Huntsville Screened Porches - Rescreening Service
Rescreening is one specific job: taking out old mesh and putting in new, with fresh spline and correct tension, on a frame that is structurally fine. It is priced per panel or per square foot and it is usually a same-week visit.
If the frame is the problem, this is the wrong page. Rotted posts, split rails, storm-damaged rafters, warped doors, corroded aluminium sections and settling footings are all covered on screen porch repair. There is no point putting new mesh into a failing frame, and we will tell you which of the two you actually need before quoting either.
Mesh does not last forever. Alabama's UV load and humidity cycles, plus the occasional hail or wind event, mean even good fibreglass starts to sag, gap or tear at around ten to fifteen years. Frames from the last fifteen to twenty years are usually sound, so a straight rescreen is the common outcome.
Why Commercial-Grade Mesh Matters Here
Screen sold in big-box stores is typically 80g fibreglass, which is fine in a low-UV climate and undersized for north Alabama. We use 90g commercial-grade mesh: 12.5% heavier, tighter woven, rated for 30 years of UV exposure. The difference is visible and tactile, and it shows up as mesh that holds tension for years rather than sagging after the second season.
Weave tightness is not only about durability. The dominant residential mosquito in this area is the Asian tiger mosquito, which bites during the day rather than only at dusk, and standard mesh does not reliably exclude gnats or no-see-ums. If your porch has always felt like it lets something through, the mesh specification is usually why.
- 90g commercial fibreglass mesh with a 30-year UV warranty
- Tighter weave than standard screen, excludes no-see-ums and gnats
- Pet-resistant mesh for households with dogs or cats
- Solar screen for west-facing porches with an afternoon heat problem
- New spline and channel replacement included where needed
Choosing the Mesh: Four Options, Honestly Compared
Mesh choice is the only real decision in a rescreen, and it is worth two minutes of thought because you live with it for a decade.
Standard fibreglass, 18x14 or 18x16
The default. Cheapest, good airflow, adequate insect exclusion for mosquitoes and flies. What most porches had originally. Choose it if the porch works and you just need new mesh.
No-see-um mesh, 20x20
Tighter weave that stops gnats and midges standard mesh lets through. Costs more and cuts airflow slightly, which is a genuine tradeoff in August. Worth it near creek corridors, wetlands and the Tennessee River watershed. If you have never understood how things get in, this is usually the answer.
Pet-resistant mesh
Roughly seven times the tensile strength of standard fibreglass, vinyl-coated polyester. It survives a dog leaning on it, which standard mesh does not. Heavier and slightly darker. Fitting it only to the lower panels where the animal actually reaches is a sensible way to control cost.
Solar screen
Blocks a large share of solar heat gain and is the right answer on a west-facing porch that is unusable from three in the afternoon. It also darkens the space, so on a north-facing porch it is usually the wrong call. We suggest it by elevation rather than as a blanket upgrade.
Rescreening Costs in Huntsville
Rescreening in Huntsville typically runs $3.50 to $6.00 per square foot of screened area, depending on mesh type and frame condition. A standard 12x16 porch runs $450 to $700. Pet-resistant and solar mesh price higher. You get a fixed written quote before we start. Request a free estimate or call (256) 285-4922.
Permits and Licensing in North Alabama
Which office you deal with depends on where you live, and there is no single North Alabama answer. The City of Huntsville, the City of Madison, the Town of Owens Cross Roads and unincorporated Madison County each run their own review and inspection schedule, and Huntsville takes submissions through ePlans. If the property sits in a FEMA flood hazard area, a flood development permit is issued before any other permit, which catches out homeowners near the Flint River, Aldridge Creek and Big Cove. We handle the filing.
Worth knowing before you sign with anyone, us included: Alabama's Home Builders Licensure Board requires a licence once the cost of the work, labour and materials combined, exceeds $10,000. The statute covers remodelling and repair, not just new houses, so plenty of porch work sits right on that line. Check any builder's licence on the Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board site before you pay a deposit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you replace one panel instead of the whole porch?
Yes, and sometimes that is the right call after a single impact or a pet incident. Be aware that a new panel next to ten-year-old mesh will not match in colour or tension, so on a porch where everything is the same age a full rescreen usually looks better and costs less per panel.
How long does a rescreen take?
Most porches are done in a day. Larger enclosures and pool cages run to two.
How do I know whether I need rescreening or repair?
Push on the frame. If the mesh is loose, torn or sagging but the frame is solid and the spline channels are intact, it is a rescreen. If posts move, wood is soft, doors bind or the roof leaks, it is repair first. We check for free rather than guessing off a photo.
Is pet-resistant screen worth the extra?
With a dog that leans on the screen, yes, because standard mesh loses that argument once and then you are paying twice. Without pets, spend the money on tighter weave or solar screen instead.
Will solar screen make the porch dark?
It reduces visible light along with heat, which most people notice on a north-facing porch and few notice on a west-facing one. That is why we suggest it selectively rather than as a default upgrade.
Related Services
Frame damage is screen porch repair. If the porch is past saving, see screened porch installation. For an existing covered porch with open sides, see porch enclosures. We cover Huntsville, Madison, Decatur and Athens.