Insect screens for a roofless apartment balcony

Calica · June 2020

My apartment has a small balcony. I would like to screen it in, somehow, so I can spend time out there without being bothered by mosquitos, wasps, etc. - and also so my ADHD ass doesn't have to worry about absentmindly opening the balcony door when my pet budgie is out of his cage.

The balcony has no roof, and thus no existing framework to hang screens. Are there any safe ways to do this that don't involve making permanent changes to the building? Putting a mesh tent out there wouldn't be safe, as there's no good way to anchor one; and anyway there's not enough space.

I'm not going to do anything that isn't truly temporary without clearing it with my landlord first, obviously.

edit: :eek: doesn't work anymore apparently

Quid · June 2020

My first thought would be a frame on top of the railing and using a roll of screen mesh to cover the balcony.

Though if you can’t anchor a tent I’m not sure you could secure a frame.

Enc · June 2020

A temp solution is going to look terrible and will be ordered to be removed by your landlord as soon as they find out.

Could you get a door inset on balcony door that is a screen? That would only require sliding a panel into a track (for sliding door) or adding a second screen door (if hinged) and would allow you to get the outdoor air without the bugs.

Iruka · June 2020

You can get the "magic" magnetic screens big enough to cover most doors. They close behind you and should be enough to protect the bird.

Most temporary solutions I've seen for balcony screens are ugly and require a roof for attaching it. If the bugs are just flying by in passing, an easy way to keep them off of you is just sit with a decently large fan blowing air, which will thwart weak flying mosquitos, and in my experience keeps wasps from getting too in your face if they are just moving along.

MichaelLC · June 2020

I found this looking for screen tent:
https://www.anthem-sports.com/canopy-chair-w-bug-guard.html?network=g&device=m&keyword=&campaign=1623206552&adgroup=pla-558889024550&gclid=CjwKCAjw5vz2BRAtEiwAbcVIL0OpwmXGOZJA3udhHbYsZPH0O6zijPjcdVl65iOid84hosSCeluc1hoCgPAQAvD_BwE

Calica · June 2020

It already has a screen door.

I was hoping for a way to make it a usable outdoor "room," but what I'm hearing is that that isn't possible :sad:

I didn't mention it in the OP, but I'm also terrified of wasps,* and this building has wood siding that wasps fucking love. There are at least three old paper wasp nests in the frame of the attic window (outside). There was an active yellow jacket nest under the siding right next to my exterior door on the day I moved in. (Landlord knew about it, had promised it would be taken care of by then, and had been spraying to get rid of it; but it wasn't working because the spray wasn't reaching the nest. She did pay for an exterminator, but only after I called one.)

Upshot is, if I can't screen in the balcony, I'm just not going to spend any length of time out there because I'm too jumpy.

*I am aware of all the logical reasons not to fear wasps. This isn't a logical fear, so please don't jump in with how they're beneficial insects actually. I know.

Enc · June 2020

Calica wrote: »

It already has a screen door.

I was hoping for a way to make it a usable outdoor "room," but what I'm hearing is that that isn't possible :sad:

I didn't mention it in the OP, but I'm also terrified of wasps,* and this building has wood siding that wasps fucking love. There are at least three old paper wasp nests in the frame of the attic window (outside). There was an active yellow jacket nest under the siding right next to my exterior door on the day I moved in. (Landlord knew about it, had promised it would be taken care of by then, and had been spraying to get rid of it; but it wasn't working because the spray wasn't reaching the nest. She did pay for an exterminator, but only after I called one.)

Upshot is, if I can't screen in the balcony, I'm just not going to spend any length of time out there because I'm too jumpy.

*I am aware of all the logical reasons not to fear wasps. This isn't a logical fear, so please don't jump in with how they're beneficial insects actually. I know.

I mean, it ~is~ possible it just requires building permits and ownership of the structure and, probably, Several thousand dollars.

Calica · June 2020

Enc wrote: »

Calica wrote: »

It already has a screen door.

I was hoping for a way to make it a usable outdoor "room," but what I'm hearing is that that isn't possible :sad:

I didn't mention it in the OP, but I'm also terrified of wasps,* and this building has wood siding that wasps fucking love. There are at least three old paper wasp nests in the frame of the attic window (outside). There was an active yellow jacket nest under the siding right next to my exterior door on the day I moved in. (Landlord knew about it, had promised it would be taken care of by then, and had been spraying to get rid of it; but it wasn't working because the spray wasn't reaching the nest. She did pay for an exterminator, but only after I called one.)

