Screen options for every window type — half and full screens, mesh grades from standard fibreglass to no-see-um and solar, and re-screening of existing frames.
Which screen you can have is decided by how the window opens, not by preference. Get this clear before ordering, because the most common disappointment is a screen that covers half of what the customer expected.
Half screens cover the lower sash only and are the traditional fit. Cheaper, lighter and easy to remove, but if you open the upper sash there is nothing across it.
Full screens cover the whole opening, so both sashes can be opened. Worth having on a double-hung, because opening both sashes is the one thing this window type does that others cannot — warm air out at the top, cool air in at the bottom. A half screen throws that away.
Screens sit in the exterior track. On a tilt-in window the sash tilts inward past the screen, so cleaning does not require removing it.
The screen runs on its own track outside the operating panel, which means it covers the half that opens — not the whole window. On an XO unit you get one screen over one half. This surprises people and it is worth saying at the quotation stage.
On a three-panel XOX unit the arrangement depends on the configuration; two screens covering the two operating ends is normal.
Because the sash swings outward, the screen goes on the inside. That is the reverse of every other type and has two consequences. The screen is protected from weather and lasts longer. And you reach through or past it to operate the crank — which is why casement screens are made with a hinged or removable section at the operator, and why a badly made one is a daily irritation.
A full-opening casement gives a full-size screened opening, which is the best ventilation-to-screen ratio of any window type.
Also inward opening, so the screen mounts externally in a frame fixed to the outside of the window. It stays in place whether the sash is tilted or turned. Because the sash swings into the room, the screen never obstructs operation — arguably the tidiest arrangement of any type.
A sliding screen door on its own track, covering the operating panel. These take far more use than a window screen and are worth specifying properly: an aluminium frame rather than plastic, proper rollers rather than plastic slides, and a latch that actually holds. Retractable screen doors that roll into a cassette suit openings where the screen is only wanted for part of the year.
Standard fibreglass — typically an 18 by 16 weave. Flexible, inexpensive, will not crease permanently, and adequate against mosquitoes and ordinary flies. The default, and right for most windows.
Fine mesh, sold as no-see-um screen — a tighter weave around 20 by 20 that stops the biting midges and gnats which pass straight through standard mesh. This is the one to ask for near water: the marsh edges of Jamaica Bay, the Rockaways, Gerritsen Beach, the Jersey Shore. The trade-off is genuine — a tighter weave reduces airflow and slightly reduces visibility.
Aluminium mesh — holds its shape better than fibreglass and resists sagging on wide panels, but creases permanently if pushed. Better on large fixed screens than on anything that gets handled.
Pet-resistant mesh — heavier woven polyester, worth it on a ground-floor opening or a screen door where a cat or dog will lean on it. Noticeably more visible than standard mesh, which is the cost of the durability.
Solar screen — a dense weave that blocks a substantial share of solar heat before it reaches the glass. It genuinely works on a west-facing elevation and it genuinely darkens the view, so it is a decision to make room by room rather than across a building.
High-visibility or "better view" mesh — finer yarns in a standard weave, giving noticeably clearer visibility. Worth it where the view is the reason for the window.
Specify aluminium frames rather than plastic on anything exposed, and make sure the spline is replaceable. A re-screen is a cheap repair when the frame is sound. We re-screen existing frames as well as supplying new ones — bring the frame to Staten Island by appointment, or we can collect on a building-wide job.
An insect screen is not a window guard and will not stop a child falling. The New York City Health Department states this explicitly. A screen is designed to keep insects out, and it is held in by a spline and a light frame — it will not carry a child's weight and was never intended to.
Where fall protection is required, an approved guard or limiting device is the answer. See our window guards and opening limiters page for what the Health Department requires and where each type applies. Both can be fitted to the same window; they do different jobs.
Near water — the Rockaways, Gerritsen Beach, Manhattan Beach, Howard Beach, the Shore. Standard mesh is not enough against midges here. Fine no-see-um weave, and an honest conversation about the airflow trade-off.
West-facing elevations — citywide. Solar screen on the afternoon side can make a room usable in summer without changing the glass, which is a fraction of the cost of reglazing.
Ground floor and gardens — brownstone rear elevations, Staten Island, New Jersey. Pet-resistant mesh on doors and low windows, and a screen door built properly because it will be used every day.
High-rise apartments — citywide. Screens must be secure in wind, and the guard or limiter question applies here regardless of the screen.
Tell us the window type, the opening size and whether you are near water. We supply, fit and re-screen across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island, and throughout Northern New Jersey, the Jersey Shore, Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley.
Recent project: Sunroom sliding doors with integrated mosquito screens in Jamaica Estates, Queens — corner glazing on two elevations.
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