Mosquito net installation

An insect screen lets you sleep with the window open without mosquitoes, and keeps flies and wasps out of the kitchen. How it is fitted depends on the type: a framed screen set into the window, a roller screen in a cassette, a sliding screen or a hinged door screen for the balcony. It is priced per screen, and accurate measuring matters most.

Types of insect screen

• framed: the simplest and cheapest, hooked onto the window frame and taken down for winter;
• roller: the mesh retracts into a cassette above the window, handy where the window is often cleaned or closed;
• hinged or sliding door screen: for balconies and terraces, with magnets or a self-closer;
• pleated: for wide glazing and patio doors, taking up no space.

Measuring and fitting

Screens are made to measure, so the handyman starts by measuring the window opening or the frame the screen will sit in. On uPVC windows there is usually no need to drill the profile: framed screens hang on brackets that clip over the frame. Door and roller screens are screwed to the reveal or frame, and their guide rails must be parallel or the mesh will jam.

Worth knowing

If you have a cat, ordinary mesh tears quickly, so a reinforced pet mesh is better. Flats on busy roads benefit from anti-pollen mesh for allergy sufferers. Framed screens are best taken down and stored for winter, as snow and wind break the brackets.

Common questions