Rescreening a Lanai: What It Costs and When to Do It

Screen has a service life, and in Florida sun it is shorter than people expect.

Screen enclosures are close to standard on Central Florida homes, and screen is a consumable. UV degrades it, storms tear it, and after enough years it becomes brittle enough that a hand pushed against it goes through.

How long screen lasts

It depends heavily on exposure. Panels on the south and west faces take the most sun and fail first, which is why a cage frequently needs partial rescreening long before the whole thing is due. In our climate, expect the sunniest panels to need attention well before the shaded ones.

The tell is brittleness. Press it gently — screen that has gone hard and does not flex is at the end of its life whether or not it has holes yet.

Material choices

• Standard fiberglass. The default. Least expensive, adequate lifespan, easiest to work with.
• Pet-resistant screen. Considerably tougher, worth it on the lower panels where dogs push against it.
• No-see-um mesh. A finer weave that keeps out the smaller insects. It also restricts airflow more and traps more dirt, so it is a trade-off rather than an upgrade.
• Solar screen. Blocks a meaningful amount of heat and glare, at the cost of visibility.

Most people end up with a mix — pet screen low down, standard above, and something finer where insects are a specific complaint.

Check the frame before you rescreen

This is the step that gets skipped. Rescreening a cage with a corroded or damaged frame is putting new material onto a structure that will need work anyway.

Look at the fasteners, the corners and the base where the frame meets the deck — that is where water sits and where corrosion starts. Check that no members are bent from a previous storm, and that the anchoring into the slab is sound. Fixing frame problems at the same time as rescreening is far cheaper than doing them separately.

Doors and hardware

Screen door closers, hinges and latches are the most-used components and the first to fail. If you are rescreening, replace them at the same time rather than putting new screen next to worn hardware.

We rescreen lanais, pool cages and porches across Polk County and the surrounding area. Call (863) 633-5499 or request a free estimate.

Frequently asked questions

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