Building Considerations for Phantom Executive Screens
Founded in 1992, Phantom Screens is committed to providing a better alternative to conventional door and window screens. They have rapidly grown to become North America’s leading provider of retractable screens: insect, solar and privacy screens that remain hidden and out of the way until required. If you are a builder who is soon to begin a new construction project, you may be considering incorporating an industry-leading Phantom executive screen for an outdoor opening; if so, there are a few things to keep in mind regarding the proper installation of Phantom outdoor screens. This blog post is intended to assist you in installing these screens in your construction projects while detailing the key benefits in trusting Phantom along the way.
Making Outdoor Living a Reality
A quickly-growing home design trend is the concept of merging the indoors of one’s home with the outdoors. “Bringing the outside in” involves converting an outdoor patio or porch area that is attached to one’s home into a multi-purpose room that can be used throughout the year. Oftentimes these outdoor “rooms” will contain kitchens and dining areas, fireplaces, and other miscellaneous decorations (such as decorative lighting). However, without any sort of protection, these areas will be prone to a myriad of problems including the presence of bugs, strong winds, and intense sunlight or potentially dangerous UV rays.
Phantom’s executive screens are designed from the ground up to protect these outdoor rooms from any and all issues that are typically associated with patios and other outdoor spaces, all while maintaining the integrity and design of the original home’s design. As they are retractable, they completely hide from view when retracted into their housing, meaning they do not affect the overall look of the home — with the added bonus that when they are in their aluminum housing, the screens are naturally protected from the elements as well.
Executive screens come in three distinct mesh types, allowing them to specifically target the concerns of the homeowner: the Insect Mesh is tailored to areas where pests and insects are a problem while also reducing up to 55% of UV rays; the Solar Mesh types are designed to block heat and solar glare by up to 75% and harmful UV rays by up to 90%, allowing you to comfortably enjoy your outdoor rooms at any climate you desire; and the Privacy Mesh provides a total blackout and blocks up to 100% of UV rays — perfect for warding off any prying eyes.
Beyond the benefits they provide, however, these executive screens are also designed to fit the lifestyle of the owner regardless of their preferences. This means from the color and style of the screen and its mesh to the type of controls the owner prefers, Phantom executive screens have you covered. In total, Phantom offers a whopping 30 different types of meshes when including all three mesh types — with 10 distinct colors for each. Additionally, Phantom also offers custom wood grain finishes backed by Decoral®.
As for control options, executive motorized screens can be operated through a variety of means, most frequently being the remote control which comes included with every screen. However, if the screen is connected to the home’s Wi-Fi, the homeowner may also control it through Somfy’s myLink app, allowing one to control their retractable screen from the comfort of their smartphone. Even more convenient is the ability to program open and retract times in advance, so screens will automatically extend to protect you from the sun when needed and will retract by themselves when they are not.
Custom Fit to Meet Your Clients’ Needs
Phantom’s executive screens can be incorporated into any type of architectural style including wood, brick, stucco, natural stone, and concrete. Furthermore, these screens can fit single openings as large as 25 feet wide and 16 feet tall, making them ideal for both commercial and residential renovation and construction projects.
As for mounting, the executive screens can also be either surface-mounted onto the opening or recessed into the opening itself without the housing and cover. Typically, standard mounts are retrofitted into an existing house while recessed screens are implemented into an ongoing construction project (as they are placed within a cavity created by the constructor). Similarly, Phantom also provides both standard and recessed tracks. As one can expect, usually standard mounts use standard tracks whereas recessed mounts use recessed tracks, but it is possible to use either track type with either type of mount.
Planning Considerations & Costs
As with any construction project, the implementation of an executive screen involves not only the builder but the subcontractor tradesman required to complete the project (electricians, framers, and finish carpenters) as well as the Phantom’s Authorized Representative responsible for the territory in which the project is occurring. This Phantom representative will provide an estimate that includes the costs associated with all of Phantom’s products, the installation, project management services, site inspection visits, and training. However, do note that additional expenses and costs may occur depending on the other trade suppliers involved during the preparation phase. These costs are detailed below:
Framing: For recessed mounts, additional costs will be incurred to design and build the cavity in which the roller, motor, and screen mesh will be housed. If you are mounting your screen on an arched opening, additional costs will be incurred beyond that of a square opening. Some framing will also be required to embed the U-channel into the column design. Phantom Screens recommends you review the framing requirements
listed in our Planning Considerations & Project Management Overview document with your framing contractor.
Electrical: Recessed or standard mounts will incur electrical expenses in addition to that of the standard wiring of the structure. The outlets needed for retractable screens need to supply 110v to power the motor, requiring about 1.6 amps per unit. Required power outlets must be installed in or near the roller where the motor is located. We also recommend reviewing the motor control options and the home automation interface.
Finishing: Additional costs may also be incurred in the case of a recessed installation as removable covers must be designed and built for the cavities created during the framing stage earlier in the construction process. These covers must be designed to allow easy access for any maintenance of the motor and/or mesh, and are typically built by the builders’ finishing carpenters out of the materials used to finish the ceiling in the room where the screens are installed. Finished hardwood or plywood can also be decorated with matching trim to close the gap containing the screen. We recommend professionals review the finish details of every column to determine any additional expenses which may be relevant to the given project. Additional time may also be required for applying the lathing and column prep for the selected finish.
Also note that if you opt for a recessed installation, you should also review other services required to complete the installation of the Executive screens. We recommend you review Phantom’s Planning Considerations & Project Management Overview document that outlines the additional services and fees; this is available from your local Authorized Phantom Screens Representative.
Architectural & Builder Services
Phantom Screens offers an Architectural and Builder Services program which provides building and design professionals with resources on product specifications and the integration of Phantom retractable screens into residential and building projects. With this program, architects and builders can easily specify Phantom’s retractable screens during the planning and drafting stages of a project.
The Architectural and Builder Services program consists of the following:
Access to online resources such as drafting and project planning tools (product specification details, CAD drawings, product installation services, etc.)
A library of Phantom project case studies
Educational seminars
Marketing and sales materials that can be used independently or integrated with customer presentations.
We hope this blog post has assisted you with the specifics involved with incorporating Phantom’s executive screens into your construction project. Please refer to the Phantom Screens website for additional details regarding the Architectural and Builder Services program and to access their technical drawings and specifications.
