It’s interesting how you can add a few items to an empty or neglected living space and it is suddenly transformed into a place you’ll want to hang out. Add a television and a few pictures of sports figures to a ho-hum garage and you suddenly have a “man cave” where the guys will want to hang out and watch the football game. The same goes for retractable screens. Screen in a covered outside living space and you suddenly create an atmosphere where people will want to hang out and read, play cards, or heaven forbid, watch football (just kidding football fans)!
Many people have these spaces and perhaps don’t even realize the transformation that can take place by investing in retractable screens. The screens will give you that comfortable feeling of being in an enclosed space while still being able to enjoy the great outdoors. Plus, with retractable screens, you can open and close the screens with a touch of a button. For instance, if you have a covered deck that leads to an outside patio, you can draw up the screens so people can easily mingle with people between the deck and patio.
Retractable screens are the smartphones of this generation. They make the old stationary screens look like a rotary phone. The vertical rails keep the screens taut and looking elegant. When you want the screens drawn up and stored away for the winter, simply draw them up into the canister situated above the opening. The rails and canisters come in different colors, allowing you to choose units that match or complement the décor of your home. In other words, your “new” living space will blend right into existing living spaces in your home.
Vertical screens are normally used for large openings in a living space, such as a garage door opening or large openings that surround a porch. Horizontal screens are typically the option for single entry door openings and normally aren’t motorized to open and close by push button, like vertical screens do. Of course, the main purpose of any type of outdoor screens is to keep the bugs out. Retractable screens do a good job of this if they are installed properly. Another advantage of retractable screens is you can better ventilate your home, which will improve the air quality inside your home and cut down on the energy it takes to run an air conditioner during warm weather.
Though somewhat effective, the old style screens can be troublesome as they tear or come loose where they’ve been stapled. Also, they’re stationary and you can’t conveniently put the screens away for the winter, or remove them if you need to get them out of the way for a large gathering of people, or you simply want to enjoy the outdoors views unhindered by the screens. So whether you’re looking to build a man cave, or something more civilized, like a reading room, retractable screens are a good choice for transforming an outdoor space to a useful living and entertainment space.