Why screens are the easiest thing to wreck
A screen panel is a sheet of fibreglass or aluminium mesh stretched into a frame channel and held by a rubber spline. It works because it is under even tension. Anything that disturbs that tension is permanent.
High pressure does three things to it. It stretches the mesh so the panel bows and never sits flat again. It drives the spline out of the channel so the panel comes loose at a corner. And on older fibreglass mesh that has gone brittle in Florida UV, it simply blows a hole straight through.
None of that is fixable by cleaning. It is a re-screen — and re-screening a single large panel on a pool cage typically costs more than the entire clean you were trying to save money on.
- Mesh is cleaned at rinse pressure, under 500 PSI, with the solution doing the work
- Fibreglass mesh over about 10 years old is brittle and needs even more care
- Aluminium frames stain from the inside out as the anodising fails — cleaning slows it, it will not reverse it
- We check every panel for loose spline before starting and tell you what we find
What actually grows on a Jacksonville screen enclosure
Screen mesh is the perfect surface for mildew: enormous surface area, permanently damp in our humidity, and shaded by its own frame for much of the day.
On top of that, a pool cage collects everything the air carries. In spring that is pine pollen, which sticks to the weave and turns the whole cage yellow-green. Year-round it is dust, and around the Beaches it is salt film that holds moisture against the aluminium and corrodes the fixings.
| Problem | Where it shows | Treatment | Comes back in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black mildew in the weave | Shaded elevations, roof panels | Soft wash solution, dwell, rinse | 12–18 months |
| Pine pollen film | Everywhere, Feb–April | Surfactant wash | Annually, seasonal |
| Salt film | Coastal properties | Dissolve and rinse | 6–12 months |
| Rust runs from fixings | Below screws and brackets | Oxalic treatment | Until hardware is replaced |
| Frame oxidation (chalking) | Older aluminium uprights | Gentle wash only | Not reversible |
| Wasp and mud-dauber nests | Corners, roof channels | Removed by hand | Each season |
Screen enclosure cleaning prices in Jacksonville
Cages are priced by footprint and height rather than by panel count, because setup and reach drive the time far more than area does.
- Booking the cage with a pool deck clean saves the second setup — most customers do both
- Heavy pollen season cages sometimes want a light rinse mid-year at a reduced rate
- We do not re-screen full panels; we will refer you to someone who does
| Structure | Typical size | Price | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screened porch / small lanai | Up to 300 sq ft | $149 – $199 | 1–2 hrs |
| Standard pool cage, single storey | 500–800 sq ft | $199 – $279 | 2–3 hrs |
| Large pool cage, single storey | 800–1,200 sq ft | $249 – $329 | 3 hrs |
| Two-storey / high-hat cage | Any | $299 – $449 | 3–4 hrs |
| Add: pool deck cleaned same visit | — | +$99 – $179 | +1 hr |
| Add: screen door re-spline | Per door | From $65 | +30 min |
How often, and the best time of year
Every 12 to 18 months for most Jacksonville cages, and annually if the enclosure sits under trees or backs onto water.
The timing advice is the same as for house washing but matters more here, because mesh holds pollen far better than a wall does: book after the pine drop finishes in late April. A cage cleaned in March will be yellow again within a fortnight.
What's included in every job
No line items appear on the invoice that weren't on the quote. Everything below is part of the price:
- Full soft wash of screen mesh on all elevations and the roof panels
- Aluminium frame, uprights and kick plates cleaned
- Screen door tracks, rollers and handles cleaned out
- Pool deck perimeter rinsed down as part of the job
- Spider webs, mud-dauber nests and egg sacs removed
- Loose spline and damaged panels flagged before we start
Two-storey cages and heavy mildew on the roof panels add to the figure. Read more in our Jacksonville pricing guide, or see what to ask before hiring anyone.
Expert tips from our crew
Things worth knowing whether or not you hire anyone. Several of these will save you money, and a couple of them will save you from a repair bill.
Never let a pressure washer near the mesh
This is the one surface where the damage happens in seconds rather than gradually. If a quote mentions PSI for your cage, that is the wrong contractor.
Book after pollen season, not during it
Screen mesh holds pine pollen far better than a wall does. Late April onwards in north Florida gets you a full clean year instead of a fortnight.
Replace corroding screws with stainless
Every rust run down a screen panel starts at a fixing. Cleaning removes the stain; only replacing the hardware stops it returning.
Hose the cage down after a storm
Five minutes with a garden hose after heavy weather clears the debris that would otherwise sit in the roof channels and start the mildew off again.
