Security screens by opening
Patio and alfresco screen enclosures
Use your alfresco at dusk, keep pets in and insects out, and still see the whole backyard. Fixed panels and doors made to your posts and angles across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Logan.
QBCC 15340369.
A screen enclosure closes in an alfresco, deck, patio or pool area with fixed mesh panels and one or more screen doors, fitted to the existing posts, beams and slab. It keeps insects, leaves and pets where you want them without walls or glass, so the space stays open to the breeze and the view. We have them made to size and install them for homes across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Logan.
What a screen enclosure is
Most enclosures are a run of fixed panels between the posts of a covered alfresco, with a sliding or hinged screen door where you walk out to the yard or pool. Each panel is measured to its own gap, because posts are rarely the same distance apart and beams are rarely level. Where the roof rakes, the panel is cut to the angle. Where there is a balustrade, the screen can sit above it or replace the infill.
The mesh is what changes the job. A stainless steel mesh enclosure like SecureView is a security screen: it takes a dog leaning on it, a kid pushing on it and years of sun. A patio and pool fly mesh enclosure keeps insects and leaves out at a lower cost but will not stop a determined push. For very wide openings you can also add a retractable roller screen that disappears when you want the space fully open.
Which screens suit an enclosure?
Enclosures are mostly fixed panels, so the mesh does the work. Here is where to start.
SecureView
Stainless security mesh with the clearest view, for enclosures that double as the home's secure boundary.
Xceed
Perforated aluminium security mesh, lighter and usually the lower-cost security option for big runs of panels.
Patio and pool fly mesh
Insect mesh made for outdoor spaces and pool areas, keeping leaves and debris out as well as bugs. The budget enclosure.
What we work out at the measure
Posts, beams and angles
Enclosure panels are measured one gap at a time. Raked ceilings, out-of-square posts and steps in the slab are normal; the panel is cut to the angle rather than packed out. Where a post is missing we can add an aluminium mullion to break a very wide span.
Oversized panels
We can supply tall, wide panels without a mid-rail, so the view stays clean. Pimpama's went past 2.4 m by 1.4 m and Ormeau had four over 1,500 mm wide. Beyond a certain size a panel is split with a slim mullion instead; we tell you where that line falls for your space.
Doors and locks
Every enclosure needs at least one way out. Sliding, hinged or bi-parting doors, with a key lock where the enclosure opens to a pool or a gate. Ormeau's two door sets both lock.
Pool areas
A screen enclosure is not a pool safety barrier and does not replace compliant pool fencing. It does keep leaves, insects and the dog out of the pool area, and doors can be locked. If your enclosure touches the pool zone, check your fencing obligations with council first.
Pets
Dogs lean, cats climb. Stainless mesh handles both. Pet doors can be built into a fixed panel (as at the Gold Coast enclosure) rather than the active door, and the pet-proof page covers mesh choices for the doors and windows inside the house too.
Balconies and body corporate
Upstairs decks and unit balconies can be enclosed the same way, but strata rules and any balustrade requirements need checking first. Bring the by-laws to the measure.
Also see
Patio and alfresco enclosures questions
What is the difference between a screen enclosure and a pool enclosure?
A screen enclosure closes in an outdoor living area with mesh panels and doors to keep insects, leaves and pets out. A pool enclosure is the same thing built around or beside a pool. Neither is a pool safety barrier in the legal sense, so compliant pool fencing still applies; the enclosure adds comfort and keeps the pool area cleaner.
Can you enclose a deck with a raked roof or uneven posts?
Yes. Every panel is measured to its own opening, so raked ceilings, out-of-square posts and steps in the slab are cut to the angle rather than forced square. One Gold Coast enclosure was built with clear roofing sheets above the fixed panels to keep the light and handle the roof line.
How long does an enclosure take?
The Ormeau job, eight screens and two sets of bi-parting doors, went from measure to finished install in three weeks. Most enclosures are installed in one to two days on site once the panels are made. Your quote comes with dates, because manufacturing time depends on the season and the product.
Can you add a pet door to an enclosure?
Yes. The best place is usually a fixed panel rather than the door you walk through, which is what we did on a Gold Coast enclosure so the dog could get to the yard without the door ever being left open. Pet doors can also be fitted to the house's screen doors and windows.
Will an enclosure block my view?
Not with stainless mesh panels built without mid-rails. The Pimpama enclosure looks straight across a golf course through panels over 2.4 m tall and 1.4 m wide with nothing across them, and the Aug 2024 alfresco in our gallery reads as almost open. The mesh you choose sets the clarity; the compare and mesh comparison pages show the differences.
Which mesh is best for an enclosure with a dog?
A stainless steel mesh. It handles a dog leaning or pushing on it and is what we used at Helensvale for a riverside dog enclosure, replacing a fly mesh enclosure that had torn and faded. If you want a lower-cost insect-only enclosure, Paw Proof mesh is the tougher fly mesh, but it is still fly mesh. The pet-proof page compares them.
Can I have doors in the enclosure that lock?
Yes. Sliding, hinged and bi-parting screen doors all take key locks, and we recommend a lock on any door that opens to a pool or a side gate. Both bi-parting door sets at Ormeau were fitted with key locks for that reason.
Do enclosures fade or sag in the Queensland sun?
Fly mesh enclosures can fade and tear over years of sun exposure, which is why the Helensvale owners replaced theirs. Stainless mesh in a powder-coated aluminium frame does not fade or stretch the same way, and 316 marine grade mesh resists salt air near the coast. The product page lists the warranty for each option.
Get an estimate for your enclosure
Tell us the rough size of the space, how many openings between posts, and whether you want a stainless barrier mesh or insect mesh. You get an estimate by email or SMS, then a free measure where we check every post and angle.
Free measure and quote. QBCC 15340369.
Book a free measure
We come out, measure every gap between the posts, check the roof line and slab, and talk through mesh and door options with samples. You get a written quote, no obligation.
Brisbane, Gold Coast and Logan.