Your Pets & Your Screen Enclosure

A common problem amongst screen enclosure owners is finding a way to keep their furry family members contained. Dogs and even cats can wreak havoc on standard screening facilitating unwanted escape, put your mind at ease with our simple solutions. Phifer PetScreen is tear and puncture resistant to keep your enclosure looking new and your pets contained while providing excellent visibility. PetScreen is not harmful to pets and proudly made in the USA! If you have a larger dog or one that loves to chase the assortment of critters we find in our subtropical yards we offer kick plate. Kick plate is aluminum paneling offered in 16”, 24” and 36” heights. Stronger that the already tough PetScreen kick plate can keep even the most curious canines safely in your patio or lanai. The 36” kick plate is also great for privacy while you are relaxing in the pool. Kick plate can be added to any pool enclosure and is also great at keeping dirt out of your enclosure cutting down on sweeping!

Sponsored by ScreenEnclosureGuide.com

Protect your investment, find out how!

Next to your home the most expensive possession owned by Americans will usually be their car/rv/boat. Even if you take good care of them, years of the Florida sun beating down on them will take their toll and severely devalue them. An affordable way to protect your prized possessions is with an aluminum carport. Not having a basement in Florida has many people piling all their junk in their garage, leaving their cars outside to the mercy of the sun. When I'm driving around town in my truck I look down and see several sun
damaged paint jobs, the cars don't even look that old!

  Looks like crap!

7 inch superwhatsit?

We can all agree that Florida gets hit with some powerful rainstorms. Our rainstorms dump a TON of water in a short time so it is important to have a gutter hat can handle the heavy flow.  The cost of upgrading to a 7" supergutter over a 5" when factored in with all of the other expenses of a new enclosure is usually tiny and I highly recommend it. With gutters size definitely matters, check out this great example of when you should use a 7" gutter.

A Brief Overview Of Screen Enclosure Engineering

Screen enclosures aren't a simple large scale erector sets.  There's actually highly calculated engineering processes behind every screen enclosure with immense detail into each specific aluminum member size and the number of screws at each connection.  If you'd like to learn more I'd recommend checking out this post on screen enclosure engineering: http://www.gulfcoastaluminum.com/top-9-details-on-screen-ecnlosure-pool-cage-engineering/

Best Resources On The Web For Screen Enclosures

1) The Guide to Getting The Ultimate Screen Enclosure

2) Find The Best Screen Enclosure Contractor

3) Pool Cage Painting Information

4) Stem Walls & Foundation Explained

5) 7" Super Gutters

6) The Real Scoop on Cheap Unlicensed Contractor Re-screens

7) The common roof designs for screen enclosure

8) Professional Carport Builder in The SWFL Area

Keeping Dirt Out Of Your Screen Enclosure

Screen enclosure blending the line behind the 'outdoors' and living space tend to get dirty.  Most commonly the dirt splatters up around the bottom edge of the enclosure as a result of rain splash, or lawn mower dust.  Fortunately 2 good options exist for keeping it a bit cleaner.

1) Kickplate: Kickplate is a solid metal paneling that goes around the bottom of the screen enclosure.  They come in a standard size of 16" but could be done larger.  Because the aluminum is a resilient metal it has the added value of being weed whacker, lawn mower and pet resistant.  Kick plate is a good option to consider adding to your existing or new pool enclosure.

2) Florida Glass: Its a trick, Florida Glass, is not an actual glass.  Rather Florida glass is a screen mesh with a laminate of sorts melted over it.  It is a non breathable material so not air flow, or dirt, or water can splash through it.  It is a great product for keeping the deck clean but it is not quite as resilient as the metal kickplate.

Consider these options for your pool enclosure!

Screen Enclosure Projects Behind The Scenes

When your contract told you it was going to take 3 months to get a permit for your screen enclosure you probably thought WTF!!!  The reality is more work goes on behinds the scenes, before ground is even broke than you realize.  A recent blog post from the guys at Gulf Coast Aluminum shows us what happens. 

1) Engineering and surveying: Many screen enclosure projects will require the use of a 3rd party engineer or surveyor.  Engineering and surveying is crucial to making sure your structure is build to code, and that it is not built into a survey.  That said many engineering and surveying firms can take 2-3 weeks to turnaround a project.  This post on ScreenEnclosureGuide.com give some good information on why surveys are valuable

2) Notice Of Commencement -- in Florida every screen enclosure project over $2,5000 requires a Notice of Commencement.  It is a notarized for that essentially says you, the homeowner, acknowledges the contractor and sub contractors have lien rights. In my opinion it is a little unnecessary for screen enclosure projects and better suited for large building construction, but none the less it is required.  

3) Permit Application -- Every building department has a unique application and standard for a screen enclosure permit.  It sure would be nice if they could keep it consistent!

4) Permit Review and Follow Through -- permits can be a real pain in the ass as I explain in my previous post.  Following up on the permit and ensuring nothing gets left in the dark is something that takes time as many of the building departments are notoriously tough to communicate through.  Often times permits will get rejected with vague information regarding the rejections and getting further details is seemingly impossible.  An established and professional contractor will have some valuable contacts.  

Better details on the behind the scenes info and how Gulf Coast Aluminum handles things in a professional and efficient manner can be read on their website

Mosquito emergency!

Can I screen in my ______ is a question I commonly get. To answer that, if it is a part of your house the answer is almost always yes even if it is the second or third floor! Check out this three story dream house. What good is an open patio on your penthouse suite if you get swarmed by pesky bloodsuckers. Having noseeums nibble on you while you enjoy your view is not ideal, luckily for this homeowner their patio was under an existing solid roof and could be screened in without a permit (2-3 month wait!) Pool enclosures on the other hand required a bit longer in waiting time.  This project was completed 2 days after signed contract by a licensed and insured contractor.