One of the most common uses for screens is to provide a bug-free solution for a porch. Unfortunately, conventional screens, the wire mesh type you buy in a roll from the hardware store, are limited when it comes to keeping out the bugs, and the sunlight, for that matter. The traditional wire mesh screens don’t provided any type of glare protection and quite often stretch and tear, leaving you to deal with pesky mosquitoes and the like.

Fortunately, there’s a practical solution to keeping the bugs out that doesn’t require constant maintenance and frequent replacement. They’re called retractable screens, and they are to screen porches what smart phones are to telephones. They’re a technological breakthrough to outdated and cumbersome screens of yesteryear.

Like conventional screens, retractable screens can enclose an outdoor living space. But that’s where the comparison ends.

Retractable screens are much more durable than the old screens. They last longer because they can be drawn into a canister and out of the elements when not in use. This is true whether you live in Atlanta, or Alberta, Canada.

Moreover, they offer added benefits to the homeowner besides just keeping out the bugs. Retractable screens can cut down on the glare of the sun when it is low on the horizon, and also decrease energy costs by reducing the heat of the sun and subsequent heat that would otherwise penetrate the indoors and keep your air conditioner running on high.

Retractable screens run on rails and can be either manually or automatically drawn up and down– or sideways, for that matter. A magnetic strip where the screens draw closed ensures no bugs of the flying or creepy crawly type enter your living space.

To fit a typical porch with retractable screens you will need to have wide, custom built screens installed in the large openings that surround your porch. These will be screens that open and close vertically. A retractable screen that opens horizontally, much like a patio door, can be installed in the narrower door opening. Both types of screens can be opened with a remote control unit.

Retractable screens are a significant investment that can increase the value of your home. As such, they should be installed by licensed or certified installers. Expect about three to four weeks from the time of ordering to have the screens and hardware delivered to you or the installer.

Retractable screens will offer you the chance to utilize your porch for the things you like to do on your porch when you feel so inclined, unhindered by bugs and the glare of the sun.

Brooke Gordon is a writer and photographer for Stoett.com.  When she’s not reviewing new porch and patio screens, she enjoys hanging out at the local coffee shop, walking her bulldog, and being creative with craft projects.