SCREEN PORCHES
Let Breeze Thru Screens screen in your existing porch, new construction porch or even your gazebo!
We have screened hundreds of porches since we started our business. All of the work is done by the owners. We are definitely the screen experts and we will screen/rescreen your porch so that it is done right the first time and with the best screen and method that's best for your porch so that it will last for many, many years to come. We have several types of screen mesh available to meet your needs such as standard screen mesh, Super Screen (pet resistant), solar screen and more. Our favorite and most highly recommended mesh for porches is Super Screen and Super Nano 55 -- these are perfect for all installation methods. See our Products pages for a complete description of these types of screen mesh. Your porch must have the structure already in place including the roof, otherwise we will refer you to our trusted contractors to finish your porch so that it can be screened in.
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Also consider screening the flooring of your screen porch if it is part of your deck. We install the screen mesh under your deck to keep the insects from coming in through the floorboards.
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We tend to advise sticking with the same method of screening that you currently have, but if you have new construction or have never screened in your porch, then we highly recommend the SCREENEZE® method if your porch is conducive to this method and then our second recommendation will be the Staple Method.
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What do I do?
Call to set up an appointment for the owner Wendy to come take a look at your porch, show you screen mesh samples, talk about what method is best for your porch, look for any challenges such as rotten wood, give advice on making your porch look amazing, and then take measurements and pictures to work up a quote.
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More Info on Screen Porches
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There are three methods we use to screen in your porch:
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The Staple Method (Great)
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SCREENEZE® (Best)
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Screen Tight® (Okay)
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ABOUT THE STAPLE METHOD
The majority of older homes in the Richmond area use the Staple Method and many builders use this method on new construction. Your screens are probably sagging, deteriorating, and in need of replacement if it's been about 10 years since it was installed. Or if they used a Standard Fiberglass Screen mesh which was never meant to be stapled on a porch. This was designed for your window screens, not for porches. It's not strong enough and it deteriorates quickly with sunlight exposure and age.
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The traditional Staple Method of screening a porch has pretty much remained the same for a hundred years. Small staples are used to attach the screen mesh to the porch posts and railings. Then, narrow wood trim or white PVC lattice strips are nailed on with finishing nails to conceal all of the seams and staples.
It can be a labor-intensive method, and screens installed this way can develop some sagging after a few years. This depends of course on what type of screen mesh is used with this installation method and the way the screen mesh is installed. These two factors are typically the reasons why your screens are sagging. We have perfected the installation of screens using the Staple Method. We also have access to the best screen meshes that hold up very well over the course of time using this method.
We highly recommend a thicker screen mesh such as Super Screen or Super Nano 55 which holds up much better with staples and sagging time is significantly decreased if any at all. When it's necessary to replace a damaged screen or fix a sagging one, we must remove several lattice strips and hammer in all of the staples and nails to create a flat surface. Then we will staple in new screen using small heavy duty staples which we place approximately every 3/4 inch to keep the screens tight over time. Thus we do a heck of a job because we take the time to install with the Staple Method the correct way unlike the majority of contractors/builders and we use the correct materials. While Breeze Thru Screens can use definitely the Staple Method to install your porch and gazebo screens...
There is a much better and easier way to install screens using the SCREENEZE® screening system. This system will give a more professional, finished look that will increase the value of your home. We highly recommend SCREENEZE® because this system is more advanced, and we have had great results in keeping the screens nice and tight. It also gives a "cleaner" look to your porch with no lines obscuring your view/vision like the Staple Method and Screen Tight® will give you since they cannot be used for as large of openings as SCREENEZE®. SCREENEZE® does cost more up front due to the material cost, but with its ability to keep screens tighter for longer and its easier repairs, the benefits can outweigh the cost for repairs in the future via other screening methods.
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ABOUT SCREENEZE®
SCREENEZE® is a patented fixed screen system and made in the USA. (U.S. Patent No. 6,378,267) It features an aluminum base and a window-grade vinyl cap which are snapped together and attached to your screen porch with color coated screws to match the system's color. SCREENEZE® can be installed on the inside, outside, or center of your porch post and rail design. We can install a panel up to 150 sq. ft. For instance, we can do a 10' x 15' panel with SCREENEZE®. It comes in 8' and 12' lengths and we need 3 inches to miter the corners. The aluminum base is designed to last and the window-grade vinyl cap is thick and strong and will resist fading by UV rays. The SCREENEZE® system maintains the screens integrity keeping your screens tight – no more sagging screens! From our experience, this is the best screening system on the market and therefore we highly recommend it. Keep in mind that if your porch has been stapled, it's difficult but not impossible to switch to this system.
