Services
Pet screens
A-Affordable Screen puts pet-resistant screen in sliding screen doors and window screens for Reno-Sparks homes with dogs and cats. It is a heavier, coated mesh that holds up to claws and paws far better than standard insect mesh, and it can go in a new screen or into your existing frame.
Updated · A-Affordable Screen, Sparks
What makes a pet screen different
Standard window screen is a thin fiberglass mesh. It keeps insects out well, but a cat climbing it or a dog pushing at the door will tear it quickly. Pet-resistant screen is woven from much thicker strands, typically polyester with a vinyl coating, so it resists tearing and puncturing and springs back when pushed.
Pet screen is tougher, not indestructible. A determined dog can still damage it, and a frame that is loose or bent will pop out no matter how strong the mesh is. That is why we look at the frame and the fit, not just the mesh.
| Feature | Standard fiberglass mesh | Pet-resistant mesh |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Typically vinyl-coated fiberglass strands | Typically vinyl-coated polyester with much thicker strands |
| Claws and paws | Tears or punctures easily | Resists tearing and puncturing and springs back when pushed |
| View out | Clear | A little less clear |
| Airflow | Good | Slightly less |
| Look from outside | Light and hard to notice | Slightly heavier |
| Spline | Standard size for the frame | Usually a thinner spline, because the mesh is thicker |
| Best for | Most windows | Doors and low windows that pets reach |
Grades vary by maker, so these are typical traits. Our guide to screen mesh types compares the meshes.
Where pet screen helps most
- Sliding screen doors, where dogs nose, paw and jump at the door
- Low windows where cats sit, climb or sharpen claws
- Windows next to a couch or bed that pets use as a lookout
- Doors to a yard or patio where pets go in and out all day
A simple room-by-room plan
Walk the house at pet height. Any door a pet noses open and any window with a sill a cat can reach is a candidate for pet mesh. Windows above furniture height, upstairs bedrooms the pets never enter and windows behind heavy furniture can usually keep standard mesh, which keeps the view clearer where pets never go.
Dogs and cats wear screens differently
Dogs mostly damage the lower part of a sliding screen door. They push with their nose, paw at the latch side when they want out, and jump up when someone comes home. The result is a bulge or a tear in the bottom third of the door, and often a door knocked off its track at the same time.
Cats go up. They climb window screens, hang from them, and use the mesh as a scratching post, so the damage can be anywhere on the screen. A cat at a low window also pushes on the frame, and a screen that is loose in its opening can pop out. For cats, a snug frame with good hardware matters as much as the mesh itself. Our pet-proof screens guide covers both in more detail.
The trade-offs
Because the strands are thicker, pet screen is a little less see-through and lets a bit less air through than standard mesh. It also looks slightly heavier from outside. Many homeowners put pet screen only where the animals actually reach, such as the sliding door and one or two low windows, and keep standard mesh everywhere else.
New doors and screens, or your existing frames
When we build a custom sliding screen door, pet screen is one of the upgrade options. If you have a pet you would like a screen for, we can work that into your design. Existing window screens and screen doors with sound frames can also be rescreened with pet mesh in place of the old insect mesh.
If a pet has already bent the frame, rescreening will not hold. In that case a new frame or a new custom door is the better fix, and we will quote it.
Switching an existing screen to pet mesh
Changing a sound screen over to pet mesh is a rescreening job. The old mesh comes out, the pet mesh is laid over the frame and rolled into the channel with spline sized for the thicker material (new spline, or the same spline when it still fits), and the edges are trimmed. Getting even tension matters more with pet mesh, because the heavier fabric can pull a light frame out of square if it is stretched too hard.
On a sliding screen door we also look at the frame, since a dog that has been pushing on the mesh has usually been pushing on the whole door. The same method is used for window screens, see screen repair and rescreening.
Keeping the door on its track
Pets and Reno's afternoon wind both push on sliding screen doors. NOAA's hourly climate normals show afternoon winds averaging around 13 miles per hour through the summer months at Reno-Tahoe International Airport. A door built to fit its opening stays in its track when a dog leans on it or a gust hits it, which protects the mesh as well. If your door already drags or jumps the track, a straight frame can be rescreened, and a bent one is replaced with a custom new sliding screen door.
A screen is not a barrier
Pet screen is made to resist claws, not to hold the weight of an animal or a child. A cat leaning on an upper-floor window screen, or a large dog throwing its weight at a door, can still push the whole screen out of its opening. On upper floors, keep windows open only as far as is safe, and use window stops or guards where pets or small children spend time.
The same goes for a door. Pet mesh on a sliding screen door keeps it from tearing when a dog noses it, but it will not keep a dog in the yard or out of the house if the dog is determined. It is a screen that lasts, not a gate.
