Fly Screens

On a warm evening you want the windows and doors open, not a room full of insects. Fly screens, also called insect screens, put a fine mesh across the opening so air can move while insects are kept out. They are a simple idea, but the right type depends entirely on how the window or door opens, how often you use it and how much of the frame is available to fix to. This page explains the main types we can discuss, where each tends to work, and the integrated blind-and-screen systems some homes ask about.

Jump to: Types of fly screen · Doors and large openings · Combined blind and insect screens · What we check

Types of fly screen

Fixed or removable frame screens

A mesh panel in a slim frame that sits on or within the window frame. Well suited to windows you open for ventilation but rarely lean out of, such as a bathroom, a kitchen over a sink or a bedroom kept open overnight. Some designs lift out for winter or cleaning.

Retractable roller screens

The mesh rolls into a small cassette when not needed and is pulled across when it is. Useful where you want the screen out of sight for part of the year, or where a fixed panel would get in the way of cleaning or opening the window.

Pleated screens

A pleated mesh that concertinas to one side. Often considered for doors because the low track can be easier to step over than a traditional threshold, depending on the system.

Which of these is possible depends on whether your windows open inward or outward, tilt and turn, slide or are sashes. Outward-opening casements, common in UK homes, usually need the screen on the inside of the frame, which affects handle clearance and how you reach the window. Tilt-and-turn windows raise different questions again; see our tilt and turn page for the internal blind side of that story.

Doors and large openings

Patio, French and bifold doors are where fly screens are most wanted and most awkward. Wide openings need a screen that moves easily, does not create a trip hazard and does not stop the doors opening fully. Sliding, pleated and retractable systems each have trade-offs in how wide they can span, how much frame depth they need and how well they cope with busy family use or pets. We are straightforward about those limits at survey. For internal shading on the same doors, see patio door blinds and bifold door blinds.

Combined blind and insect screen systems

Some homes want a window or door opening to do several jobs: shade or darken the room, and keep insects out when the window is open. Integrated systems, sometimes described as blind screens, combine a blind and an insect screen within one frame fitted to the opening, so both can be used independently or together. Depending on the system, the blind element may be a shading, thermal or blackout option.

These systems tend to interest people with bedrooms that need darkness and ventilation at the same time, rooms that are opened a lot in summer, and doors where separate blinds and screens would clash. Whether one is possible depends on the frame depth, how the window or door opens and the exact system, so we only recommend configurations that are genuinely compatible with the opening. A blackout element reduces light significantly but does not guarantee total darkness; see our blackout blinds page for how that works.

What we check

• How each window or door opens, and the handle and hinge positions.
• Frame depth and material, and where a screen can be fixed without affecting seals or drainage.
• Whether the screen needs to be removable, retractable or permanent.
• Thresholds and trip risks on doors, and use by children, older relatives or pets.
• Whether an existing blind is in the way, or whether a combined system would be tidier.

To talk through your windows and doors, book a free survey.