Screen Doors

All the Benefits of Screen Doors Without All the Hassles

At least since the invention of woven wire fabric more than 100 years ago, people have been putting screens on their windows and doors to allow the fresh air in, but not the nasty insects that often come with it. Historically screen doors have used a light wooden frame with screen fabric stretched into it. The door was held shut by strong springs which lead many a mother to yell at their kids, “Don’t let the screen door slam.” The wood frame tended to sag with use causing the door not to close properly and the screen fabric could easily be torn from the frame if pushed, leaving a gap for insects that could only be eliminated by replacing the screen fabric. Even though they were ugly these wood screen doors were reasonably effective when in good repair. Eventually wood was replaced by aluminum, which was not any more attractive or any less prone to fabric damage, but did have the advantage of not sagging. Though aluminum screen doors, on the other hand, tended to get bent causing them to not close properly.

A New Idea In Screen Doors

About twenty years ago someone decided to apply an old idea to the problem of screening a door opening. Coiling retractable screens had been an option for windows since the early part of the 20th century, but because of the bulky mechanism and high price they were never widely popular. With the use of modern non-metallic screen fabrics and aluminum frames it became possible to build a coiling retractable screen for a door opening.

While much more attractive than the earlier alternatives these coiling retractable screens have drawbacks: they are expensive, often costing four times as much as a conventional screen door. Coiling retractable screens are complicated, so professional installation is almost always needed; not to mention the maintenance headache that comes with all of the bearings, springs, etc. Worst of all wind tends to blow the fabric out of its track or pop the screen open which leaves an opening for insects to enter the home.

A Better Retractable Screen Door

Screen Solutions Inc has found an alternative to both the traditional screen door and the coiling retractable screen. The Plissé (PLEE’-say) is a retractable screen that applies another old idea to the problem of screening a door opening. Plissé simply means pleated, which refers to the unique pleated fabric which is used to fold out of the way rather than coil. This simple design makes the Plissé retractable screen less expensive to purchase, install and maintain. Most important the Plissé will never pop open unexpectedly and the fabric will not blow out of the track even in a very strong wind.

Mr. Irvine, a Screen Solutions Inc customer, apparently agrees. His wife, Ginny, emailed us when she received a sample we’d sent them: “Got it today. Husband just got home he looks at it, and his comment it’s a better mousetrap. High praise from my husband the engineer.”

To learn more about the benefits of our Plissé retractable screen in wind please read the test report titled Wind and Retractable Screens.