Category: Retractable Screens

Maintaining and cleaning Phantom’s retractable door screens
Summer is in full swing with warm days and lots of outdoor time. Since your Phantom screens are getting maximum use right now, we thought it was a good time to remind you about taking care of them.

Here are some great ways to preserve the longevity of your screen mesh:b
- 1). When the screens are not in use, make sure to roll it back into its protective housing to keep dirt and dust from collecting on it.
- 2). Keep dirt and dust out of tracks. Clean regularly using Phantom’s greaseless silicone spray to ensure its smooth operation.
- 3). If needed, clean the mesh of the screen with a mild detergent, such as dish soap, and a soft brush. Wait until the mesh is fully dry to roll back into protective housing.
To see a demonstration of how to clean and maintain your Phantom Retractable Screen, go to the Customer Service section on our homepage and click on “Maintenance Tips.”

If you have any questions, or would like to purchase a Phantom Retractable Screen, please call 763-425-4280.

Happy Summer!
July 28, 2011
Why Choose Retractable?

Here are five simple reasons to consider making the switch to retractable screens.

1. Preserve Your Stylistic Integrity

When it comes to our retractable screens, the options are as varied as the unique tastes of our customers. Whether you’re aiming to cover your windows, a door, or any number of specific home features, rest assured – you’ve got a wealth of colors & finishes at your fingertips that will blend with and accentuate your personal decor and style.

2. Won’t obstruct your view

This is a seriously great and unique feature of retractable screens; when you don’t need them, they’re gone. Unlike clunky blinds and curtains, you don’t have to worry about any extra material when you simply want an untainted view of the outdoors.

3. Keep the elements at bay

A word synonymous with Phantom Screens – durability. With proper installation, each screen is strong enough to handle humid, hot weather…and hearty enough to protect against our famously brutal Minnesota winters.

4. Reduce Energy Bills

Phantom screens are an investment with some solid returns. Our retractable screens can be 7x more effective than blinds & shades. Maximize the daylight by using screens only when needed. Save on A/C & energy costs

5. Interior Design Protection

Think of retractable screens as an insurance policy for your tapestries. The reduced glare from the sun will keep your drapes & curtains bright and colorful and prevent fading!

So, there’s a short list of reasons to check out Minnesota Screens – contact us to find out more about how we can help make your home exactly as you like!

June 1, 2018
Phantom Screens – Best Screen Door

“After moving recently and needing screen doors in our new home I was given the opportunity to collaborate with my favorite screen door company: Phantom Screens! I wish I had thought to do this right after moving in as we have spent numerous days and nights chasing out the flies we have let in with our open doors. Summer is in full swing so better late than never…”

Read the full article by personal blogger, Kristy Wicks

July 1, 2018
Five Ways To Bring Privacy To Your Patio
Even if you get along with your neighbors, you probably don’t want them peeking into your backyard during special events. Outdoor living spaces are often big and open, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be private. The right amount of privacy can help turn your patio into a place where you can relax, entertain or disappear. Here are some tips for making your patio more private:

Plant A Tree

Trees are a beautiful and natural addition to your patio. They provide lush greenery, shade and privacy. This will feel less structured than a fence but will make your yard feel much more secluded. However, you should consider planting a tree that won’t overgrow and take over your patio space. Look into any of the following, which are easy to keep well-groomed but still offer shade and privacy:
- Crepe Myrtle: If you plant this tree in the summer, you’ll find that it sprouts flowers in rich shades of purple, white, pink or red. During fall, the leaves transform into gorgeous shades of yellow, orange and red. It’s even beautiful in winter with bare branches and pink bark that gleams in the sunlight. It can grow up to 25 feet tall and 25 feet wide. If that’s too big for your patio, don’t worry. You can always trim it down to fit into your space.
- Fern Pine: Depending on what you need for your patio space, this tree can be trimmed down to any size. It has a round top, delicate branches and a deep green color with slim, fine leaves. Some would even say they resemble the needles of a pine tree! This gorgeous tree grows up to 20 to 30 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide.
- Japanese Maple: This is a sweet tree and is a bit smaller, growing 15 to 25 feet high and about 10 to 15 feet wide. You can enjoy colorful leaves throughout spring and fall, with elegant bare trunks during the winter.
Retractable Porch Screens

Phantom’s retractable screens are a great way to get the privacy you desire while enjoying the experience of your backyard. They offer natural ventilation and protection from the sun, which makes your outdoor space more comfortable during warm summer months. The privacy mesh blocks up to 90 percent of UV rays and the thicker weaves provide added protection from peeping eyes. When privacy isn’t needed, the screens retract into cavities designed above the openings, completely hiding them from view. Click here to learn more about our motorized retractable screens and what they can offer you.

Add A Pergola

If you’re looking to incorporate style and privacy, a pergola might be right for you. The structure’s design provides privacy but doesn’t look too closed in. It also allows you to hang flowers or plants to bring a little color into the space. It’s also great for hanging light fixtures like lanterns or chandeliers, which can bring a unique personality into your patio. You can even add motorized screens to create a wonderful outdoor room or additional privacy.

