How do I take care of my retractable screen door?
Step 1: The most important factor is to make sure that your retractable screen door has been professionally installed by a qualified technician, such as a factory-trained installer or experienced handyperson.
Step 2: Carefully vacuum the retractable screen door bottom track to remove any dust, debris, pet hair, etc., that may have accumulated. Next, carefully wipe down the track with a hot soapy cloth to remove the greyish grime that commonly sticks to the paint, making the operation of the screen door difficult. Repeat for top track. Wipe both tracks dry.
Step 3: Apply "dry" silicone spray track lubricant (available from most retractable screen companies) to ensure years of trouble-free, smooth operation of your screen door. Spray top and bottom tracks (lightly) at a 45-degree angle to the surface, then operate the screen door through three complete open/close cycles. The purpose is to lubricate the point where the tracks and plastic slide bar caps meet.
(If there is still too much friction when sliding your retractable screen door, use spray lubricant on the tracks one more time)
Where are your retractable screens made?
Our retractable screens are made in Oakville, ON to the exact measurements specified by our clients or installers. Most of the screen doors that we manufacture can be made on site - thus saving time for both the installer and the homeowner. Large Opening retractable screen doors are made directly in the manufacturers’ state-of-the-art factory (located either in Canada or the USA). Some of these retractable screen door brands can be custom made, packaged and shipped to DIY homeowners, contractors, and architects.
Warranty and Servicing Q&A
How do you fix a damaged retractable screen door?
Yes, of course. We supply, install, and repair various popular brands of retractable screen doors. We are familiar with all the products in our specialized industry.
The most common repair is to replace the screen mesh. This requires the removal of the screen door, disassembly, removal and inspection of the damaged screen mesh (to determine possible internal malfunction), then attachment of a brand new screen mesh to the inner roller tube, trim mesh to size, lubrication of moving parts, then final assembly of all original parts. The retractable screen is then ready to be re-installed in its original position. This type of repair can usually be done in less than one hour.
Other more complicated repairs such as broken plastic slide barcaps, housing caps, or damaged aluminum rails, may require back ordering original parts from the respective manufacturer.
Which retractable screen door has the best warranty?
All of our retractable screen doors brands including Stowaway, Phantom, Mirage and Wizard come with a limited lifetime warranty from the manufacturer, aside from our own installation labor warranty. This warranty is basically limited to the moving parts such as the internal spring (breakage under normal wear) and the magnet mechanism (failure). Super (rare earth) magnets are now available in all brands,
Proper original installation is key to avoid "rollaway" screen doors from poor performance.
Warranty limitations: Our manufacturers stand behind their products by offering a limited lifetime warranty to the original purchaser, so the warranty may not apply to you if you have recently purchased the home.
The actual screen mesh is expressly excluded from these warranties (check brand websites for more information). When properly taken care of, your screen door should work properly for many years, without any major problems. Always keep it rolled up when not in use and keep the top and bottom tracks clean and lubricated at all times.
How long does a screen door installation take?
A new retractable screen door purchase is comprised of taking measurements and choosing frame color (on first home visit), and the actual full installation (on second visit). We are able to measure for your screen door in about 15 minutes, including any extra parts or filler pieces that may be necessary for the installation.
The actual time at your home to install one retractable screen door takes between 45 and 60 minutes.
Sometimes both measurements and installation can take place in only one visit, thus saving time!
The fabrication and installation timeline is usually between 5 to 10 business days, depending on the seasonal demand.
Repairs Q&A
What do I do if my cat tore the screen door mesh?
Screen door mesh is usually damaged by pets or humans hitting forcefully against the mesh, forcing the screen mesh to become entangled, torn, or creased in some way. Cats and dogs can cause extra damage by scratching at the mesh with their claws, eventually causing a tear.
Unlike fixed screens, retractable screens' mesh cannot be "patched up", since the retractable screen mesh must be perfectly flat with evenly spread tension to perform at its best. For this reason, a new screen mesh must be installed in the screen door unit. There is no need to purchase a new screen door.
