Mosquito net for the balcony door: do-it-yourself selection and installation

A mosquito net installed on the balcony door, which copes with its tasks, is a godsend for a private house and a city apartment. It provides good air exchange, protects rooms from insects, dust, and protects animals from falling out of the window. All this is especially significant if the balcony is not glazed. If there is a window structure, the mosquito net on the door becomes an additional protective barrier. To choose it correctly, install it or do it yourself, you need to know very little.

Mosquito door design

A mosquito net installed in a doorway is not much different from its window counterpart. This is the same cellular fabric that is fixed to a rigid base frame. However, such a mosquito is characterized by a larger size and the use of different fittings.

Frame for mesh

The frame can be made of aluminum, plastic or wood. Usually the material is the same as the material of the window or door frame.

Rigid PVC or aluminum base is made from separate profiles. They differ:

Width. Standard options – 25, 32, 52 mm. The wider the profile of the frame, the stronger it will be. Components with a width of 52 mm are used when decorating large openings in country houses.
Thickness. Usually it is 10-20 mm.
Availability of amplification. These are corners with a metal insert, which are used at the joints of horizontal and vertical frame elements.

Spatial rigidity of the entire sash is provided by transverse impost strips. Visually they divide it into two or more parts. For a standard mosquito door to the balcony, one impost is enough. It is placed at a height of 80 cm from the bottom edge of the frame.

Horizontal impost made of PVC profile

Types of cellular fabric

The standard option for windows and balcony doors is fiberglass mesh with 1x1 mm cells. However, using proven technology, other options for cellular fabric can be mounted on a rigid frame.

Antipollen. Nylon mesh with small rectangular cells. Retains plant pollen, protecting allergy sufferers from its irritating effects.
Anti-dust. Retains dust thanks to the same small cell size.
Anti-cat. Usually this is a fine-mesh steel mesh or polyester fabric in PVC braid. Prevents the animal from going out onto the balcony, where there is a risk of it falling out of the window.

Option “Antipollen” with small rectangular cells

When choosing a mosquito net, evaluate its ability to transmit light and air. If you do not suffer from allergies, there is no point in paying more for the Antipollen or Antidust mosquito.

Accessories - from handles to door closers

In most cases, the window mosquito provides for the presence of fixing brackets and special “ear” handles. Installation and operation of a mosquito door involves the use of the following fittings:

Fasteners. Their function is performed by door hinges, a rail system with rollers, etc.
Seals. They ensure reliable connection of the leaf to the door frame.
Pens. Installed on both sides of a rigid frame.

Mosquito door hinges

To the mandatory minimum of accessories you can add:

Spring closer. Provides independent smooth closing of the mosquito door.
Magnetic locks. They help to press the mesh tightly against the door frame. Gives the structure additional strength. For a cat, for example, it will be difficult to open such a door even in a jump.
Locking mechanism. Allows you to securely fix the sash when closed.

Plastic door closer

The more functional the mosquito net fittings on the balcony, the higher its price. Therefore, as in the case of a honeycomb fabric or a frame, first evaluate the need for its installation.

Requirements

The sliding mosquito protection system has design features and must be able to reliably withstand aggressive weather conditions. In this regard, special requirements are imposed :

the material for window frames must have increased strength, it can be aluminum or especially durable plastic, and for doors - only aluminum;
fastening system - should allow you to safely install and remove the mesh;
the brush seal must completely cover the gaps between the window sash and the frame with the canvas;
the roller system must ensure reliable, smooth movement of the mosquito frame along the guides;
color range - any according to the RAL scale;
anti-mosquito fabric - standard, "Anti-Cat" - can withstand the weight of the animal and its claws and "Anti-Dust" - a fine-mesh fabric with oblong-shaped cells that prevents the penetration of fine dust into the room due to a special coating that repels dust from the surface of the fabric, preventing it from penetrating and settling on canvas;
main modifications: single-leaf, multi-stage and counter;
frame threshold from 10 mm to 30 mm;
construction width from 600 to 6000 mm;
construction height from 600 to 3000 mm.

Types of mosquito doors to the balcony

Depending on the opening mechanism, mosquito nets can be roller, swing, or sliding. Among the sliding ones, the “accordion” canvas occupies a special place.

Swing structures for balcony doors

A swing mesh is an analogue of a regular door. It is attached to hinges, but not in the opening, but along its perimeter.

Note! The mosquito net should open in the direction opposite to the balcony door.

Such insect protection may consist of one or two flaps. The latter option is convenient for decorating openings with an area of more than 2 square meters. m. At the same time, for a reliable connection of two sashes, it is necessary to have a vertical impost or magnetic locks.

