What’s the big deal about cross ventilation? Well, it’s not a big deal. It’s probably not the first reason someone is interested in a retractable screen, but it sure is a lovely side benefit. Cross ventilation is where cool air clears out warm air from a structure and at the same time also clears out indoor pollutants. If done frequently, this can have an impact on lowering your air conditioning bills.
Conventional screen doors and fixed screen spaces allow for cross ventilation as much as retractable screens do, as they all have screen mesh that allows the breezes through. Retractable screens, however, create that flexible environment where you can let just the breezes through with the screens lowered or raise the screens up when winter months come to protect your investment. Additionally, retractable screens can open up new areas for the ventilation that weren’t available before. For instance, many people utilize their garage screen and open up the door to the house while also opening a window or door on the opposite side of the house. Around here, in Ohio, the best times for this are spring and fall months where the outside air may be comfortably cooler than the indoor air.
The easiest way to create a cross-ventilated area is to find opposing openings and open them. Voila! It’s that simple. And, of course, it sure helps when there are blowing breezes outside! This all seems so minute and silly on the scale of benefits and uses, but I have heard some significant homeowner stories regarding the use of their retractable screens to guide fresh air through their home. When I ask customers to name reasons why they purchased their screen, many often respond with “ventilation” or “take out stale air”. We’ve all heard how our indoor air is more polluted than the outdoor air. Customers are seeing the benefit of fresh air in their home and even in their garage.
One particular customer I met in Delaware, Werner, had his garage screen installed to keep out the “Noseeums” (bugs you can’t even see). His home in a new retirement community, with open fields around it received lots of wind and he spoke of using that for cross ventilation with his double garage screen. When he opened up that door to the house and had his screen down, he was able to get some good air flow; he said, “you should feel the breeze!”
That’s not the only use he has for his garage screen. Werner likes to use it when he’s waxing his car and when they have the neighborhood over. In a community where they all have yoga classes together in someone’s home, this is probably a regular gathering. He is able to put the garage screen down and practically create an entirely new room. His screen is motorized too, so he can just press the button if he needs to pull the Caddy in the garage. It’s easy…. and breezy!
Motorized Garage Screen Lowering and Raising
