Caring for Your Insect Screens

How often

A clean once or twice a season is all most screens need. A few minutes keeps the mesh clear and the screen running smoothly.

Cleaning the mesh

• Vacuum the mesh gently with a soft brush head to clear dust, pollen, and cobwebs.
• For a deeper clean, wipe with warm water and a little mild detergent on a soft cloth or brush, then let it dry.
• Never use a water blaster, harsh solvents, or abrasive pads - they can stretch the mesh or damage the finish.

Tracks and cassette

• Wipe the tracks and cassette with a damp cloth so nothing catches and the screen runs freely.
• If a track feels stiff, a light spray of greaseless silicone (we use Helmar H4000) keeps it gliding; a quick spray every month or so keeps it smooth. Use silicone only - oil-based sprays such as WD40 attract grit and can damage the screen.

Coastal and estuary homes

Near the coast, salt builds up over time. Rinse the hardware and tracks with fresh water every so often - seasonally for most homes, more often if you are right on the water. The powder-coated finish is made for the conditions; the rinse just helps it last.

Outdoor blinds and clear PVC

Outdoor blinds need a little extra care:

• When a blind is first fitted you may see light creases from transport - leave it down for a few days and they settle out.
• Wash the fabric and clear PVC with fresh water and a soft cloth - again, no water blaster.
• Let the blind dry before rolling it away, so moisture is not trapped against the PVC.
• Keep glass cleaners, polishes, and water-repellent treatments off clear PVC - they can cloud it over time.
• In a hard frost, leave the blind down until the PVC warms up; rolling stiff, cold PVC can crease it.

Strong wind

Retractable screens and blinds are made to live outside, but in very strong wind it is wise to retract them. Motorised outdoor blinds withstand gusts up to around 60kph once fully down and held in their side channels, but avoid running them up or down in winds above about 35kph - mid-travel is when a blind is most exposed. An optional wind sensor can retract a motorised blind for you. Let a blind dry before rolling it away after rain, so damp fabric or PVC is not stored rolled up wet. If an insect screen slips out of its track in a gust, it is easily reset - just guide the edge back into the channel. See our full guide to outdoor blinds and wind for a simple wind scale to judge by.

Damage and repairs

The mesh is designed to flex if someone walks into it. A heavy knock can pull the mesh out of the track, but that is serviceable - we re-seat or replace the mesh rather than writing off the screen. Mesh cartridges are replaceable and parts are available long-term, so a screen is a long-term fixture, not a throwaway.

If a Serene window screen ever jams and won’t retract, you can usually free it yourself in a few seconds - see fixing a jammed screen.

If something is torn or not running right, get in touch rather than forcing it - a quick repair from us keeps the screen running as it should.