In principle, all professional, individually manufactured fly screen elements are winter-proof and can therefore remain in use during the winter.
The following advantages result from the year-round use of insect screen elements:
Insect protection throughout
Insects and arachnids are also on the move during the winter, looking for warm “winter quarters”. Especially in the transitional period or on warm winter days, fly screens can prevent one or two uninvited “guests” from entering your living space.
Space saving
If the fly screen elements remain in the designated building openings even in winter, they do not require any storage/storage space.
Avoidance of damage
When transporting the fly screens to a winter storage location, it is quite possible to damage the usually large and bulky elements. An unsuitable storage location can also pose a risk of damage.
Tip for using fly screens in winter
Please check whether any insects have become trapped in the fly screen fabric. Especially in winter, when food is scarcer for birds, they could pick out flies/insects stuck in the fly screen fabric and damage the fabric in the process.
However, there are also advantages to storing the fly screens over the winter:
More light
When the sun gets lower in the fall/winter and the days get shorter, many people long for more light. As fly screens, depending on the type of mesh, have an open screen area of approx. 70 % and also keep out approx. 30 % of light and air in addition to unwelcome “guests”, removing the fly screens during the winter days allows you to take advantage of the full 100 % incidence of light through the windows and doors. The extra daylight gained in this way makes it possible to save a proportion of the required electric light.
More free heat
Due to the so-called “greenhouse effect”, objects in living spaces behind window/door glass heat up when they are exposed to sunlight. The desirable effect in summer, that the objects in the living rooms heat up less due to the approx. 30 % lower incidence of light caused by the fly screens, is unfavorable during the heating period. By removing the fly screens during the heating period, you can use approx. 30 % more heat generated by the solar radiation through your windows and doors and thus save a proportion of your heating costs.
Cleaning facilities
Removing the fly screen elements from the door/window frames for winter storage is a good opportunity to clean both sides of the elements. Dirt can be removed from the frame elements with water and a little washing-up liquid or with simple household cleaners.
The fabric should be cleaned with a damp cloth (use cold water only). The fabric can also be swept with a soft, clean hand brush. For stubborn dirt on/in the fabric (e.g. grease or bird droppings), a little washing-up liquid can be added to the cold water.
There is also a good opportunity to clean the window and door frames as well as the window sills before reinstalling the elements.
Tips for fly screen storage
Unhinged insect screen doors and sashes from sliding systems should be leaned against a wall for safe storage and protected on the open side with a cardboard box or similar if possible. A gap between a cupboard and the wall may also be a safe storage place. When storing window frames, make sure that any protruding fastening hooks do not protrude into the fabric. The risk of damage to the fabric can be greatly reduced if you store two tenter frames of approximately the same size with their outer sides against each other and place a cardboard box between each additional pair of frames. It is also important that all stored fly screen elements are stored without pressure or tension. If there are several similarly sized window frames, labeling which frame goes with which window makes it easier to put them back in place when spring arrives.
Image source: Ice Frozen on Window Screen by Lane Erickson