Window screens in the UK
One of the things that often confuses Americans when they visit the UK is our lack of window screens.
All the Imperialist Yankee media I consumed as a kid had a delightful array of screen doors and windows. But here in rainy old England, there's never been much call for them. Mosquitos are rare. Our bugs tend not to be large and terrifying. Our summers are rarely hot for long enough to warrant opening the windows.
But, hey, climate change is real. After sweltering last year and getting a fair share of mozzie bites, it was time to switch things up.
So I bought the cheapest magnetic window screens I could. Here's what they look like:
For about £15 - £20 per window (depending on size) you get a couple of rolls of sticky magnetic tape, a mesh curtain, decorative strips, and some corner pieces.
I'd say the quality is... adequate. In the positive column - the magnetic tape sticks well to a uPVC frame and the magnets cling well to each other.
The mesh is fine. It is a bit stiff so it worth ironing before deploying in order to get the creases out. Bugs are unable to penetrate it - but it isn't so dense that it replaces the need for a net curtain for privacy.
Sticking the mesh to the magnetic strips is a bit fiddly. Unless you can get it perfectly taut, you'll end up with wrinkles and bunches of fabric. Nothing too obnoxious though.
Sadly, the decorative strips are a bit crap. The have glue on one side and - I guess - are supposed to bond with the glue on the magstrips through the mesh. It doesn't work.
In the end, I squirted a bit of OB1 adhesive on the decorative strips and that seemed to hold them in place.
Once it's all stuck down, it is easy to trim the mesh to size. The corner pieces (once also glued down) are easy to use.
The end result? Yeah, they work. I can leave the windows open and I occasionally see bugs struggling to get in. The mesh keeps out flies, mosquitos, moths, wasps, hornets, and any other winged beastie.
These are much cheaper than pre-fabricated meshes. They're a bit of a faff to fit and get looking just right. But they work - our house is bug free.
And, no, they're not connected to the Internet!
| Verdict |
|---|
| Reply to original comment on bsky.app
Daniel says:
I think we paid a bit more and got some nicer materials but they are fundamentally quite ugly.
| Reply to original comment on mastodon.social
Chris R says:
Kai says:
So this summer I have decided to do things differently. I am planning to create rigid but light window frame panels made with mesh sandwiched with a 5mm art foam board with strong magnets to attach to the frame. They come off quite easily when you need to remove them to close the window and can be moved out of the blind space easily as I plan to make several small ones like fencing panels so I only need to remove a part of the window mesh to close the window. It won't be easy but hopefully, the result will look far more professional and practical than previous efforts.
Moray says:
More comments on Mastodon.