Aluminum Screen used for windows and doors

Aluminum screen cloth is available in similar sizes as for fiberglass. Aluminum is often called "bright wire" which refers to the shiny uncoated aluminum wire. Bright wire screening was used in most homes built in the 1950's and 1960's. Nowadays, with the price of aluminum quickly rising, most home builders use fiberglass screen.

Aluminum can corrode or "oxidize" and develops a white powdery oxide coating over the years which does not look all that attractive. As the screen oxidizes, the material gets weaker and weaker until it just falls to pieces when you touch it.

Aluminum is stronger than fiberglass and works fine with humans but it is still not sufficient to stand up to scratching by most pets. It is suitably strong for storm door screens and is still used today for that purpose.

Black Aluminum screen or
Black Wire screening in 100 foot rolls

Bright Aluminum screening or bright wire was the most popular kind of aluminum window screening before fiberglass started to get used exclusively on windows and doors. Most homes built in the 1960's and 1970's will have bright aluminum in all the windows and in patio door screens.

Black aluminum or "black wire" screening is regular aluminum screen wire that the manufacturer has painted black in order to slow down the corrosion process. Epoxy coated black aluminum wire will last longer than regular bright wire.

Another advantage of black wire is that it is the most "invisible" type of screen. The one that is easiest to see through. The downside of this is that black aluminium wire doors are also the easiest to accidently walk through !

There is also electro alodized screening which is also black but is produced using an electro chemical process which prevents corrosion better than black paint. New York Wire is a screening manufacturer who uses this process.

Homes with pools often have problems with aluminium screen corroding, black alodized screening might help in these situations

Aluminium wire in 7 foot mini rolls

Mini rolls are made just for repairing an individual patio door screen. They are 84" long which should accomadate most patio door screen heights. Aluminum screen should be kept on the roll until its used because it creases easily.

As well, roll the screen into the spline groove gently and carefully because it is easy to slice through aluminum cloth