Swing structures are easy to install and operate. They can be installed in any opening. However, when opened, such doors take up a lot of space.

Rolling mesh

A roller or roller mosquito net is a mesh mesh wound on a working shaft decorated with a casing. It can be lowered or raised using a special holder. In this case, the movement of the canvas occurs along special guides.

Advantages of roller shutter protection against insects:

Compact size. Doesn't take up much space when opened when folded. Suitable for the smallest balconies and openings.
No need to dismantle it in winter. It is enough just not to lower the canvas.
Attractive view. The laconic design with a small working shaft does not visually burden the exit to the balcony. The decorative casing can be made in various colors.
Easy to maintain, easy to install.
Possibility of installing the working unit on any side of the balcony door, at any height outside the opening.

Rolled mosquito net

The only noticeable drawback of the roller mosquito net is that to operate it you need to constantly bend down. This is difficult for older people to do.

Sliding honeycomb panels

Sliding mosquito nets operate on the same principle as regular sliding doors. Using rollers, they can be moved along guides located below and above the opening. A brush seal ensures a tight fit of the mesh.

Sliding structures are made for standard shaped openings. But the dimensions of the finished meshes vary widely.

Note! To slide smoothly along the guides, sliding mosquito nets require free space along one or two walls.

Sliding design for protection against insects

An accordion mosquito door is a good option for a sliding design for small balconies. When opened, it will fold up like the bellows of the musical instrument of the same name. This will narrow the opening, since the structure is installed in it, but will free up the space of the room.

Mosquito net curtains with magnets

Net curtains do not have a rigid frame, but do not lose functionality or appearance.

Cellular curtains consist of two panels, similar to door leaves. They are connected to each other by magnets, which, with a little effort, move apart, opening the passage. Such an effort can be created by a person, medium and large domestic animals.

Mesh curtains are characterized by:

light weight;
ease of installation;
compactness;
ease of care;
variety of designs.

Pay attention to the last point. In the factory, various images can be applied to the cellular fabric. They will not only decorate the exit to the balcony, but will also disguise the cellular fabric and emphasize the style of the interior.

Possible problems and difficulties

Errors when installing mosquito protective sliding roller systems on balcony windows can occur already at the stage of selecting the finished product . Most often they are caused by incorrect measurements of the dimensions of the protective structure according to which it will subsequently be manufactured.

Performers make the most mistakes when taking measurements in cases where the inside of the balcony is lined with finishing sheet materials. If the owner is not confident in his abilities, then it is better for these purposes to invite a representative of a window company that will produce such a protective system.

The most common mistakes when installing mosquito sliding balcony systems:

the upper/lower guides for moving the sashes are cut incorrectly;
The horizontal position of the upper and lower guides is not maintained;
the consistency at the beginning and end of the upper and lower guides is broken;
weak PVC material was selected for the frame structure;
the protective mesh is incorrectly selected and does not perform its functions, for example, in protecting against midges and allergens;
the roller system is made of cheap materials, the doors often jam, and it is impossible to set the required amount of ventilation;
there are no external and internal partitions on large-area frame structures, the mesh sags and interferes with the functioning of the sash;
The brush seal is missing or incorrectly selected, resulting in a large gap between the window frame and the protective mesh, through which flies, mosquitoes and street pollution penetrate.

Cost of mosquito net on door

The cost of a mosquito door depends on the material, size and shape of the finished structure, the quality of the honeycomb fabric and fittings, and design.

Prices for cellular curtains with magnets start from 200 rubles. This is an option for the smallest opening. Larger sizes, with a pattern - from 500 rubles and above.

An inexpensive option from the frame category is a mosquito fly with a 25 mm frame made of white plastic. The price of large structures made of aluminum and wood can exceed 10,000 rubles.

Additional options

Custom sizes

We make screens for windows of any size and shape: arched, round, square, triangular

More details

Colored grids

We paint the mesh frame to match the profile color or another color in the RAL palette. Fabric color: black, gray, white

More details

How to make a door mosquito net with your own hands

Almost any mesh can be purchased in the required length per cut and a frame can be made for it. The material for it is usually wood. It is accessible and easy to process. Prepare lumber (blocks, slats), tools (hacksaws, wood drills, etc.) in advance. Do not forget about special impregnations that will protect the wood from moisture and fungi. Treat the material with impregnations before starting work.

Then proceed as follows:

Measurements of the doorway are taken taking into account that the mosquito net for the balcony door should be 4 cm larger than the opening on all sides.
The cellular fabric is cut in accordance with the obtained values.
The beams for the frame are cut. All details are made in duplicate. Their edges are cut at an angle of 45°. You can use a miter box.
Assemble the frame frame. The parts are connected with self-tapping screws and reinforced with a drywall profile.
A cellular fabric is stretched over the first frame. For fixation, you can use furniture buttons. They are installed every 5 cm.
Liquid nails are applied along the perimeter of the frame (on top of the mesh).
Pressing tightly, fix the second part of the rigid frame with glue.
After the glue has dried, install the fittings - lock, handles, hinges.

