The two things that shorten a screen's life here are sand in the guide and sun on the fabric. Neither is repaired, but both are slowed considerably by cleaning. Two rounds a year is enough for most flats; near a construction site or the sea, four.
01MONTHLY — THE TRACK
A vacuum with a narrow nozzle along the whole channel, then a damp cloth and time to dry. No oil: it attracts sand.
02EVERY SEASON — THE MESH
Take it off, lay it flat, wash it with warm soapy water and a soft sponge on both sides, and dry it in the shade.
03ONCE A YEAR — HARDWARE AND FRAME
Rollers should spin freely without grinding, the catch should hold, the frame corners should not have opened up. Near the sea, add a check of the fixings for corrosion.
04WHAT NEVER TO DO
- Vacuum the mesh itself
- Wash it at high pressure
- Fit two screens one behind the other: the air stops passing
- Leave a screen in the opening all year when you do not need it
Washing the mesh
Cool water, a soft sponge and a neutral detergent. Wash from both sides: dust settles on the outside, kitchen grease on the inside.
Do not use a stiff brush, powder or a pressure washer. Standard fibreglass mesh stretches out of shape, and once it has, tension cannot be restored.
Dry it before putting it back. A wet mesh in a guide traps sand instantly.
The guide is more important than the mesh
This is where most repairs come from. Sand collects in the bottom channel, packs down and grinds the rollers away.
Vacuum it with a narrow nozzle, wipe it, let it dry. That is the whole procedure and it takes minutes.
Do not lubricate a guide with oil or grease: they hold sand and make the problem worse. If the runners are stiff, a dry silicone spray is the option, not oil.
What not to do
Do not wash mesh with a hose at pressure. It punches the fabric out of the frame.
Do not use solvents, acetone or aggressive household cleaners: they attack the polymer coating on fibreglass.
Do not take a roll-up cassette apart. The spring inside is under tension and reassembly is not a home job.
Do not leave a pleated screen open all season: the folds hold their shape better when it is worked.
How often
An ordinary flat away from a building site: twice a year, before the season and after it.
By the sea or beside construction: four times, because sand and salt arrive continuously.
A kitchen: more often, because grease binds the dust and the mesh clogs faster than anywhere else.
A rule of thumb: if the light through the mesh has visibly dimmed, it is already overdue.
Three quarters of call-outs are the consequence of a track and a mesh that were left untouched for a year.
What cleaning will not fix
Fabric that has gone brittle at the edge under ultraviolet. That is replacement, not washing.
Rollers worn flat by sand. Also replacement, and a cheap one.
A frame out of true. Lay it on a flat floor: if it does not sit on all four corners, it is bent and no amount of cleaning will help.
A slackened cord in a pleated screen. It is a consumable and it gets changed.