Listen To The Water

Water may not block out any views, but the relaxing, trickling sound of it certainly blocks out noisy neighbors. You would be surprised how even the slightest trickle of water from a fountain can make a difference to the ambiance of your patio.

Build A Trellis

A trellis doesn’t completely block the view of your neighbors or busy streets. However, it does provide just enough privacy to make your outdoor space more enjoyable to be in. If you wish to make it more secluded, simply plant flowers or vines around the deck and watch as they climb all over the trellis.
September 1, 2018
Tips For Shading Your Windows During The Colder Months
Have you ever considered shading solutions for your windows during the colder months of the year? While it’s true that problems with too much natural light in the house occur during the sunnier months of the year, you can run into the same issues if you don’t have the right practical design set up. Even as the hours of daylight diminish! This is how you can prepare the windows of your home for year-round protection:

Year-round Shading Solutions

Fortunately, methods used to block natural light during the warmer months can also be applied during the fall and winter. Retractable screen systems are sometimes considered warm weather-only products, but they can help protect your house from the certain elements all year long!

In terms of money and protecting the environment, fall and winter make it challenging to upkeep an efficient home. For example, the sun pouring in through your windows can throw your indoor temperature control out of whack. Especially if you’ve installed new temperature monitoring systems! Thankfully, window treatments provide an effective block from unwanted natural light, while also giving you another decorative option. As wonderful and life-nourishing as the sun is, it can sometimes double as an annoyance. Simply plan ahead to avoid any inconveniences!

Shading Strategies

Maximizing your home’s utility during the colder months is actually very easy. By following a few simple steps recommended by United States Department of Energy and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, you will find that your energy bills are reduced and your living spaces are more comfortable.
- Exterior shading: Look for places outside your home where you can use overhangs, screens or natural shading elements. If you properly implement this strategy, it can further benefit you by protecting your home from wind, rain and snow.
- Prioritize windows on the west and south for shading. These are the directions where the sun will be at its most intense for the longest periods of time. By focusing more effort and resources here, you will be able to better manage the way light flows into your home.
- Consider glare: Glare can be just as big of an issue as temperature (although, they are often related). Check to see which surfaces in your home are hit the hardest by the sun and implement design ideas to alleviate that effect. For instance, if a cabinet is getting too much direct sunlight the color of the surface may fade. To fix that, you could use a retractable screen to block the window where the excess glare is coming from.
November 15, 2018
Adding More Light To Your Home

If you ever feel like you’re living in a cave, you might just need more natural light in your home. There are all sorts of features in your house that may be preventing the flow of sunlight without you knowing. From the colors on your wall to the positioning of furniture, there are ways to optimize the daylight that your home receives. Use these techniques to open your home to the natural light of the sun:

Add Windows

First of all, you’ll need to know which sides of the house get the most sunlight. Once you are sure, you can then optimize that part of your home by adding windows on the walls that face the sun. This will increase the volume of light entering the house by adding new passages for the light to travel through. Similarly, you should be paying attention to notoriously dark spaces in your home. Stairwells and hallways are likely to be trouble spots. If these areas have an exterior wall, consider installing windows there, too. You could even add in a “sun pipe” from the roof to bring natural light into gloomy areas of your home that don’t have outside walls!

Dutch Curtains

Getting rid of heavy curtains doesn’t have to mean sacrificing privacy. Instead of curtains, consider investing in Phantom Screens’ retractable screens. Retractable screens are unobtrusive and completely invisible when not in use! When you need privacy or a little darkness to watch a movie, simply deploy the screens. Retractable screens can be fitted on any type of window to make installations easy.

Light entering from the top of the window will reach deepest into a room. Oftentimes, blinds fold up into the top of the window, still blocking sunlight. Thankfully, Phantom Screens’ retractable screens recess completely out of the window to ensure you’ll be getting every drop of light you want!

Employ Reflection

You can also use principles of reflection to multiply the amount of light entering a room. Bright or white surfaces reflect light, so consider painting the walls of your home in light shades to help to reflect sunlight. Meanwhile, don’t forget about your ceilings! You can paint them either white or a color closely related to white. Again, keep reflection principles in mind when choosing furniture. Rather than gloss finishes that create glare, consider purchasing furniture with matte finishes.

Another idea to keep in mind is to utilize contrast to highlight areas of the house. For example, paint the walls with deep colors in cozy spaces, but have bright features. A white piece of art on top of a mossy green wall brings attention to the object, and vice versa. You can also use mirrors as wall art to further reflect light. In other words, be strategic!

Moving Furniture

Furniture can also block light from moving about a space. Large objects, such as bookcases, should be placed perpendicular to the windows. This allows light entering to move forward without any interruption.

Trade For Glass

Consider adding glass to both interior and exterior doors to allow easy light flow. If you are concerned about privacy, not to worry! There are plenty of options to keep your privacy.

For example, font doors can have frosted or patterned glass that obscures images seen through them. Also, while the interior of your home may not be the most intriguing place to add glass, it will promote the flow of light. If the entrances to your study, kitchen or living room have doors, you can replace them with glass fixtures. Another great option would be French doors while exterior doors can be screened with Phantom’s retractable door screens.

January 1, 2019