Screw-Mounted Pleated Insect Screen
Screw-mounted pleated insect screen set-up — the frame locks to the joinery or wall with screws. Screw choice, removal mark and cord load.
How Does a Screw Mounting Progress?
It finishes in five stages. The marking and the level decide the quality of the rest.
- 1
The screw points are marked
The frame is held to the opening. The screw line of the top and side rails is drawn with a pencil. Deviation is seen at this stage.
- 2
A pilot hole is opened
The screw path is prepared with a thin bit. A PVC or aluminium profile either strips or cracks a pilotless screw.
- 3
The bottom rail is levelled
The bottom rail is fixed with a spirit level. A tilted rail spoils the mesh's folding line for life.
- 4
The frame is screwed alternately
The screws are tightened in a diagonal order. A frame tightened from one end draws an arc and the mesh escapes to one side.
- 5
Tension and closure are tested
The cords are tensioned, the panel is run end to end. The magnetic closing point gets its final adjustment.
Screw Choice by Surface
Whichever ground the frame holds to, the screw is chosen accordingly. A wrong screw either does not hold or wears the surface.
| Surface | Connection | Point of Attention |
|---|---|---|
| PVC joinery | Short sheet-metal screw | It is aligned to the steel reinforcement channel. The profile wall alone does not carry load. |
| Aluminium joinery | Drill-pointed thin screw | The hard surface wants a pilot hole. Cold pushing scratches the profile. |
| Wall and plaster | Plug + washered screw | In an arrangement fitted outside the door frame the real carrier is the wall. |
| Timber joinery | Wood screw | On old joinery the grain direction is checked. A crack running along the grain loosens the frame. |
When Is a Screwed Connection Right?
Doors and intensive passage
On a panel opened dozens of times a day the mechanical connection does not loosen. It is the default of the balcony and terrace door.
Double and wide opening
The two sashes' carrying load stays stable only on a screwed frame. As the width grows the alternative narrows.
Windy façade
In outside fitting the frame takes the wind load directly. The screwed connection meets this load permanently.
Long-term use
On a unit that will not be removed for years the screw is the most economical firmness. It needs no maintenance.
On an Insect Screen the Screw Carries a Different Load
On a pleated insect screen the screw does not carry only weight. The tension cords apply continuous pull from the frame ends and this force runs uninterrupted through the unit's life. This is its difference from a blind connection. The holding point is a connection that is not just standing but being pulled constantly.
For this reason on an insect-screen frame the screw is aligned both to the profile wall and, if present, to the steel reinforcement channel. The cord tension on a loose screw shows itself first with sound then with sagging. The alternating tightening order gives the frame's staying on plane.
What Remains at Removal?
When the screw is removed a hole mark remains on the profile or wall. On joinery the mark consists of small holes; it is closed with a suitable filler and touch-up but a zero-mark promise cannot be given. This price is the permanent connection's equivalent.
In tenancy and temporary use screw mounting is not recommended. In scenarios carrying a take-off need the clipped arrangement, and where leaving no mark is a condition the adhesive connection is the right direction.
Questions About Screw-Mounted Pleated Insect Screen
Does a mark remain when a screwed pleated insect screen is removed?
How many screws does a door need?
Can a screw be driven into PVC joinery?
Related pages: Pleated Insect Screen Systems · Clip-Mounted Pleated Insect Screen · Frame Series
Send the Surface the Frame Sits On
PVC, aluminium, timber or wall. The surface visual clarifies the screw point and the plug decision.
