No-See-Um Mesh Upgrades in Sarasota, FL

What is the difference between 18/14 and 20/20 mesh? Standard pool-cage screen is an 18-by-14 weave, 18 strands per inch one way and 14 the other. No-see-um mesh is 20 by 20. The openings are small enough that biting midges cannot pass. The trade is somewhat less breeze and a slightly softer view. The time to decide is mid-rescreen, not after.

Where it earns its place

No-see-ums breed in mangrove and marsh edges. In Sarasota that means the bayfront in Indian Beach and Sapphire Shores, the streets along Phillippi Creek and Hudson Bayou, and the bay side of Sarasota Springs. On those walls, 20/20 is the difference between using the lanai at dusk and not. On a wall that faces the street or the golf course, standard mesh keeps more of the breeze and the view.

Contractors in this network recommend it wall by wall rather than cage by cage. The water-facing panels get 20/20, the rest stays 18/14, and the estimate visit is where the contractor stands on your lanai and makes the call with you.

Does it make the lanai hotter?

Slightly less airflow, noticeable on a still August evening and invisible with any breeze. It also holds a little more pollen and dust than open mesh, so a gentle rinse a few times a year matters more. It is available in fiberglass and in tear-resistant polyester.

As part of a rescreen or on its own

No-see-um mesh installs the same way as any other screen, so it slots into a full or partial rescreen or a lanai and porch rescreen, and it can go in as a targeted upgrade on a cage whose other panels are sound. Lower panels near the deck can take pet mesh at the same time. Because the frame is not touched, a mesh upgrade does not normally require a permit. In a deed-restricted community, the association may specify an approved mesh; the contractor works inside it.

Call (941) 883-9241 or request your FREE, no obligation written estimate.