Retractable Screen Doors and Lanai Screens
Screens that wind away into a slim housing when you want the doorway clear, then pull across when the mosquitoes show up. Measured, fitted and serviced for Honolulu homes.
Fitted to real Oahu doorways
A retractable screen is a small machine: a spring or motor, a housing, two side tracks and a closure. Every part has to match the opening closely. When one of these screens misbehaves years later, the cause often goes back to how it was measured and fitted in the first place.
Magnet or latch, your call
A magnetic closure is quick and hands-free. A latching handle stays shut when a toddler or dog pushes, which is why Phantom suggests it for those homes.
Measured, then built
These doors are made to the opening. A measure visit comes first, and the custom build takes several weeks before installation day.
Track and spring checks
On service calls we clean the tracks, look for bends and test the spring, the three usual suspects behind jams and screens that stop retracting.
Straight talk on limits
Retractable mesh is light. If you need to stop a determined pet or an intruder, we will point you toward sturdier options.
Retractable or hinged: which suits your door?
| Question | Retractable door screen | Fixed hinged screen door |
|---|---|---|
| Out of sight when not in use | Winds into a narrow cassette | Always hangs in the doorway |
| Living with pets | Light mesh; installers call it a poor match for pets | Can take pet-resistant mesh in a fixed frame |
| Security | Not a security product; scissors cut the mesh | Only when built as a security door with steel infill |
| Very wide openings | Motorized units span wide lanai openings | Limited to a door-sized opening |
| Floor at the threshold | Some bottom tracks can trip people | Swings on hinges, nothing on the floor |
| Time to get one working | Measure visit, then a custom build of several weeks | Repairs and rescreens often finish in one visit |
Is your retractable screen asking for service?
Roll-up screens in Honolulu homes fail in a handful of predictable ways. Most of them start small, a sticky pull or a slow return, and get worse with daily use. Here is what each sign usually points to.
Pops out of track
Many designs release from the track under a push or a gust rather than tear. If it keeps happening, the track or the fit deserves a look.
Jams halfway
Dirt, sand or a bent track will stop a screen mid-travel. Cleaning or straightening the track is often where the fix begins.
Will not roll back
A tired spring leaves the mesh hanging slack or stopping short of the housing. Spring tension is set at the end cap.
Latch will not hold
A magnet that no longer catches, or a handle that slips, lets the screen creep open. With small kids or pets around, that is a real problem.
Bottom track trips
Some units run on a bottom track that can catch a toe. If people keep stumbling at the doorway, raise it before someone gets hurt.
Cut or torn mesh
This cloth is thin enough that installers say scissors go straight through it. Claws and sharp edges leave their mark quickly.
Can a retractable screen cover a wide Oahu lanai?
Yes, a motorized retractable screen can close off a lanai opening far wider than any door. One Genius model is listed for openings up to 26 feet wide and 10.5 feet tall, and Phantom's motorized line can pair with a wind sensor that raises the screen in a storm. That suits Oahu, where trade winds blow most of the year and many homes cool with open doors instead of air conditioning. Powered units are bigger jobs, quoted in writing, with electrical work and any permit arranged through the trades the job requires. We measure, fit and service retractable door and lanai screens around Honolulu, from manual cassettes to motorized spans.
- ✓ Wide lanai openings
- ✓ Patio and entry doors
- ✓ Wind sensor option
- ✓ Magnet or latch closure
- ✓ Kailua and Kaneohe homes
- ✓ Ewa and Kapolei houses
How does a retractable screen get installed?
Most of the calendar time is spent waiting on the build. The visit itself is short when the measuring was right.
Measure visit
We measure the opening, check that the jambs and head are true, and talk through the closure, the mesh and whether a manual or powered unit fits.
Custom build
Housing and screen are cut to the opening, about an eighth of an inch under its width. That build usually takes several weeks.
Price in writing
The written quote covers the unit, the install and any trade a motorized job needs. You see it and approve it before anything is ordered.
Fit and tension
The housing clips into the head, side tracks fix to the jambs and spring tension is set at the end cap. A door unit takes about 45 to 90 minutes.
Screens and doors we repair on Oahu
Rescreening, new screens, doors, sliders and lanais, plus solar screens for sun-facing glass. See what screen repair costs.
Window Screen Replacement
New frame and mesh when the old frame is bent, split or eaten by corrosion.
Learn more →
Screen Door Repair
Hinged screen doors rescreened, squared up and fitted with working closers.
Learn more →Sliding Screen Doors
Rollers, tracks and panels for patio sliders that scrape or jump the rail.
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Lanai Screen Repair
Wide lanai panels rescreened with mesh chosen for salt, sun and view.
Learn more →
Jalousie Window Screens
Inside and outside jalousie screens built on heavy extruded frames.
Learn more →Retractable Screens
Roll-away door screens and wide-opening units, fitted and adjusted.
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Security Screen Doors
Steel grille and stainless mesh doors, with grade chosen for the coast.
Learn more →
Pet Screens
Tough vinyl-coated polyester for doors and low windows with pets.
Learn more →Retractable screen questions from Honolulu
Keep the doorway open and screened
Send the width and height of the opening through the quote form, or phone us, and mention manual or motorized. A measure visit and a written price come next.