I Used This DIY Kit to Glass My Deck and It Was a Brilliant Solution.

My wife and I live in a big city where outdoor space is at a premium, so I consider the second-story rooftop terrace of our home one of its most distinctive features. It’s sunny and relatively private—and, crucially, it’s an outdoor space in a city where a Juliet-style balcony is often the best option.

However, this place has two drawbacks. First, it’s infested with insects, especially since one of our neighbors brought in the dreaded spotted lanternflies, as if to protect an endangered species. Second, our cats love to spend time on the deck, but they also love to jump over the fence to explore. (Did I mention the deck is on the second floor? You haven’t truly lived until you’ve searched for a lost cat on your neighbors’ rooftops.)

For us, the solution was to enclose the deck with mesh. First, I built a simple frame to raise the railing a few feet and created a pergola-like structure from rafters supporting the mesh. Here’s what it looked like at the time:

But how do I actually close it? I could simply staple the mesh to the frame, but that would be a problem in the winter when the “roof” would be covered in snow. I’m pretty handy with a drill and pressure-treated 2x4s, but I don’t think my mesh roof would withstand several feet of New Jersey snow, so the mesh needed to be easily removable (and replaceable).

The solution was a self-installation kit for mesh from Screeneze.

After some searching, I found the solution: a screened porch kit from Screeneze . The concept is simple: you attach an aluminum base around the perimeter of the opening where you’ll be installing the mesh, stretch the mesh over the base, and lightly nail a vinyl cap on top to secure the mesh without staples. If needed, you can easily remove the caps with a flathead screwdriver and reinstall the mesh.

After installation, the base of the kit looks like this:

And this is what the caps look like:

The aluminum base can be easily cut to size with a hacksaw or metal shears, and the end caps can be trimmed with a utility knife or even regular scissors, allowing you to customize the protected area to your exact specifications. They are available in four basic colors (bronze, sand, white, and clay).

The installation process was also quite simple: I measured the perimeter, purchased the required number of bases and caps, and then cut the bases to the correct length. They don’t have to be exactly the same length as the shade strip—you can cut them into shorter, more manageable lengths and butt them together, making sure to align them so the caps can overlap the seams if necessary. This is especially helpful for the caps, as I found holding them in place to hammer them in was challenging due to their flexibility. Cutting them into shorter lengths made them much easier to work with.

The kit includes all the necessary screws, so you can attach the aluminum base fairly quickly. Then, all you need is mesh—I bought a huge roll of this mesh from Phifer BetterVue because it’s durable, attractive, and easy to work with.

I cut lengths of mesh to cover the horizontal openings and attached the mesh to the top base first. This allowed me to easily go back, pull the mesh down, and attach the bottom and side caps, creating a smooth, tight mesh that wouldn’t block the view (or the sun). Then I cut two larger lengths of mesh to cover half the “roof,” attached them to the sides with caps, pulled them toward the center, and attached them to the front and back of the deck (the top mesh was tricky to get tight, especially since there’s no base or cap running down the center line, so it’s a bit loose, but it gets the job done). Here’s what it looks like installed:

The terrace fencing created an ideal space for outdoor relaxation.

So, how did it go? Wonderful. Installing a screen on the veranda means:

• There are no insects . Very rarely, very, very rarely, a winged insect flies onto the terrace, but that happens extremely rarely. And I haven’t seen a spotted lanternfly there in a long time (though I still see them everywhere, because, again, one of the neighbors seems determined to become a haven for them).

• Pets can relax there. I no longer have to worry about cats escaping into the neighborhood, and I don’t feel guilty about not letting those furry idiots enjoy our outdoor space. They can lounge there as much as they like—they enjoy climbing the mesh just like spider cats. Perhaps even too much.

• The screen doesn’t block the sun , so it’s still a bright and pleasant place to relax, barbecue, or do anything else.

• It’s easy to remove and reinstall. When the weather changes, I can remove the caps and bend the screen back in about ten minutes, so I don’t have to worry about snow ruining it. And if the screen tears, I can simply detach that section and insert a new one, which takes five minutes tops.

The Screeneze kit has served for many years, withstanding some pretty harsh weather, and is still practically in new condition. If you have a deck, gazebo, or veranda, installing mesh can make the space more pleasant and functional, and this kit makes the job much easier.

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