Bryan Whittington - Great Finds

Custom Home, Jan-Feb, 2004

Whittington Design/Build, Bethesda, Md.

When custom builder Bryan Whittington built porches in the past, he'd use wood or lattice frames around the screens, but he experienced so many problems with sagging screens and difficult replacements that he decided to make a switch. Since he's been using the Screen Tight system, he says his screened porches are finished much more quickly.

The Screen Tight porch screening system uses spline screening along with a three-part system made up of a base track with a channel, the spline, and a trim cap. The base track is screwed to the porch's wood frame, the screen is stretched and splined into place, and then the trim cap is snapped on top. "You don't get a lot of floppy, loose screens," says Whittington. Plus, he says, repairs and adjustments are easy. "It's very easy to go back in, make it tighter, respline it, and clip it back on."

The system is made of UV-resistant window-grade vinyl that provides a low-maintenance screen frame. Base and cap widths come in 1 1/2- and 3 1/2-inch widths and in standard 8-foot lengths. Cap colors are white, beige, gray, and brown.

To match the traditional style of the homes he builds, Whittington dresses up the vinyl screening system by designing porches with columns as supports. "When it's trimmed out properly, it can look really good," Whittington says. Screen Tight. 800.768.7325. www.screentight.com. Circle 169.

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