Signs you need pet screen
- The sliding screen door has a bulge or a torn bottom corner
- The cat climbs a window screen or uses it as a scratching post
- You have rescreened the same door more than once
- Mesh near the floor keeps pushing out of its spline
- A new puppy or kitten is joining the household
- A pet watches the street from a low window next to the couch
Before you call
- Map where pets reach. Note which doors and windows they push, climb or scratch.
- Check the frames. A frame bent by a pet needs replacing, not just new mesh.
- Note how high the damage goes. Dogs usually hit the lower part of a door, while cats may climb higher.
- Photograph the damage. Text pictures to (775) 240-0418 so we know what to bring.
How a pet screen job goes
- Call or text. Tell us which doors and windows your pets reach.
- Samples at home. We bring pet mesh and standard mesh so you can compare them side by side, and we check each frame.
- Quote. You get a price for rescreening, new screens or a new door, with any discount applied. Installation carries a lifetime warranty and solar screen material a 20-year warranty, see our warranty page.
- Build or rescreen. Pet mesh goes into a sound frame with the right spline, or into a new frame built to size.
- Fit and check. The screen or door is fitted snugly, and on doors we check that it slides and latches cleanly.
Price
What affects the price
- How many openings. Most homes need pet mesh only on the doors and low windows pets reach.
- Door or window. A sliding screen door takes more mesh than most window screens.
- Rescreen or new frame. Sound frames only need new mesh, while bent ones need replacing.
- Door height. A 96-inch door takes more mesh than an 80-inch door.
- Latch and frame. A door with a bent frame or a worn latch may need a new door at the same time.
- Combined jobs. Pet screens plus other screens can qualify for the multi-window discount.
Every price is quoted after the free on-site visit. Our cost guide covers published ranges and what drives them.
Reno-Sparks
Pets, screens and Reno-Sparks summers
Summer evenings are when pets and open doors meet. NOAA's normals for Reno-Tahoe International Airport show June through August highs and lows about 33 degrees apart, so opening the patio slider after sunset is the natural way to cool a house. That is also when a dog is most likely to lean on the screen to watch the yard.
Mosquitoes are part of the picture. Northern Nevada Public Health found West Nile virus in mosquito samples from ZIP codes 89436 and 89521 in 2024 and advised screens on doors and windows. A pet-torn screen lets mosquitoes in with the breeze, so fixing it before the May to September season is worth it. Our mosquito season guide has more.
Sources: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, Reno-Tahoe International Airport; Northern Nevada Public Health, August 27, 2024.
Caring for pet screen
- Rinse dust and pet hair off with a hose, or wipe with a soft brush and mild soap
- Let the screen dry in place before closing the window or door
- Avoid pressure washers and harsh solvents, which can damage the coating
- If an edge starts to loosen, have the spline checked before the mesh pulls free
- Keep the track of a sliding door clean so a leaning dog cannot push the door off it
- Regular nail trims help any screen, pet mesh included, last longer
Reviews
What customers say
“Fast service, it was just like the company's name, affordable and the owner is as nice as they come. I messed up the size and he fixed it for free for me, who does that? I will use you again and refer my friends to you.. Thanks!”
“The screen was built at my location and is well made; it's everything I asked for. Excellent workmanship, and helpful, honest communication. May need to wait a little time to fit into the company's schedule, but it is worth the wait.”
Questions
Straight answers
Will pet screen stop my cat from climbing?
It stands up to claws far better than standard mesh, so it tears much less often. It does not train the cat, and a cat may still climb it.
Can I see through pet screen?
Yes, though the view is a little less clear than with standard insect mesh because the strands are thicker.
Does pet screen keep out insects as well as regular screen?
Yes. It keeps out flies, mosquitoes and other common insects, and its thicker strands resist tearing.
Can I put pet screen in only one door?
Yes. Many homeowners use it only where pets reach, such as the sliding screen door, and keep standard mesh on other windows.
Is pet screen the same as a pet door?
No. Pet screen is a tougher mesh that replaces standard mesh in the frame. A pet door is a separate flap an animal walks through.
Can a dog still push through pet screen?
A large, determined dog can still damage it, especially if the door is loose in its track. Pet screen resists tearing much better than standard mesh, and a snug frame helps it hold.
Is pet screen useful in a home without pets?
Some families use it on doors that kids push on often, since it resists tearing. It is a little less clear, so most homes keep standard mesh everywhere else.
Related
Related services
Pet Screens across Reno-Sparks
Sources: Efficient Windows Collaborative, Window Glossary (opens in a new tab) · NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Reno-Tahoe International Airport) (opens in a new tab) · Northern Nevada Public Health, NNPH detects West Nile Virus in mosquitos in Northern Nevada (August 27, 2024) (opens in a new tab)
Since 1997 · Sparks, Nevada
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