Most people start by choosing a product. That is backwards. Start with the opening — how wide it is, which way it moves, and how often you use it — and there is usually only one sensible answer left.
This is the decision table we use on site, covering every screen type we make and the openings each one actually suits in a UAE home.
Start with the opening, not the product
Four questions settle nearly every choice:
Not sure which type suits your home? Start with an overview of fly screen installation across Dubai and the styles available.
Orientation matters as much as the product. See how Dubai summer heat affects fly screens before specifying anything for a west-facing opening.
- How wide is the clear opening? Under about 1.6 m almost anything works. Past that the profile has to get heavier, and the list of options shortens fast.
- How does the existing window or door move? Sliding, hinged, tilt-and-turn and fixed glazing all want different things.
- How often will you pass through it? A balcony door used twenty times a day needs different hardware from a bedroom window opened twice a week.
- Do you want it to disappear when not in use? If yes, you are looking at retractable types. If you never close it, a fixed panel is cheaper and lasts longer.
The decision table
| Type | Best for | Think twice if |
|---|---|---|
| Single pleated | Standard windows and single doors, one direction of travel | The opening is wider than about 1.6 m |
| Double pleated | Twin windows and double doors — two panels meeting in the middle | You need a completely clear centre when open |
| Two-way | Openings used from both sides, kitchen to terrace | Only one side is ever used — you are paying for hardware you will not use |
| Extra wide | Terrace and full-width glazing past 1.6 m | The span is modest — standard profile costs less |
| Hinged | Entrance doors, where a floor track is not wanted | There is no clear swing space on either side |
| Roll-up | Windows where the screen should vanish into a cassette | There is no headroom above the reveal |
| Blind screen | Bedrooms and balcony doors, pulled down when wanted | The opening is exposed to strong wind |
| Motorized | High or very wide openings, or anything you cannot reach | There is no power nearby and no appetite for cabling |
| Fixed panel | Kitchen windows above a sink, bathrooms, anything rarely opened | You need to clean the glass from inside often |
| Sliding net door | Balcony and patio sliders used daily | There is no room beside the opening for the panel to park |
Windows: three answers that cover almost everything
For a normal Dubai window the shortlist is short.
- Single pleated if you open the window regularly. It folds to a few centimetres at one side and stays out of the view.
- Fixed panel if you almost never open it, or cannot reach it. Fewer moving parts, lower price, longest life.
- Roll-up if you want it completely invisible when not in use and you have headroom above the reveal for the cassette.
The complete window range, with prices, sits on the fly screen for windows page.
Doors change the question
A door is used many times a day, so hardware life matters more than anything else. Three things decide it:
- Is there a floor track? Some households will not accept one — a trip risk with small children, or simply the look. That points to a hinged or top-hung type.
- Which way does the traffic flow? If people arrive from both sides, a two-way screen stops the panel being forced the wrong way.
- Do you carry things through it? A kitchen-to-terrace door with trays going through wants a screen that opens with an elbow, not two hands.
All six door situations are covered on the fly screen for doors page.
Wide spans and sliding doors
Past about 1.6 m, three things change at once: the profile gets heavier, the mesh needs more tension, and the hardware carries more load. This is where cheap screens fail first, because a standard profile stretched across a wide opening will bow in the middle within a season.
For a balcony slider used every day, a dedicated sliding fly net door on its own track is the durable answer. For a full-width terrace, an extra wide screen with a centre support. If neither can be reached comfortably, motorized is not a luxury — it is what makes the screen get used.
Choices that apply whichever type you pick
- Mesh colour. Charcoal and grey read as shadow and disappear from a distance. White mesh is the one people notice from the street.
- Frame colour. Match the existing window frame, not the interior. A matched frame is what makes a screen look factory-fitted rather than added.
- Mesh grade. Standard fibreglass suits most homes. Finer pollen-grade mesh catches more and breathes less. Pet-resistant mesh is worth it only where an animal actually climbs.
- Retractable or fixed. Every moving part is something that can wear. If you will never close it, do not buy a mechanism.
Frame and mesh colour are included in the price on every type, so none of the above is a paid upgrade.
Check this before you order
Two practical checks save most of the problems we see:
- Building rules. Towers and gated communities often control what is visible on the facade. Dubai Municipality publishes the wider building and community standards at dm.gov.ae, and your own building management will have its own version. Matching the frame colour usually settles it.
- Whether you rent. In a rented home the fixing has to be reversible. That rules some options out, and we cover it in the guide to screens for Dubai apartments.
Five mistakes people make choosing
- Buying one big panel to save money. Two standard panels are usually cheaper than one oversized one, and far less likely to bow.
- Choosing a mechanism for an opening they never open. Fixed panels are cheaper and outlast everything.
- Picking mesh colour to match the wall. Match it to the view instead. Dark mesh is what you see through, not what you look at.
- Ignoring headroom. Roll-up and cassette types need space above the reveal. Measure it before deciding.
- Forgetting the wind. High floors and open terraces need a track-guided panel, not a magnetic one.
Questions before choosing
Which fly screen type lasts longest in Dubai?
A fixed panel, because nothing moves. Among retractable types, a track-guided pleated panel outlasts anything held by magnets, and heat is what finishes hardware long before the mesh gives up.
Can I mix types in one house?
You should. Most homes end up with pleated panels on windows, a sliding net on the balcony and a fixed panel in the kitchen. Matching the frame colour across all of them is what makes it look deliberate.
Do I have to decide before the visit?
No. Tell us how you use each opening and we will recommend a type per opening at the free measurement visit, with the price for each.
What if my window is not square?
Very common in older Dubai villas. Panels are made to the measured shape rather than a nominal rectangle, which is exactly why the measurement visit exists.
What does it cost?
Windows start at AED 450 and doors at AED 800, including measurement, custom frame, mesh, fitting and a one year warranty. The full price list breaks it down by type.
Get a recommendation for your openings
Send photos of the windows and doors you want screened on WhatsApp, with rough sizes if you have them. We will tell you which type suits each one and what it costs, before anyone visits. Everything we fit carries a one year warranty, and we cover every community in Dubai.