A mosquito screen is not only protection from mosquitoes. In Dubai's hot climate it also holds back dust and fine sand, and sometimes becomes part of the interior. Here is what to weigh up when choosing — from where it goes to which fabric it carries.
01DECIDE WHERE THE SCREEN WILL GO
A compact framed screen suits windows. Entrance and balcony doors take sliding or pleated, so the passage stays clear. Terraces and commercial premises take reinforced sliding constructions. We go through every option on the “Types of screen” page.
02CHOOSE HOW IT OPENS
Top-down or bottom-up is the classic for windows. Sliding left and right suits balconies and terraces. Reverse and centre-opening are for wide and double openings. More on the “Opening methods” page.
03MATCH THE FABRIC TO THE JOB
Standard suits most windows. Pet-proof is for a home with active animals. Anti-sand is for lower floors and the windward side of a building. We carry 6 fabrics in all — the comparison is on the “Mesh types” page.
04WHAT ELSE TO LOOK AT
- Profile colour — match it to the facade or the window frame
- Quality of hardware and seals — service life depends on it
- Warranty and fitting times — establish them in advance
- Whether the screen can come off out of season — relevant for removable and magnetic constructions
Panoramic windows are always handsome, light and generous. They visually erase the line between inside and out, letting you enjoy the view of the gulf or the city skyline. But when the warm season arrives the question becomes how to ventilate without letting insects or dust into the house.
Standard framed screens do not work here — they block the view, look bulky and are awkward to store. For large openings (from 1.5 metres wide and up to 3 metres tall) the industry offers two main answers: roll-up systems and pleated screens.
Pleated screens: elegance at scale
The pleated system — the concertina — is the outright leader for panoramic glazing. The fabric folds into a compact stack at the side and takes almost no room.
- Covers up to 6 metres wide (with two-way opening)
- No spring mechanism — the screen stops wherever you leave it
- A low threshold (from 3 mm) that is impossible to trip on
- Resistance to gusts thanks to reinforcing cords
“For sliding systems on terraces or by a pool we always recommend pleated screens. It is the only system that does not obstruct the passage and stands up to constant use.”
Roll-up screens: concealed protection
If your panoramic window is not a door — a fixed window with one opening sash for ventilation, say — the ideal choice is a roll-up screen opening from the top down.
When the screen is not wanted, the fabric winds fully into a neat aluminium cassette (about 4–5 cm) that merges with the window frame. You get a completely clean view without a single crossbar.
What the UAE climate asks of the fabric
When choosing a screen for large windows, look at the quality of the fabric (fibreglass). It has to be UV-stable — not fading in the sun — and resistant to fine dust. We use grey fabric: optically it is the most transparent and the least noticeable against the street.
