alunminum window screen

Aluminum window screening is a rugged, metal mesh. To make the fabric, a 3/8-inch-diameter aluminum rod is drawn out to a .011-mil (inch) wire. The manufacturer winds this wire on a master bobbin, loads the bobbin onto a modified loom, and starts the machine weaving.

Once the screen fabric is woven, it's given a finish. Aluminum screen fabric typically comes in three colors: black, dark gray, and bright aluminum.

Black is least noticeable from inside the house (the darker the color, the better the outward visibility in most cases, because darker colors have less light reflectance and glare).

Dark gray is made to complement painted window and frame systems.

Although bright aluminum looks like raw aluminum, it has a clear coating that helps maintain the material's sheen.

Aluminum window screening is made as an 18-by-16 mesh. This simply means that there are 18 horizontal and 16 vertical "yarns" (or wires) per square inch. This type of screening is typically available in do-it-yourself rolls that are 7 or 25 feet long and 24, 28, 30, 32, 36, and 48 inches wide. Longer 100-foot rolls are available in additional widths, including 18, 20, 22, 26, 34, 42, 54, 70, and 72 inches. Price runs in the area of 30 to 35 cents per square foot.