Screen Material

Are fiberglass or aluminum screens more durable? If I look at the screen material and the rigidness of the corners/frame, is there anything else important to consider?

In a practical sense fiberglass is more durable. If something hits the fiberglass screen cloth unless it tears the cloth nothing much else happens. However with aluminum if the same thing happens a crease or dent will occur.

If you live in an area that has grasshoppers they love the taste of fiberglass and can destroy a screen in one season. There is nothing to put on the fiberglass that will keep the grasshoppers from eating the cloth. When they get done the screen cloth looks like it is rotting.

I personally like aluminum as it has slightly larger holes which allow a better airflow. I also think that the aluminum screen cloth doesn't attract dust as much as fiberglass.

My 2¢ worth.

Thanks for an informative reply. I'll keep your suggestions in mind when choosing screen materials since two dealers I talked to offer choices. I enjoyed the grasshopper story as I never would have imagined it!

Personally I like the fiberglass screens better because, to my eye, they cause less obscuring of the view through the window. The bright color of the aluminum is much more noticeable to me.

I would think aluminum would be more durable because the fiberglass screens do tear fairly easily, especially at the edges where it is bent over the sharp corner where the spline is inserted. Aluminum screens won't stretch either, like fiberglass can.

My parents' house had aluminum screens and I never noticed that denting was an issue.

If you are getting Pella windows, the VividView screens are an interesting option (although expensive; I was quoted $75/window for them), they are practically invisible.

My $0.02.

As Dan stated, "I also think that the aluminum screen cloth doesn't attract dust as much as fiberglass."

This is true, but it's because fiberglass has a natural negative charge and a clean screen is "said" to catch about 80-85% of airborne dust before it can enter a home. Not a bad feature if you don't like dusting as much, just need to hose down those screens occasionally. I like fiberglass screens as they don't show tracking from pet claws and are more forgiving with scratches.

Thanks everyone for your input. Can anyone explain what a roll formed screen is? It seems that the screen frame is formed from a solid piece of metal that is roll-bent into shape, but I can't find any good references on this terminology to verify.