Wash It Twice a Year
Algae, mildew, and pollen coat everything in Pinellas County — screens included. Wash the enclosure at least twice a year: a garden hose with a spray nozzle and a soft brush, working top to bottom. For algae and mildew, a mix of water and white vinegar or a dedicated screen-safe cleaner works; rinse thoroughly. Skip the bleach — it weakens mesh fibers and can discolor aluminum. Skip the pressure washer on high too — a hard pinpoint stream will shred screens. If you would rather not do it, our enclosure cleaning service handles it.
Walk It Every Spring
Once a year — ideally before hurricane season — walk the whole enclosure and check:
- Mesh. Press panels gently. Brittle, crinkly, or torn spots get marked for repair.
- Doors. Every door should latch and self-close. Adjust or replace closers and latches that do not.
- Spline. The rubber cord holding the mesh in the frame. If it is dried, cracked, or popping out, panels will follow.
- Screws and fasteners. Look for corrosion, especially near the bay. Seized or crumbling fasteners get replaced before they fail.
- Frame. Bent members, loose connections, places where the cage meets the house. Catch movement early.
- Drainage. Make sure water is not pooling at the base of the enclosure or against the house.
Fix Small Tears Fast
A two-inch tear becomes a two-foot tear in the next storm. Small tears in otherwise healthy mesh can be patched as a stopgap, but a proper panel replacement is the real fix — patches are ugly and temporary. Do not let a torn panel sit through hurricane season.
Storm-Season Prep (June–November)
- Replace brittle panels before the season starts — tired screens are the first to go.
- Confirm every door latches and closers work — a door that blows open becomes a sail.
- Trim branches overhanging the enclosure — falling limbs are the top debris source.
- Secure or store loose pool-deck furniture that could become projectiles.
- Know your post-storm playbook before you need it.
What to Avoid
- Bleach and harsh chemicals on mesh — they weaken the fibers.
- Pressure washers on a pinpoint tip — they cut screens.
- Letting vines grow on the enclosure — roots work into spline channels and tear mesh.
- Ignoring a door that will not latch — it is a security and storm issue, not just an annoyance.