Upshot is, if I can't screen in the balcony, I'm just not going to spend any length of time out there because I'm too jumpy.

*I am aware of all the logical reasons not to fear wasps. This isn't a logical fear, so please don't jump in with how they're beneficial insects actually. I know.

I mean, it ~is~ possible it just requires building permits and ownership of the structure and, probably, Several thousand dollars.

I meant under the constraints of renting, yes :razz:

Elvenshae · June 2020

I can't quite visualize your current and desired set-up, but you could consider putting some metal or wood poles in flowerpots (filled with a bit of cement or gravel) or similar, and then mounting the mesh screen to those poles. When you don't need the screen, you can roll it up and move the poles off to one side, making it truly temporary.

EDIT: Essentially, it'd work like a portable volleyball net in practice.

Calica · June 2020

Elvenshae wrote: »

I can't quite visualize your current and desired set-up, but you could consider putting some metal or wood poles in flowerpots (filled with a bit of cement or gravel) or similar, and then mounting the mesh screen to those poles. When you don't need the screen, you can roll it up and move the poles off to one side, making it truly temporary.

EDIT: Essentially, it'd work like a portable volleyball net in practice.

Hmm. That could work.

I'm leaning toward "build a simple frame that doesn't look like absolute ass and drape mosquito netting over it" - main challenge then is making sure it won't blow away in a storm. I could do it for cheap enough that it wouldn't be a huge loss if my landlord wants it gone.

This won't happen for at least several weeks, if it happens at all, so there's plenty of time for people to tell me why it's still a terrible idea :razz:

ArbitraryDescriptor · June 2020

I thought this said "Insect screams for a roofless apartment balcony" and, I gotta tell you, I am quite let down that there are no pictures of a dollhouse in which you have given insects their own individual apartments, and trusted one enough to come and go as they please.

But, since you've lured me in here

Calica wrote: »

Elvenshae wrote: »

I can't quite visualize your current and desired set-up, but you could consider putting some metal or wood poles in flowerpots (filled with a bit of cement or gravel) or similar, and then mounting the mesh screen to those poles. When you don't need the screen, you can roll it up and move the poles off to one side, making it truly temporary.

EDIT: Essentially, it'd work like a portable volleyball net in practice.

Hmm. That could work.

I'm leaning toward "build a simple frame that doesn't look like absolute ass and drape mosquito netting over it" - main challenge then is making sure it won't blow away in a storm. I could do it for cheap enough that it wouldn't be a huge loss if my landlord wants it gone.

This won't happen for at least several weeks, if it happens at all, so there's plenty of time for people to tell me why it's still a terrible idea :razz:

You could probably get a roll of screen material and make the frame out of PVC pipes very inexpensively. Make modular sections as large or small as you need, using union fittings to let you dismantle and pop it together real fast, and fill the ground pipes with sand for ballast. Then you wouldn't need to worry about storm proofing or landlord approval.

Will it look like butts? Can't say I've ever seen a screened in deck that I was in love with, but you could either make sleeves with the screen to conceal the pipes and create a uniform blackness, or secure them to the screen with some kind of epoxy to leave the pipes exposed and paint them to taste. (Apparently you can get PVC in some interesting colors, but at a substantial price premium)

Since you noted a fear of wasps-

and the only difference between a wasp sanctuary and a wasp trap is a wasp-sized hole

-if you can't get a three-wall design flush against your siding, maybe add some screen "wings" from the roof and side walls that you could secure to hooks just inside the door?

Or just a fourth wall with whatever the hell a hands-free screen door apparently is?

https://www.chewy.com/magic-mesh-hands-free-screen-door/dp/179089?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=hg&utm_content=Magic Mesh&utm_term=&gclid=Cj0KCQjwiYL3BRDVARIsAF9E4GdtCPuMG9dg7c0fCnz9MwJk2xsPrPBQyKGOLM8wA4dUXpX7OVuP_6kaAub0EALw_wcB

Personally, I like ridiculous high concept things*, so I would do the with wings thing.

My allegedly better half likes boring, straightforward things, and would be quite annoyed to learn that I had not offered the magnetic screen flap as an option.

*Edit: Case in point, why the hell am I calling them wings? Flaps. Flaps are probably the proper term for what I'm describing.

Iruka · June 2020

My partner has a fear of wasp and he just doesn't spend much time on the balcony. Unfortunately, if you understand that the fear is irrational and you've had an exterminator come out to remove nests, theres not much you can do about them being attracted to the general area that I'm aware of. I've mixed peppermint oil and water to keep them from just bouncing off the inner walls of my balcony on days with no wind when they just refuse to move on, but its a minimal effect.

