After Isaias: Don't Rescreen Until Someone Checks the Frame

Part of our series on the 10 most common mistakes homeowners make after a hurricane damages their screen enclosure, pool cage, screen room, or patio cover.

Quick answer: If Hurricane Isaias tore your enclosure screens, have the frame checked before anyone rescreens. Wind that tears screen can also stress the frame and its connections, and a rescreen-only job usually happens without an inspector or engineer looking at the structure.

After a storm, a lot of enclosures look like they only need new screen. The frame is standing, nothing is on the ground, and the torn panels are flapping in the breeze. Someone offers to rescreen the whole thing this week, and that sounds like the fastest way to get your backyard back.

Sometimes it really is just screen damage, and that's good news. But often the wind that tore the screen also stressed the frame underneath it, in ways that are easy to miss. Put new screen on a damaged frame and it looks finished, right up until the next storm finds the weak spot.

Why rescreening can skip the most important check

Here in Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, and Bay counties, replacing screen alone doesn't require a permit, while repairing or rebuilding the frame does. That makes sense, since screen is a simple fix. But it also means that a rescreen-only job usually happens without an inspector or engineer ever looking at the structure.

The frame is what holds up against the wind. When an enclosure fails in a storm, it's often at the connections: where the frame is fastened to the slab, and where the roof beams attach to the house. Those are exactly the spots a quick rescreen job never looks at.

Signs your enclosure may need more than screen

You can check for most of these from the ground, without touching anything:

• Doors that stick, drag, or won't latch the way they did before the storm

• Gaps, lifted sections, or missing screws where the frame meets the slab or knee wall

• Posts that lean or lines that aren't straight anymore. Stand at one corner and sight down a row of posts; they should line up.

• Roof beams that sag or a roofline that looks wavy

• Separation where the enclosure attaches to the house, at the fascia or the wall

• Cracked concrete around anchor points

• Bracing cables that hang slack or have snapped, if your enclosure has them

If you see any of these, have the frame looked at before anyone puts up new screen. And if part of the frame is bent or leaning, our post on staying out from under damaged enclosures explains why you should keep your distance. Before anything goes to the curb, read why not to haul your damaged enclosure away yet.

"A new screen on a bent frame just looks finished. We'd rather tell you up front that it's a bigger job than have you pay for screen twice." — Eric Vanheteren, Aluminum Building Systems

What it costs to get it wrong

Rescreening over hidden damage usually goes one of two ways. If the frame needs repair later, the new screen often has to come off so the work can be done, and you pay for screen twice. Or nobody catches it, and the weakened frame carries on until the next big wind finds the failure point.

Neither outcome is worth the few days you might save.

How to get the right answer

• Ask for a frame inspection, not just a screen quote. A contractor who looks only at the screen hasn't looked at the part that matters.

• Check with your local building department. Depending on where you live, that's your city or your county. Some, like Fort Walton Beach, have published post-storm permitting guides that spell out which enclosure repairs need a permit. If you can't find one, call and ask.

• Be wary of a quote that's "just screen" with no one checking the frame, especially if the job can start tomorrow.

"Plenty of what we see after a storm really is just screen, and we'll tell you that too. The point is to know, not guess." — Eric Vanheteren, Aluminum Building Systems

For the other common missteps, see 10 mistakes to avoid after a hurricane damages your pool enclosure or patio cover, and how ABS is handling Isaias repairs.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit to rescreen my enclosure after Hurricane Isaias?

In Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, and Bay counties, replacing screen alone doesn't require a permit. Repairing or rebuilding the frame does.

How can I tell if my enclosure needs more than new screen?

Look for doors that stick or won't latch, gaps or missing screws where the frame meets the slab, leaning posts, sagging roof beams, separation where the enclosure meets the house, cracked concrete around anchors, and slack or snapped bracing cables.

What happens if I rescreen over a damaged frame?

If the frame needs repair later, the new screen often has to come off and you pay for screen twice. If nobody catches the damage, the weakened frame stays in place until the next big wind finds the failure point.

When you're ready

Book a 20-minute phone consult or call 850-308-1832. After you book, you'll get a text or email from us; reply with photos of the damage, including wide shots of the frame and close-ups of any connections that look off.

Next in this series: After Isaias: Don’t Pay Too Much, Too Soon for Enclosure Repairs