With SCREENEZE® we can use the following fiberglass screen mesh: Standard Fiberglass Screen, Better Vue Insect Screen, No-See-Um Insect Screen, and more. We can also use the following vinyl-coated polyester screens: Tuff-No-See-Um Screen, Super Screen and Super Nano 55 and more. When paired with Super Screen or Super Nano 55 Screen, you’ve created a screen porch whose screens will last up to 20+ years.
SCREENEZE® Benefits
• Four colors (almost 5 because the
Dark Bronze can look Black)
• Great for porches with angles
• No staples
• No splines
• No need for extra 2x2s or 2x4s in the middle
of your porch openings
• Opens the view through the screens
like "giant" windows
• Reduces callbacks for repairs
• 10 year limited warranty
• Can span up to 150 square foot openings and
even a little larger too
• System secures the screen tightly
• Easy to replace damaged screen
• Installs using a variety of screen fabrics
SCREENEZE® Durability By Design.
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BEFORE
New Construction Screen Porch Before & After
AFTER
Transform Your Porch with SCREENEZE®
Color Order:
Bronze, Clay, Sand, White (Best actual color photo is on white background.)
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SCREENEZE® Samples:
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1. SCREENEZE® Parts: Top is vinyl cap and bottom is aluminum base.
2. SCREENEZE®: Completed look.
3. Inside look at SCREENEZE®.
4. Top view of SCREENEZE® system and how the screen is held so tightly in place.
STAPLE METHOD Before & Afters
ABOUT Screen Tight®
This is Breeze Thru Screens' third choice for screen systems used to screen in your porch. If your porch experiences a lot of wind, we do not recommend this system as the screen tends to sag more quickly over time than with Staple Method and SCREENEZE® system. And to be honest, we almost always remove this system to either use the Staple Method or the SCREENEZE® system which will hold your screens in tighter for many, many more years than the Screen Tight system.
Screen Tight® is a patented porch screening system designed to eliminate the old cumbersome method of staples, nails, wooden lattice and paint. It provides the maintenance-free qualities of vinyl with the proven method of spline screening that adapts to wooden frame porches. The Screen Tight® system easily accommodates openings of up to 40 square feet with a secure, tight grip, giving even large openings a no-sag appearance. No mitering is needed. All exposed materials for the Screen Tight® system are manufactured from weather-proof, UV-resistant window grade vinyl. It is available in White, Gray, Beige and Brown.
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With Screen Tight®, the screen mesh is splined in and then a matching Screen Tight® UV Protected Vinyl trim is installed over the spline and screen mesh giving a finished look to your porch as seen in the picture below. Unfortunately, the spline is what allows your screens to become loose and saggy. Strong winds, storms, your cat, your plants on your drink rail, your kids, etc. will push on the screens which loosens them every time. Then invariably over time (could be really short or not) your screens will be loose and saggy and/or come out altogether.
With Screen Tight® we can use the following fiberglass screen mesh: standard, most solar screens, Better Vue Insect Screen, Pet Screen, Tuff Screen and No See Um Insect Screen.
PLEASE NOTE:
From our experience, the older Screen Tight gets, the harder it is to make repairs. This is a plastic system and the plastic gets old and brittle making it hard to put new screen and spline into the base. When rescreening, this becomes the "unknown" cost because we don't how much will break or crack and need replacing. We almost always recommend letting us remove this system and either Staple or use SCREENEZE® because those systems will keep your screens in really tight unlike the spline system of Screen Tight®.
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Screen Tight® Benefits
• Affordable
• Easy to Repair
• Comes in Four Colors
• Comes in 1.5 & 3.5 inch widths to fit
2x2, 2x4 and 4x4 Construction
• Low Maintenance UV Protected Vinyl
• Screens Stay Tight for a a period of time but not
recommended for high wind areas
• No Painting -- all plastic pieces
• Screen Large Openings, up to 40 sq. ft.
• UV Protected
• U.S. Patent #4899797
• 5 year warranty
SCREEN TIGHT® Samples & Colors:
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1. Screen Tight®: Product pieces.
2. Screen Tight®: A view of underside of top piece that connects to the bottom piece.
3. Screen Tight®: A view of the top connected to the bottom with a small portion of the bottom piece sticking out for reference.
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PLEASE NOTE:
As every porch is a different size with different needs, please call to set up an appointment for a Free Estimate within the Richmond area. If your home is outside of a 25 mile radius from our office, a $25 and up Travel Fee will be charged based upon your distance from our office. Credit for the fee will be applied to your invoice if you hire us to do the job.
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ABOUT THE PHOTOS:
ALL PHOTOS OF SCREEN PORCHES ARE EXAMPLES OF WORK DONE BY BREEZE THRU SCREENS.
