Why We Use Super Screen and Aluminum Screen Doors on Every…

A screened porch is only as good as the screen that's in it. That sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many porches get built with the cheapest fiberglass mesh the supplier had on the shelf and a screen door frame that starts sagging within two years. We've torn out enough failed screen systems to have strong opinions about what goes into ours.

At PRG Home Improvement, every screened porch we build in Anne Arundel and Howard Counties uses Super Screen vinyl-coated polyester mesh and aluminum-framed screen doors. Here's why — and why the standard approach fails.

The Problem with Standard Fiberglass Screen

Fiberglass mesh is cheap. That's the beginning and the end of why it gets used. At around $0.25 per square foot, it's the most affordable screening on the market, and it installs easily because it's flexible and lightweight. For a window screen in a bedroom, it's fine.

For a screened porch in Maryland? It's a problem waiting to happen.

Fiberglass screen breaks down under UV exposure. Maryland summers put serious heat and direct sunlight on south- and west-facing porches for months at a time. Within three to five years, standard fiberglass mesh becomes brittle. It tears if you lean against it. It tears if a branch brushes it in a storm. It tears if your dog pushes against it to sniff something outside. Once it starts going, it goes fast — and now you're re-screening the whole porch instead of enjoying it.

The other issue is dust and pollen. Fiberglass mesh collects airborne debris more than other materials. In a state where pollen season coats everything in yellow-green film from March through May, that means reduced airflow and a dirtier-looking enclosure by the end of spring.

Most screened porch builders don't talk about this because the callback is three to five years down the road. By then, the homeowner assumes screen degradation is just what happens. It's not. It's what happens with the wrong screen.

What Super Screen Is and Why It's Different

Super Screen is a vinyl-coated polyester mesh manufactured with an extrusion process that bonds the vinyl coating directly to the polyester core. It's not a spray-on coating or a dip. The vinyl is fused to the yarn, which is why it doesn't flake, peel, or separate over time the way other coated products can.

The numbers tell the story. Super Screen's 17/14 pool and patio mesh has 300% greater tear strength than standard fiberglass screening. That's not a marketing number — it's a measurable difference in how much force it takes to rip the material. For a screened porch that's going to deal with wind loads, pets, kids, and the occasional wayward soccer ball, tear strength is the spec that matters most.

The 17/14 mesh count means 17 horizontal strands per inch woven with 14 vertical strands per inch. That's tight enough to keep out insects — including the smaller gnats and no-see-ums that slip through looser weaves — while still providing clear outward visibility. You're not looking through a haze. You're looking through a screen that almost disappears at normal viewing distance.

UV and Weather Resistance

This is where Super Screen separates itself from everything else in the residential category. The vinyl coating includes UV stabilizers that prevent the material from degrading under prolonged sun exposure. Standard fiberglass gets brittle after a few years in direct sunlight. Super Screen maintains its flexibility and tensile strength year after year, even on the sunniest exposure of your house.

It doesn't become brittle in cold weather either. Maryland gets real winters — freezing temperatures, ice, freeze-thaw cycles that stress every material on your house. Super Screen stays pliable through it all. That matters because a rigid screen in a flexible frame is a screen that's going to pull out of the spline channel the first time the wind catches it.

Pet Resistance

If you have a dog or a cat, you already know what happens to fiberglass screen. One set of claws, one excited push against the mesh when the mail carrier walks up, and you've got a tear. Super Screen's vinyl-coated polyester construction is puncture-resistant. It's not indestructible — nothing is — but it handles pet contact that would shred standard fiberglass on the first try.

We've installed Super Screen on porches with large dogs, multiple cats, and active families with young kids. It holds up. That's not a guarantee against a determined 80-pound Lab who decides the squirrel on the other side is worth going through the screen, but for normal household use, it's in a different class than fiberglass.

The 10-Year Warranty

Super Screen backs their 17/14 mesh with a 10-year limited warranty. That's unheard of in residential screening. Standard fiberglass comes with no warranty at all, or a one-year warranty that covers manufacturing defects and nothing else. A ten-year warranty tells you the manufacturer is confident in the product's longevity — and it gives you real protection if something goes wrong.

Why Aluminum Screen Doors — Not Vinyl

The screen panels are only half the system. The doors matter just as much, and this is where we see corners get cut more than anywhere else on a porch project.

Vinyl and plastic screen door frames are inexpensive and lightweight. They're also flimsy. A vinyl screen door on a screened porch gets opened and closed hundreds of times a year. It gets pulled by kids who don't use the handle. It gets pushed open by dogs. It gets caught by wind gusts. Within a year or two, the corners start separating, the frame warps, and the door doesn't close properly anymore. Once the frame is racked, the screen sags, the latch doesn't catch, and you've got a door that's more of a suggestion than a barrier.