ArbitraryDescriptor wrote: »

and the only difference between a wasp sanctuary and a wasp trap is a wasp-sized hole

This is a really important note. If you just drape fabric, you'd also need to secure the bottom of the screen with something, or else wasps will just get in it. If you have a wood slat floor, you'd also need to screen in the bottom. The little tent pod that MichaelLC linked would probably be my solution for the situation.

I've never met a landlord that was happy about makeshift structures. It seems inevitable that this would cause a problem with your landlord, unless you can tear down the structure easily after each use, but the more temporary it is, the less wasp proof it will be, unless it's an actual, self inclosed tent.

Enc · June 2020

Yeah, even if you take it down after each use you'll probably still get complaints from neighboring units. If you already have a screen door, I'd suggest sticking with that and not inviting the annoyance of your landlord and all the complications that come with it. When next you move, prioritize a rental unit that has a screened porch.

Calica · June 2020

In my experience, wasps don't tend to find small holes in screens except by accident. If they smell something they want, the smell comes through the entire screen, not just the hole, so there's no trail for them to follow. But yes obviously I'd weight the netting, theoretically.

The floor of the balcony is the roof of the porch. It's solid, no slats. (Also, I'm not, like, under siege by wasps or anything. They don't get to be a real problem (as opposed to a mostly imaginary one) until late summer/early fall.)

"Theoretically" is probably how this is gonna end, though.

@Enc, from the perspective of "how likely is my landlord to complain," do you think I could get away with DIYing a tent chair with something like this? Way more comfy than the one MichaelLC linked.

Enc · June 2020

I'd look at what is elsewhere in the community. What you can see that has remained out is likely what you can emulate with good cause.

ArbitraryDescriptor · June 2020

Calica wrote: »

In my experience, wasps don't tend to find small holes in screens except by accident. If they smell something they want, the smell comes through the entire screen, not just the hole, so there's no trail for them to follow. But yes obviously I'd weight the netting, theoretically.

The floor of the balcony is the roof of the porch. It's solid, no slats. (Also, I'm not, like, under siege by wasps or anything. They don't get to be a real problem (as opposed to a mostly imaginary one) until late summer/early fall.)

..Oh! Right, the floors are someone else's ceiling.

The scenario I was imagining was a wasp inspecting the nooks along the wall paneling joints for a suitable nesting location, particularly in that nice shady corner where the (three-wall) screen meets the wall, and finding a gap there.

I can only imagine the horror of seeing a wasp bubbling up from the floorboards having focused all my efforts on the wall...

from the perspective of "how likely is my landlord to complain," do you think I could get away with DIYing a tent chair with something like this? Way more comfy than the one MichaelLC linked.

Have you checked your lease?

I've seen some draconian porch rules, but unless your balcony looks out over an extremely snooty private beach, I can't imagine there being any language in your lease setting an aesthetic bar for patio furniture that that chair would not clear.

Iruka · June 2020

It would be a lot harder to complain about that chair, it's clearly meant to be outside, and if you do a neat job of screening it in it shouldn't be that noticeable.

Calica · June 2020

ArbitraryDescriptor wrote: »

Calica wrote: »

In my experience, wasps don't tend to find small holes in screens except by accident. If they smell something they want, the smell comes through the entire screen, not just the hole, so there's no trail for them to follow. But yes obviously I'd weight the netting, theoretically.

The floor of the balcony is the roof of the porch. It's solid, no slats. (Also, I'm not, like, under siege by wasps or anything. They don't get to be a real problem (as opposed to a mostly imaginary one) until late summer/early fall.)

..Oh! Right, the floors are someone else's ceiling.

The scenario I was imagining was a wasp inspecting the nooks along the wall paneling joints for a suitable nesting location, particularly in that nice shady corner where the (three-wall) screen meets the wall, and finding a gap there.

I can only imagine the horror of seeing a wasp bubbling up from the floorboards having focused all my efforts on the wall...

from the perspective of "how likely is my landlord to complain," do you think I could get away with DIYing a tent chair with something like this? Way more comfy than the one MichaelLC linked.

Have you checked your lease?

I've seen some draconian porch rules, but unless your balcony looks out over an extremely snooty private beach, I can't imagine there being any language in your lease setting an aesthetic bar for patio furniture that that chair would not clear.

Ha! No. It's a moderately affluent pre-war neighborhood.

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