Whether it’s your first summer in your new house—or even your 25th—preparing your home for the warm weather season is most likely at the top of your current to-do list. From simple home maintenance tasks to making sure the air conditioning unit is working, it’s also a good time to get the screens in the windows.
 
The advantages of screens are numerous. For one, they reduce sunlight and heat gain, which in warm weather is welcome, as they lessen sun damage to furniture and floors, plus keep cooling costs at bay. Screens also allow plenty of fresh air to come into the home, while at the same time keeping bugs and debris out. Plus, an open window with a screen will allow far less water into the home during a downpour than a window not equipped with a screen.
 
Before you begin placing screens in the windows throughout your home, you’ll want to make sure they’re clean. This can be done by spraying them down with a hose. For screens that are really dirty, laundry cleaner can be used to get rid of built-up dirt that’s been collecting during the off season.
 
It’s also important to make sure your screens are in good shape before placing them. If you notice a small tear, a quick trip to your local hardware store for a screen patch kit may be all you need. Mending a small tear is as simple as adhering the screen patch to the problem area. For really small holes, use clear-drying glue.
 
Once the screens are in for the season, use a duster to remove any dirt that accumulates, or lightly go over the surface with your vacuum’s brush attachment.
 
If you do need to invest in new screens, there are plenty of options to choose from. Window screens can be made of aluminum, fiberglass, metal wire, nylon or polyester, and depending on where you’ll be adding them, different options work best for different rooms. Generally speaking, fiberglass is typically recommended for the main rooms of the house.
 
You can also choose solar screens, popular in really hot climates, which are made of special window screen mesh, often a polyester weave and sometimes the added durability of PVC coating. One downside associated with solar screens is that they basically blacken the window, a look many homeowners don’t like. While they block a majority of the light coming into the home, they also offer a sense of privacy. And last but not least, they’re cheaper than most screens on the market, and will keep the home cooler during the hot summer months.
 
To keep the process running smoothly, when removing screens at the end of the season, place a piece of masking tape (or any other type of label) on each screen to identify which window it goes in. This will save you a lot of time and frustration next year.
 
For more information about preparing your home for summer, contact our office today.

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