In the absence of a miter box, you can connect the bars in this way

The principle of making a door mosquito net

The convenience of making a door mosquito net yourself is that you can assemble a structure of even a complex shape. You just need to work a little more with the lumber.

Which option is better to choose?

To make balcony nets, polyester, nylon, cotton or fiberglass are used. It is important that the threads are strong and odorless. The key parameter is the cell size, which varies from 0.6 to 1.2 mm. The smaller it is, the better the canvas will protect against unwanted insects. However, air does not pass through the 0.6 mm cells very well, and in hot summer weather this can impair room ventilation. This option is chosen by those who live near bodies of water where midges are most annoying. For a city apartment, the optimal option is from 1 to 1.2 mm.

The size of the cells can reach 5 cm; there will be no protection from insects, but an animal that climbs onto the window will be safe. They can be installed in tandem with a regular mosquito net.

How to install different types of structures

Even if you have never thought about how to install a mosquito net on a balcony door, you can still handle its installation.

The easiest way is to secure a cellular curtain.

Markings are made along the perimeter of the opening using a pencil and a building level.
Glue or nail the adhesive backing. This can be double-sided tape, a Velcro base for textiles. The smaller the distance between fasteners, the less likely you are to be disturbed by insects.
The fine-mesh fabric is fixed strictly along the fixed base.
Check the operation of the magnets.

Mosquito with regular Velcro

Installation of a swing structure involves fastening hinges. To do this you will need an electric drill or screwdriver.

Perform level markings. In this case, places for installing hinges are marked by retreating 20-30 cm from the top and bottom of the opening. The mosquito should extend beyond it by 4 cm.
Make holes for the hinges. Their depth depends on the material of the working surface, but is usually 2 cm.
The hinges are secured with fasteners.
Hang the sash on the hinges.

Measuring the width of the opening

To install a sliding mosquito net, you must first secure the guides and then insert the doors into them.

The roll-up mosquito net always comes with instructions. There, the manufacturer indicates the nuances and values that are significant for installation work. This is the distance from the edge of the opening to the place where the guides are attached, the optimal installation height of the working shaft, and more.

Functions performed

The importance of window screens cannot be underestimated. It is responsible for performing several protective functions at once:

The primary task is, of course, preventing all kinds of insects from entering the apartment . This is what once convinced me of the need to install a mosquito net on the balcony, since all kinds of fumigators:

Firstly, in the end they cost much more, since they constantly need to be refilled;

Fumigator for protection against mosquitoes and a can of spray liquid inserted into it

Secondly, they can cause allergic reactions, because we should not forget that, in fact, using this method we are spraying the room around the room, although it is insect repellent, but it is still poison;
Thirdly, they do not have universality. That is, for example, a mosquito repellent will not kill flies;

But there are plenty of problems from insects; as motivation, I will remind you what can await you in the summer with the windows open on the balcony:

Mosquito bites , which are not only unpleasant in themselves, but can also cause an allergic reaction in allergy sufferers;

Mosquito on the hunt

The buzzing of the same mosquitoes , driving you crazy while waiting for a night's sleep, and flies while trying to take a daytime rest;
Harmful bacteria carried by the legs of flies , which they pick up on compost heaps and other similar places;

Reducing the amount of garbage entering the house from the street . A lot of dust gets in through the open balcony window, which then spreads throughout the apartment. The mesh retains a significant amount of it;
Increases the level of fire safety . In addition to dust, a neighbor’s cigarette butt can also fly into your window through the window opening, which can cause a fire. And, believe me, this is not such a rarity, the wind is changeable, and the neighbors are sometimes very careless and irresponsible;

Prevents movement of pets . Sometimes a barrier is also required from a cat: it will prevent a street cat from getting inside, and yours, on the contrary, from going out. Parrots released to walk around the room will also not be able to leave it due to the presence of a mesh on the window.

An anti-cat balcony net will allow you to limit your pet's movement, thereby protecting it from a possible fall from a great height

Of course, all this can be avoided if:

In general, do not open the windows in the loggia , but in the hot summer the flow of fresh air into the apartment is simply necessary, so I personally did not even consider this option;
Stretch ordinary gauze over the window frame , but this is only a temporary and completely unaesthetic remedy, which also did not suit me.

In general, no longer able to endure the bullying of the buzzing blood-sucking invaders, I nevertheless went for the net.