Cut Screens?
 

Is anyone considering cutting their screens in their bird cage?

Not sure I understand the question...

Cut a couple of screen panels in the birdcage to reduce some of the pressure on the structure.

Never thought of it. So far, it's holding.

Still in tact
 

It's 3:25 am and so far everything here has held. We just have about 3 more hours until daylight....then thins will hopefully calm down a bit and we can get some sleep!!

I have a large bircage with an awning on about 1/3 of it.

From what I can see now , no or very little damage to either.

Won't know until morning about shingles,etc.

Hope all are safe.

Nah,😎the wind already blew a couple of panels out..

I went to bed at 10 last night and woke up this morning at 6:15. I heard no creaking of windows before going to sleep and all is quiet now too.

I ended up cutting slits in a couple of the birdcage screens. When we lived in Naples I saw hundreds of collapsed birdcages in my development. Those that survived either slit the screen or were facing away from the main wind force. We sat in the dark listening to our cage (again this was in Naples) moan and groan under the stress. But no damage. In hindsight I probably didn't need to slit last night, but a hundred dollars of screens is a lot less than thousands to rebuilt the birdcage.

The one thing I thought would be damaged were a few screen panels, especially since I just had it replaced with a finer mesh screen. Surprisingly, it held up. Birdcage is on the west side, most of the winds came from the east.

Now is a good time to contact the manufacturer / installer and ask their recommendation.

I heard (so take it for that value), 120 MPH.

Hate to prematurely cut.

If your screens are ten years old, they are due to be replaced. Branches falling on them will rip them. Leaves stuck to the side will help the wind collapse the frame.

Don't be afraid to cut them BEFORE the hurricane and call to get them replaced BEFORE others call after the hurricane.

Skip

Or wait til 3 a.m. the morning of the next storm and ask. Forgot to add I.M.H.O.:wave:

T&D did our birdcage and pool. Barely a ripple during the storm and the pool self drained as designed. The water level never breeched.

Aren't you in Tavares??? How did you fare over there?

This really sounds like a bad idea. Can you imagine what the repair costs would be if everyone in The Villages had cut their screens, and now had to have them repaired?

Zippers ?

My car is 10 years old, it's due to be replaced..........so where is my sledge hammer???

No cut screens =
 

Cage without screens cut. This is what I saw in Naples. Many people who slit screens did not have this kind of damage and simply replaced some screens.

Not a T&D installation.

My golf cart is 8 years old.........is that close enough ????


Pretty silly to cut screens.

Let us know what u pick for ur new car.

:BigApplause:

A few years ago, I read that it might help in some instances to remove the screening on a couple of panels....or remove the cage doors. Didn't do either for our cage and expected to see torn screening in the daylight Monday morning. Screening was replaced a few years ago, T&D, and it survived beautifully.

After reading this thread, I went out and cut all of my birdcage screens...this afternoon.







:D

And you'll soon find out that every love bug and mosquito in the county will know....LOLOLOL!

My Experience
 

I've been in Tampa (this time) since 1984. I have a large screen on my pool deck. (I've never heard them called birdcages anywhere other than in The Villages.)

I've never slit a screen, and I've had to replace panels only twice. Once was when a very large peacock was walking on the screen top and fell through.

The other time was when a tree trimmer cut a large limb from an oak tree and let it fall onto a top panel. (He paid for the replacement.)