Here at Lumaso Industries Inc., we are able to remove your existing retractable screen door (almost any brand), dismantle it, clean, inspect, and lubricate internal parts, attach a brand-new retractable screen mesh, reassemble the door, and reinstall it in the original home's door frame. This option to repair rather than replace the whole screen system is much more cost-effective than low quality screen door brands that are frequently thrown away for lack of available parts. Any of our retractable screens should be considered as a long term investment - as they will always be serviceable!
Quality and Design Quick Answers to Real Questions
What are retractable screen doors made of?
All retractable screen door brands supplied and installed by Lumasso Industries Inc., are made from the highest-grade materials, including high strength aluminum extrusions, industrial grade powder-coated finishes, UV-treated nylon and PVC parts, specially stiffened Phifer fiberglass mesh, and stainless steel or galvanized-screws, depending on the brand. Stowaway retractable screens have the added quality of a stainless steel mesh spline and solid aluminum handles. Other brands including Mirage, Phantom and Wizard use plastic handles and splines for these parts (this does not affect their respective lifetime warranties).
What screen door mesh brand/s do you use?
All of our screen doors use specially formulated Phifer brand screen mesh made in the USA. This includes our Canadian screen door brands.
Mesh options include regular stiffened mesh, noseeum mesh, solar mesh, and pet mesh.
Black is the recommended color of mesh, though grey is also available.
Are there door color options?
Stowaway brand offers 14 standard colors and 3 real wood grain veneer options (can be stained and varnished) on their standard retractable screen doors. All components in the standard colors are color matched (handles, magnets, rails, end caps, and optional French door pins)—as per the homeowner’s preference.
Wizard brand offers 7 standard colors and 15 imitation wood grain veneer options (cannot be stained nor varnished as it is a plastic veneer) on their standard retractable screen doors. All components in standard colors are color matched (handles, magnets, rails, end caps, and optional French door pins)—as per the homeowner’s preference.
Performance Q&A
Why is a retractable screen door better than a regular (hinged) screen door?
Firstly, it is custom made for your home and EACH individual doorway. You can have a short one in the back, a tall one at the front door, and an even wider one for your patio sliding door.
A retractable screen door has so many more options and features to choose from than a regular aluminum storm screen door or wooden framed screen door.
You can choose between different colors to match your door frame, the color of the door itself, the color of the siding, or for a bold contrast.
It will not interfere with the look of your doorway—especially important on front doors.
It will fit any size, style, or age of door. Completely adaptable to wooden, aluminum, or steel frame doorways.
What is retrofitting?
Retrofitting is the concept of adapting new things to older style homes or designs. That is why a retractable screen door is completely customizable to your existing doorway or window. It updates your home with more functional features without any major changes to your decor.
All of our retractable screen doors are custom made so you do not have to worry if it will fit or not.
Can I install a retractable screen door myself?
Although there are simple DIY versions on the market, Lumasso only provides custom-made doors to fit your doorway, with full product support from the manufacturers.
Our installers are experts at looking at every door in your home with a critical eye for the best installation. The limited lifetime warranty is available when installed professionally by a Lumasso installer as well.
Recycling Q&A
Do you recycle old screen doors?
Have an old retractable screen door that is laying around? Lumasso recycles! Donate your old retractable screen door and we can make sure it does not end up in the landfill. We also donate used screen mesh (in optimum condition) to used building supply companies!
Lumasso also recycles all cardboard and aluminum—even the clean aluminum shavings! Let’s keep our environment healthy!
Maintenance Tips Q&A
How do I maintain my screen door?
When you purchase any of our retractable screen doors, we always have our professional installers ask you to try the door out BEFORE the top and bottom tracks are sprayed down with silicone so they can feel the difference and know how it should operate under optimal conditions.
When pulling out the screen, do not force it in any way. It is also very important to realign the screen mesh as soon as a wrinkle or crease appears. If left unattended after an accidental bump, the constant opening and closing of the door will cause the mesh to drag and fray, allowing bugs to enter. We don’t want that to happen!
We recommend cleaning the bottom track once a month and at the first use in spring. To clean the bottom track of dust, sand, dirt, etc., drag a wet, warm cloth carefully across the bottom track. Once the tracks are cleaned out, use a small amount of the provided silicone lubricant to spray both tracks. We recommend doing this once per month during regular warm weather and at the first use in spring.
