Screening wood frame patio

Hi all,

I'm in the middle of rebuilding my back porch after Wilma. I have one long wall which will be screened. Its framed with 4x4s and 2x4s (all PT), broken up into 6 "windows" approx 4' by 4'.

I had originally planned to just use staples covered by firring strips to attach the screen but I heard about a product which adds spline channels to wood frames. That certainly sounds better from a maintenance standpoint. After much research the only thing I can find is a product called "Screen Tight". Althought it is pretty much exactly what I need I was shocked by the price of it. I could buy a good car for the amount it would cost me to put this stuff on my porch, its far more than I can afford.

Does anyone know of a similar product which might meet my needs while being more affordable?

Thanks for your time.

 

I've had pretty good luck with ScreenTite, and didn't find it all that expensive. Now, if you have an unusually large deck, it could get into a mint. The ScreenTite product does allow for replacement of the screening if you accidentally rip it.
If you work it right, you don't have to use the 4" wide pieces to run up the 4x4's. Use the smaller (cheaper) 2" ones, centered, and you will hardly notice the difference except in the money you save.
Good luck with the project.
Larry

 

Even using the smaller sections I'm looking at $1200 just for the screen tight. No way that's in the flight plan, insurance didn't help much due to big deducatable.

Thanks for the reply though

 

OK, resurrecting an ancient thread here.... I just realized that the price I was looking at for Screentight was for packages of 20, not individual. I CAN afford to use this stuff, if I can just find some...

Supposedly Lowes and HD are dealers but none I can find have a clue what I'm talking about. Has anyone found this stuff in either place, if so, in what department? Any other sources?

Thanks

 

Tom: Home Depot carries the stuff. The black base is sku 770636, and sells for $3.66 per 8' stick, and the 1 1/2" white cap is sku 770510 and also sells for $3.66 per 8' stick. I've got my local HD store on my computer, that's how I get the sku numbers and today's prices. I'm glad you were able to find out about the 20 pc bundle before you chucked it all. It is a great installation process. Let me know if I can help further.

 

Thanks Larry, I'll go in armed with the SKUs

 

Nothing comes up on their site when searching on these numbers. I'll go in at lunch today and see if I can get some info. Greatly appreciated!

Its going to be a more difficult install than normal. I can't mount them on the outer surface because my wife has her heart set on a row of pickets along the lower row of "windows". My plan is to create an inner frame of 2x2s inside each window section, mounted basically like doorstop in a door frame. This way the cap of the screen tight will be flush with the outer surface of the framing and I can still attach the pickets. That make sense?

 

and it just keeps getting better..... not stocked by any Home Depot in this region. The guy would might know how to order it is not to be found. I think I'll call the company and see if they have a better idea.

 

Tom: Your 2x2 scheme sounds good. Only problem is that it will take twice as many verticals as a solid install across the whole deck, since you will be splitting each opening into its own space. Cut the 2x2's down to an actual 1 1/2x1 1/8 and the inside will be flush and so will the outside once the screentite is installed.
Bummer on not finding them. I like the idea of contacting screentite mfgr direct. If they have no outlets in your area, they may sell them to you at cost. It's worth a try.

 

I finally found a HD who was able to order them, should have in a week. Thanks for all the help!

 

Where does the 1 1/8 come in? I was just going to leave them at 1 1/2 x 1 1/2... What am I missing?

 

Tom: OK, I see what you are talking about by having them on the bias rather than front to back. As Gilda Radner would say on SNL,.......Nevermind!!!

 

But based on your last idea I now assume that the profile on the screentight is about 1/4", right?

 

Yeah, once it is snapped together it will be about 1/4" profile. Maybe less. It won't be any more than the depth of the outer piece, since it will sit flush over the backer.

 

I highly recommend this product. I installed it 2 or three years ago. Still looks like new. I found a couple sections this year that needed to be tightened up. I removed the cap pieces, removed spline, restretched and reinstalled spline and cap. Try doing that with lathe and staples.

Here is a link to a pic of my project:

http://home.mn.rr.com/dtro/screenporch1.jpg

 

Another post and beam deck. Dontcha love 'em. We don't get to see many here in the Southeast. Good job.

 

That's all you see around here, in fact I really don't know of any other way.......how are they built there?

Believe it or not, The deck, the screen porch and the patio, were all done by me, myself and I, not another hand touched it. I saved a ton of money, but take a look at it and imagine hand digging 4ft x12" for the posts, hand excavating for the pavers 10x20 by 4" and attaching ledger board and raising double beam 10ft up.
ugh I get sore just thinking about it again

 

Most of the decks here are corner posters, with midspan posts if necessary due to the width and length of the deck. I did my personal deck with post and beam, just to try the method out, and love the look. It is lower to the ground, and looks suspended in air. We also don't have the untenable problem of digging to China for foundation substrate. 12" frost line is quite deep enough around here, and where Tom (Wreckwriter) lives, they can put their support on top of the ground almost. I'd hate to know I would have to excavate for footings as deep as you do.

 

Most around here are aluminum, I guess that's why the Screentight isn't stocked anywhere. My house is pretty old and has been extended a time or 2 so I still have the wood version. Mine looks somewhat like the photo except I have only one screen wall and I my vertical posts are 4x instead of 2x.

I'll post pics when I finally get it finished

 

Home Depot just called, my screentight is here

What type screw is used for these? I'm thinking #10, roundhead?

 

Tom: They are prepunched, and I believe I used #8 hex. Much easier to install than phillips, especially if you have to reach.

 

Yea, I picked them up today, looks like #8. I'll get a bunch of screws in the next couple days. I'm thinking to use stainless, probably won't be able to get hex locally in quantity. Likely end up with round head phillips.

 

Update- I built the inside frame with 2x2s, primed, and installed last Sat, then topcoated with Superpaint latex on Sun. Came out nicely. Yesterday I attached the ScreenTight base pieces. That was much easier than I had expected. The material cut nicely with a pair of shop shears and fit right on.

Hopefully this coming weekend will see the sreen installed and this project drawing to a close. All that's left after that is to paint the floor (but that's another thread )

Thanks Larry and dtro for the tips!

 

Final update: this portion is done. I got the sreening in this weekend. Came out real nice, a few gaps where my cuts weren't perfect but they're small. I was a bit surprized how hard it was to roll in the sline to the screen tight. My arm is still sore!

 

I finally broke down and bought one of the screentite rollers. Much larger to fit my fat hands, and it did a pretty good job with alot less fatigue, and it had a built in cutter blade.
Hey, guy, post some pix!!!

 

Heh, I been after Dee to take some now that its done. Hopefully soon...

 

Finally took time to start getting some pix together. This is just a few, lots more in time:

http://www.wreckwriter.com/wilma.html