Motorised insect screens for large openings
Past a certain area, a hand-operated screen stops being pleasant. The mesh is heavy, it takes two hands, and in any wind it moves. A motorised screen removes both problems: it is driven like a roller shutter, and the mesh is held in side channels that keep it flat.
The ZIP principle
On a large screen, the weak point is the edge of the mesh. A ZIP screen solves it by welding a bead along both edges and running that bead inside a closed side channel — the mesh cannot pull out, even under wind load. That is what allows the very large spans, and it is why the surface stays taut rather than rippling.
Frames are powder-coated aluminium. The cassette can be fitted under a lintel, in front of the opening, or built into the structure of a pergola, which is a common use: a terrace closed on the sides with ZIP screens is usable on summer evenings without lighting up the whole neighbourhood’s insects.
Motors and control
Somfy radio motorisation is the standard fit, which means no cable to run to a switch and control from a handset, a wall point or a home automation box — the same one that drives your roller shutters. A solar-powered version exists where bringing power to the opening would mean opening a wall.
When it is worth it
- Wide sliding bays where a manual screen would be a daily annoyance.
- Exposed terraces, where wind is what destroys ordinary screens.
- Pergola sides, to close the space without glazing it.
- High openings that are out of comfortable reach.
Ordering
These are made to the exact span and fitted by an approved installer, who will also check that the power or radio arrangement suits the site. Send the dimensions and a photo through the quote form, or compare with the other insect screens.