screen the front entry or front porch of your house to protect it from insects, and keep kids and pets inside when you open the front door. In regions of the country and times of the year when weather is temperate, you can live your front door open to let the outside breeze in and save in air conditioning costs without worrying about bugs and debris.

A screened front entry is usually a small enclosure with an aluminum frame in either white or bronze color. Most have only one regular screen door, but some choose double doors for easier access or custom doors for a more unique and refined look.

Regular 18x14 mesh screen is very popular, but many get 20x20 mesh screen for small insect control (No-see-ums) and a little more day time privacy. Florida-Glass (vinyl laminated) screen or kick-plate is sometimes installed on the lower section of the enclosure for extra pretection from rain and debris.

If you need a front entry screened contact:

Juan Zorrilla Inc. Screen & Aluminum

941-928-2296 (Sarasota/Manatee, FL)

Screen

Screen is the material used to cover screened enclosures in order to protect you from insects and critters, and the inside of the enclosure from outside debris. It can be made out of different materials: fiberglass, aluminum, stainless steel, brass, etc. Fiberglass screen is the one used the most for screen enclosures.

Fiberglass insect screen is woven from permanent glass yarn and coated with a protective vinyl to ensure lasting beauty, color and flexibility. It's very resistant to combustion and will not rust corrode or stain. Lifespan is 7 to 10 years depending on location, weather and sun exposure.

There are different types of fiberglass screen: regular 18x14 mesh, No-See-Ums 20x20 mesh, Florida-Glass or privacy screen, sun or shade screen for sun control, pet-screen, super-screen, etc. They all serve different purposes: budget, small insect control, privacy, shade, protection against pets, longevity of the screen, etc.
We will give you more information about each one of them in later postings.

If you need a specific type of screen installed or replaced, call Juan Zorrilla Inc. Screen & Aluminum 941-928-2296 (Sarasota/Manatee, FL)

Screen Enclosures

A screen enclosure is an aluminum structure, that can be either attached to the house or self-standing, covered with fiberglass screen mesh. It's usually built to protect people and pets from insects and critters, swimming pools from leaves and debris and add outside living space to your home. There are different types of screen enclosures: pool cages, patio enclosures, lanais, front entries, screen rooms, etc.

Pool cage or pool enclosure, is a screen enclosure built with the purpose of protecting your swimming pool from outside debris and people from insect bites. It can be connected to the house if the deck an pool are adjacent to the building, or a self-standing structure if the pool area is in a more remote area of the property.

Patio enclosure or screened patio, is a screen structure built to enjoy the outside and nature without being bothered by it. It's somehow similar to a pool cage, with a screen roof and screen walls, but without a swimming pool.

Some people call pool cages and patio enclosures, lanais, but a lanai would be a porch area under a fixed roof with screen walls. It's usually smaller than a patio enclosure and doesn't have a screen roof.

A front entry or screened front entry, is a screened front porch, with a screen door an one or more walls, usually under a existing roof or overhang.

Screen room is an addition that has screen walls and an aluminum panel or composite roof. It's similar to a Patio enclosure but with a solid roof to provide shade and protection from wheather.

If you live in the Sarasota/Bradenton area of Florida go to http://www.sarasotascreen.com/ and let Juan Zorrilla Inc. Screen & Aluminum take care of all your screen enclosure needs.

Welcome to Sarasota Screen Blog!

Welcome to Sarasota Screen Blog, your surce of useful information about screen enclosures: what they are, how to fix them, different parts and materials, etc.
Sponsored by Juan Zorrilla Inc. Screen & Aluminum.
941-928-2296