Windscreen & Privacy Screens Installation
Attention to Detail Assures Proper Installation
Correct installation will ensure proper appearance and function, but improper installation will do the opposite. Combining experience with the basic techniques discussed in the article will lead to the most aesthetic and professional installa-tions. Do not attempt to install in high winds. Do not skip grommets.
FASTENERS
We recommend Tie-Wraps over any other fastening device. They hold the screen flat and taut on the fence and provide some safety in high wind conditions. The most durable Tie-Wraps have UV inhibitors and are made for outdoor conditions. (White or clear Tie-Wraps deteriorate rapidly in sunlight.)
Use a 50lb & 120lb test Tie-Wraps combination on your screen. Place the 50lb Tie-Wraps along the top and halfway down the sides of your screen. Place the 120lb Tie-Wraps along the bottom and halfway up the sides of your screen. If there is a grommet strip, use 120lb Tie-Wraps to install the grommet strip.
We recommend this technique so that in high winds the top 50lb Tie-Wraps will break, allowing the top to fold over the bottom, keeping the screen from flapping against an abrasive surface.
Using the correct fasteners will give you a better chance of preventing wind damage, which is the number one cause of screen deterioration.
INSTALLATION
We will describe hanging the screen from the left to the right. If you are hanging screen from right to left, just reverse the directions.
MAKE FABRIC EASY TO WORK
Spread the panel out along the length of the fence. Then use “S” hooks, approximately every 10’ and close to the desired height, to loosely hang the whole panel. This will make it easier to keep the top edge of the panel lined up, and to insert the Tie-Wraps.
High winds make an installation tough! On windy days only hang part of the panel. Too much material makes it hard to install the screen flat and tight.
Begin in the Upper-Left
1. Pick a line of diamonds in the mesh near the top at a minimum of one diamond mesh from the top. This line will be the visual line you will use to keep the screen even all the way down the fence. If the mesh is uneven, you can stretch a string from the tension bar to tension bar and use that for your line.
2. Line up the top edge of the fabric so that it is even with your intended line of diamonds or string, then line up the left edge of the fabric with the tension bar. Insert a 50lb Tie-Wrap in the top left corner to keep your position. Use another Tie-Wrap to attach the screen to the tension bar. These two Tie-Wraps should make a backward “L”. Check to make sure the top left corner of the screen is square, then attach the other two corner grommets.
3. Attach Tie-Wraps halfway down the side of the screen following to the inside of the tension bar. Keep the material square using the tension bar as a guide.
4. Once the side is squared properly, begin hanging the top of the screen, following the line of diamonds and angling Tie-Wraps slightly to the right.
Continue Hanging the Screen
5. On the top of the screen stay about five feet ahead of the bottom as you place your Tie-Wraps. Use the bottom 120lb Tie-Wraps to pull the wrinkles out of the screen and keep the screen taut. With two people you can keep one person on the top and one person on the bottom. The bottom installer should pull the wrinkles out without over tensioning the Tie-Wraps. Over tensioning Tie-Wraps or stretching the fabric will cause wrinkles. Once you get your rhythm you can really move. Don’t forget to angle your Tie-Wraps slightly to the right!
6. When the person on top reaches the end of the panel, make an “L” with two Tie-Wraps in the top right corner. Then put the Tie-Wraps down the side, while tensioning the Tie-Wraps appropriately to maintain a square vertical edge. Use the bottom right of the corner to pull the rest of the wrinkles out of the screen and then use two 120lb Tie- Wraps to hold the corner taut. You’ve hung the first panel or the first section of screen. Now repeat this process and finish the job using the same technique.
At the End - Center Grommet Strip
7. To minimize wind billowing, some fence fabric windscreens are manufactured with a center grommet strip. The center grommet strip can be added to all products and is recommended for any heights over 6’. During initial set up, the panel should be oriented so that the flap is on the inside of the fabric against the fence and faces downward to avoid water retention. Once the top, bottom and sides of the fabric are securely fastened, use 120Lb Tie-Wraps with a snug (not overly tight) connection for the final step of the installation process.
- NEVER attach Tie-Wraps to the top rail. Only attach Tie-Wraps to the chain link mesh.
- From grommet to grommet lay material flat and do not stretch the fabric.
- Tie-Wraps will break over time. Greatly increase the life of your screen by checking it regularly and immediately replacing any broken Tie-Wraps.
- Angle the Tie-Wraps slightly TO THE RIGHT to pull the screen flat and taut.
PRO-TIP: For a professional looking install, after the panel is hung, rotate installed Tie-Wraps so that the long edge or tail of the Tie-Wrap lays flat against the screen, then cut the tail leaving almost no tail. Make sure the Tie-Wrap is cut square and remains flat against the screen! Cut Tie-Wraps can be very sharp, so be careful!