All pool enclosures will eventually need to be rescreened, whether the screen’s lifespan is 20 years or just 3. Weak or discolored screens detract from your home’s value and usefulness without giving you anything valuable in return. Screens can become torn and damaged to the point that they no longer serve any purpose at all. As a pool enclosure specialist once put it, “A screen with tears is like a boat with holes in the bottom.”

Replacing the screen yourself is out of the question. Rescreening requires specialized knowledge and skills. At the same time, learning about the rescreening process can help you make better decisions when it’s time to have the job done. Here are 6 things you need to know about pool enclosure rescreening.

  1. The right screen makes all the difference


    When you request bids for your pool enclosure, you may get a wide range of prices. It’s always tempting to choose a low bid. Yet, the difference in bids may have more to do with the quality of screen that’s being used than it does with someone giving you a great deal. To be sure your new screen is worth the time and effort, you should stay away from cheap Artisan screen. Instead, choose Phifer screen or better.

    Polyester screen is stronger than Artisan screen or even Phifer fiberglass screen. The manufacturers stand behind polyester screen with a 10-year warranty, but these screens often last 20 years or longer.

  2. You can choose a No See Um screen if tiny bugs bother you


    Both fiberglass and polyester screen come in a No See Um weave. No See Ums are those tiny flying bugs that are plentiful in Florida. People who have lived in Florida all their lives may be so used to them they barely notice them anymore. People new to the state often find No See Ums so annoying they spend little time outside where the bugs can bother them. No See Um screen eliminates the problem because the mesh is so fine that even bugs too small to see can’t get through it.

  3. The best time to change the fasteners is when you’re getting a rescreen

    Many pool enclosures are put together with cheap steel builders grade screws. That kind of fastener rusts in a few short years, weakening the pool enclosure (read: Is your pool cage still rated for 150 mph?) and making it look ugly. Better fasteners are available, though. Nylo-tec fasteners retain their perfect appearance longer and stay strong in the long term.
    Replacing fasteners without rescreening is a difficult and time-consuming task. The work actually costs more than just a screen replacement. However, if you have the fasteners changed at the same time as the rescreening is done is much less expensive than getting the two jobs done independently. As a bonus, your pool enclosure will all be new at once.

  4. A full rescreen is more economical than replacing miscellaneous panels

    After taking a casual look around your pool cage, you might come to the conclusion that you can get by with replacing just a few of the panels. The problem is that it’s much more expensive to choose that method than getting a full rescreen. First, the individual panels cost more per size than the larger area of mesh that is used for a rescreen. You pay for just one service call when you have the full rescreen done instead of many service calls for each individual replacement. You save on labor costs because the workers only have to work around the plants and other objects surrounding your pool enclosure once.

    With standard screen, a full enclosure rescreen typically costs about 1/5th as much as replacing the entire pool enclosure panel by panel. Choosing the complete rescreen, then, will save you a huge amount of money that you can save or put into other home improvements.

  5. Screen enclosure work is dangerous.

    It’s crucial that the screen enclosure company has Workers Comp insurance. Why? Working high above the concrete below, climbing on tall ladders, maneuvering around all the obstacles surrounding your pool enclosure is dangerous work. You could end up on the wrong side of a lawsuit if an uninsured worker is injured.

  6. A contractor’s license is required

    When you hire a screen enclosure contractor, you need to make sure they have a valid contractor’s license. Licensing ensures that the contractor knows the state standards for screen enclosure work and follows those rules. Don’t take their word for it or believe what it says on their business card without investigating it for yourself. In Florida, a bona fide contractor’s name will appear on the website of the
    Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Corey Philip

About the author

Corey began working on screen enclosures as a teenager in 2004 after hurricane Charley devastated his home town of Punta Gorda. 7 years later, after holding positions from foreman, to sales, to project manager, while attending college at Florida Gulf Coast University, Corey and childhood friend Thomas Davis founded Gulf Coast Aluminum in 2011. With a focus on delivering an unparrelled level of service, the company has grown by leaps and bounds under their leadership. Today you’ll find Corey answering the phones In his free time Corey likes training for triathlons, running the trails at Ding Darling park on Sanibel Island, and of course, working on growing Gulf Coast Aluminum.