Accent Window Systems
Retractable Screens for Bi-Fold Doors & Moving Glass Walls
A sixteen-foot opening with no screen is a sixteen-foot opening you keep closed in August.
Why a bi-fold needs a different screen
It has to span the whole opening with no intermediate track, retract fully out of sight, and not fight the panel stack. A slider screen does none of those things.
There is a working retractable screen unit in the showroom at 180 Lewis Rd, Suite 13. We specify systems suited to folding walls — including Integrated Screen Solutions and comparable lines — so the mesh disappears when you want the view back.
Screen types
| Retractable (manual) | Motorized | No screen | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum span | Typical residential bi-fold widths | Wider openings where a pull screen is impractical | Limited to the opening you are willing to leave unscreened |
| What it looks like retracted | Cassette at one jamb | Cassette at one jamb | Nothing in the opening |
| How it operates | Pull across; retracts into the cassette | Remote or switch; same cassette look when parked | You leave the wall open or closed |
| Pets and kids | Mesh choice matters more than the mechanism | Mesh choice matters more than the mechanism | No mesh |
| Power required | No | Power at the head | No |
| Relative cost | Adds a modest line to the bi-fold package | Higher — motor, power, and controls | None |
| When we recommend it | When you want air without a visible screen | When the span or daily use makes pulling a screen impractical | When the opening stays closed in bug season anyway |
What we need to spec one
- Opening width and height
- Panel count and stack direction
- Sill type
- Interior or exterior mount
- Whether power is available at the head
- Exposure
- Whether there are pets
Adding a screen to a door you already have
This is the question most callers are actually asking. Many installed bi-folds can take a retractable screen if the jambs and sill leave room for the cassette and the mesh path. Manufacturer, stack direction, and whether the sill is flush or raised all matter — we confirm on site or from clear photos before you buy.
Questions
Can you add a screen to a bi-fold door I already have?
Often yes — if the opening can take a cassette at the jamb and the panel stack leaves room for the mesh path. We look at manufacturer, sill type, and clearances before we promise a retrofit. Bring photos or come to the showroom and we will say yes or no before you order.
How wide can one screen span?
Manual retractable screens cover typical residential bi-fold widths; motorized systems take the wider openings where pulling a screen by hand is impractical. Exact span depends on the screen line and mesh — we size it to your opening at the quote, not from a generic catalog number.
Where does it go when it's retracted?
Into a cassette at one jamb. On a well-detailed opening you stop noticing it's there — which is the whole point, because a screen you can see is a screen you end up leaving open.
Will it hold up to a dog?
Mesh choice is the variable, not the screen itself, and it is worth saying up front if you have a dog that leans on things. Come see the unit in the showroom and push on it.
Do motorized screens need an electrician?
They need power at the head of the opening. On new construction that's trivial to plan for. On a retrofit it's the question that decides whether motorized is realistic, so it comes up early.
Do you service screens you didn't install?
Yes when the system is serviceable and parts are available. See bi-fold repair and service.
See one in the showroom.
There is a unit you can operate at 180 Lewis Rd.