Aluminum screen door frames solve every one of those problems. Aluminum is rigid, lightweight, and doesn't warp. A properly built aluminum frame holds its shape through years of daily use, temperature swings, and the kind of casual abuse that every exterior door takes. The corners stay square. The closer still works. The screen stays tight in the frame because the frame isn't flexing every time someone walks through it.

Aluminum also doesn't rot, rust, or degrade from moisture exposure. On a screened porch — which is, by design, an outdoor space exposed to humidity, rain splash, and condensation — that matters. A wood screen door will eventually need paint, repair, or replacement. A vinyl door will eventually warp and crack. An aluminum door just keeps working.

Finish and Appearance

Modern aluminum screen doors come with powder-coated or anodized finishes that resist scratching, fading, and corrosion. The finish holds up to UV exposure, which means it still looks good five and ten years out. You're not repainting. You're not touching up chips. The door looks the way it looked when it was installed, because the finish is baked into the metal, not applied over it.

That matters on a screened porch because the doors are one of the most visible components. They're what you see every time you walk in. They're what your guests see. If the doors look tired and saggy, the whole porch feels neglected — even if the framing and decking are perfect.

What PRG Builds and Why

When we build a screened porch, the screening and doors aren't afterthoughts. They're specified from the start, because they're the components that define the daily experience of using the space.

We use Super Screen 17/14 vinyl-coated polyester mesh on every screened porch. It goes in tight, it stays tight, and it doesn't degrade. Combined with aluminum screen doors, the entire enclosure system is built to last as long as the framing it's attached to — not three to five years until the next re-screening.

We also use Super Screen's 20/20 no-see-um mesh when a customer is in an area with heavy gnat or no-see-um activity. The tighter weave blocks the smallest insects while still allowing airflow. It's a tighter mesh so there's a slight trade-off in visibility and ventilation, but for porches where tiny biting insects make the space unusable without it, it's the right call.

The total material cost difference between a fiberglass-and-vinyl setup and a Super Screen-and-aluminum setup is a fraction of the overall porch build cost. On a typical screened porch project, we're talking a few hundred dollars more for materials that last three to four times longer. When you factor in the cost of re-screening a porch — which runs $500 to $1,500 depending on size — the premium materials pay for themselves the first time you don't have to replace them.

That's the calculation we make on every project: build it once with the right materials, or build it cheap and come back later. We'd rather build it once.

If you're planning a screened porch in Anne Arundel or Howard County, contact us for a free consultation. We handle everything from design and permitting to framing, screening, and final inspection. Learn more about our deck and porch construction services.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Super Screen last?

Super Screen's vinyl-coated polyester mesh is backed by a 10-year limited warranty and typically lasts well beyond that in normal residential use. The UV-stabilized vinyl coating prevents the brittleness and degradation that causes standard fiberglass to fail within three to five years. On a screened porch with normal use — no major physical damage — Super Screen should last 10 to 15 years or more before needing replacement.

Is Super Screen pet proof?

Super Screen is pet-resistant, not pet-proof. Its vinyl-coated polyester construction has 300% greater tear strength than standard fiberglass, which means it withstands normal pet contact — dogs leaning against it, cats brushing past it, the occasional paw push. It's not designed to survive a determined animal trying to claw through it, but for everyday household pet activity, it holds up far better than fiberglass or aluminum mesh.

Why not use aluminum screen mesh instead of Super Screen?

Aluminum mesh is more rigid than fiberglass and handles wind well, but it has its own problems. It can crease permanently during installation, dent from impact, and oxidize over time — leaving a gray film on the mesh that dulls the appearance. In humid or coastal environments, aluminum mesh can also corrode. Super Screen's vinyl-coated polyester doesn't crease, doesn't oxidize, doesn't corrode, and has superior tear strength. For porch enclosures, it's the better material.

What is the difference between 17/14 and 20/20 Super Screen mesh?

The numbers refer to the mesh count — strands per inch horizontally and vertically. The 17/14 mesh is the standard pool and patio grade: excellent visibility, strong insect protection, and good airflow. The 20/20 mesh is a tighter weave designed to block smaller insects like no-see-ums and gnats. The trade-off is slightly reduced visibility and airflow. We use 17/14 on most porch builds and recommend 20/20 for waterfront properties or areas with heavy small-insect activity.

Do aluminum screen doors need maintenance?

Very little. Aluminum screen doors with powder-coated or anodized finishes resist scratching, fading, and corrosion without painting or sealing. An occasional wipe-down with mild soap and water keeps them looking clean. The hardware — hinges, closers, and latches — may need adjustment or replacement over time, but the frame itself should last the life of the porch with no structural maintenance required.