Wind and Retractable Screens
All household screens have one purpose: to provide a barrier between our homes and the pesky, sometimes dangerous, insects outside. Traditional screen doors and fixed screens for windows do this job well but are ugly, prone to damage and always there whether needed or not. Retractable screens were invented to address these problems; they are attractive, less likely to be damaged and out of the way when not needed. Wind and retractable screens is a problem; a slight gust will either blow the fabric out of the track or cause the screen to pop open. At that point the retractable screen is not fulfilling its one purpose, which is to provide a barrier to insects.
Higher Wind Resistance for Better Insect Protection
To find a retractable screen that could withstand normal winds and still provide that barrier is what Screen Solutions Inc set out to do a couple of years ago. What we found is the Plissé (PLEE'-say) retractable screen, which has been a popular choice in Europe and elsewhere for some time. The Plissé with its unique pleated fabric demonstrates much higher resistance to wind while satisfying all the other reasons for wanting retractable screens. The Plissé is an attractive addition to any home, resists damage even better than traditional retractable screens and of course is only there when you need it.
In our test, Wind and Retractable Screens the Plissé and a coiling retractable screen were subjected to simulated wind produced by a common household fan. Whereas the coiling retractable screen failed to stay in its track with the fan set on high and placed 24 inches away the Plissé stayed in the track even when the fan was almost touching the screen fabric. This test demonstrates the ability of the Plissé to provide that essential barrier to insects that is the purpose of all screens. Follow this link to the test report Wind and Retractable Screens, or to learn more about the Plissé retractable screen click here.
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Updated: 11/19/2006