The Best Window Screens for Florida Homes

If you ever open your windows, yes. Mosquitoes are out for most of the year here, and near the water no-see-ums come in at dusk. An unscreened window stays shut, so the house runs on air conditioning even on the mild days of spring, fall and winter, when a breeze would do the job.

Plenty of Florida homes are missing a few, often found after moving in. Our post on buying a house with missing window screens covers what to do about it.

• Sun: strong light all year fades fiberglass mesh, then makes it brittle, fastest on the south and west sides
• Salt air: near the Gulf and the bay, it corrodes aluminum frames and corners, leaving white powder and pitting
• Humidity: mildew grows in the dirt and pollen that collect on the mesh
• Storms: wind pulls loose window screens out of their windows and throws debris through the mesh
• Bugs: no-see-ums are small enough to get through standard mesh

The best window screens for Florida are chosen with all of that in mind. Our post on how long window screens last in Florida covers what wears out first.

A window screen has to sit tight in its window on every side. Even a thin gap along one edge lets mosquitoes and no-see-ums in, whatever the mesh. A loose fit is also how window screens get lost in a storm: one that rattles in its track, or is missing its clips or tension springs, is the first to blow out.

Store-bought window screens, and old ones moved from another window, often leave those gaps. Ours are measured at the window and made to fit it. Our post on a window screen not fitting explains the usual reasons.

There is no one best mesh for a Florida home. Most homes do best with a mix, chosen window by window:

• Standard fiberglass: most windows. The best airflow and the clearest view, and it does not rust near salt water
• No-see-um: windows that face the water or stay open in the evening. A tighter weave for the tiny biting bugs
• Solar: windows on the south and west sides that take the afternoon sun. A denser mesh that cuts heat and glare, with a darker view out
• Pet-resistant: windows and sliding screen doors a dog or cat can reach. A thick, vinyl-coated mesh that stands up to claws

Our window screen mesh options page compares all four in more detail.

Aluminum is the usual window screen frame here, and it lasts a long time while it stays straight. Near salt water it corrodes faster, and the corners usually go first. Once a frame shows white powder or pitting, new mesh will not save it, and window screen replacement with a new frame is the better choice.

A window screen is not storm protection and does nothing to protect the glass. What a storm does to window screens is pull loose ones out of their windows and send debris through the mesh, which is one more reason the fit matters. Afterward, torn mesh and bent frames can usually be fixed with window screen repair, and window screens that blew away can be made new to fit.

Call us if:

• You are not sure which mesh suits which windows
• Window screens are missing, or do not fit their windows
• The mesh on the sunny side has faded or turned brittle
• Frames near the water are corroding at the corners
• Bugs are getting in past your window screens