I have never used retractables for windows but have used other than phantom for my doors and found phantom is a much better quality. I can’t think of a time when I would use a retractable for my windows since I live in bug heaven

Have you seen these?.

https://www.wizardscreens.com/products/vistaview/

No idea how it compares to others but it looks good in the pictures.

Patricia-Thanks. Hoping to get everything on my list.

SnowCountry-Those look nice, although they don't show any window applications, so I'm guessing they specialize in larger openings.

Totally ignore me if this won't work for ya, but have you considered traditional outside screens with casements that swing *in* so you won't need interior bug screens?

If the objection is to visible bug screens, regardless of whether they're inside or outside, then my apologies! lol

There are aftermarket retractable screens? I'm going to look into it. I hate my outside screens (and I don't use that word often here). We plan to replace our double-hungs, but I priced casements (in part to have retractable inside screens), but the cost was quite high. I'll look into replacing with double-hungs with a separate screen installation, although I imagine that will add up to the same if not more. But I wouldn't get retractables for every window, just ones where we ar most likely to open them.

Bcarey, I see that Pella finally has my dream: a double-hung window with integrated rollascreen. Did you look at Pella?

Path-Yeah, I just Hate screens! I‘m Not a Pella fan...BUT...I went on their site today. They don’t do a good job showing their retractable screen for their Casements. If I was doing Souble Hung, Pella would have to win for the retractable screen....that is amazing! I’m going to stop in and see what they have. I can’t believe that they can have a completely invisible screen for the double hung but everybody else’s tracks for their screens are so obvious!

Just looked at these e a few days ago. Even the Marvin retractable screen has a thicker frame than a regular window—it’s what’s needed to handle that retractable screen. Have you seen Marvin’s ”clear screen” (or whatever it’s called). Close up, it doesn’t look that diff, but if you have someone hold it up several feet away, it’s a big improvement, IMO. I believe other brands have their version too.

girl_wonder-I didn't mind Marvin's screens. They were bulkier than I would like but not as bulky as the aftermarket I'm seeing tend to be. And yes, the screen is very clear. I am leaning towards Anderson E series windows though as they have a less busy/more modern interior and exterior look. I will check out Pella too. I was hoping to find something aftermarket so the windows themselves had an equal playing field.

I may be misunderstanding your question, and if so I apologize. I replaced my rotting windows in my house in 2001 with Pella casement windows because I wanted their retractable screens. They are on a roll and you roll the down and clip the metal strip at the base just by pushing on it. I LOVE THEM. They allow probably 30% more light through. They don't get full of dust and holes and cat claw marks. Most of the year,they windows are closed as I have either the air conditioning or the heat on. Why darken the house for 350 days when they windows only get opened the other 15 days a year. At a beach house I have Anderson double hung windows with full screens and what a pain. They bend, they buckle, the screens get damaged, they get full of dust, the terrorist cats claw at them and they block so much more light and view.

So take a look at Pella.

Unfortunately Pella may or may not have a very good screen. I just have no love lost for the windows. They have the same issues they have had forever without trying to fix them in my opinion.

Waverly6-It does seem that Pella May be the innovator in retractable screens. I am going to take a look and at least see what they offer.

millworkman-Yeah, I actually had 2 new Pella picture windows put in a decade ago and the 1st winter dealt with condensation. Pella did nothing to correct it and said my humidity was wrong.

I always thought Pella was a pretty good company until I began reading here on Houzz.

Has Pella changed? The windows I know from 1956 and 1970 were fine, the 1970 ones are still going strong.

bpath, I was just going through that same thing. Apparently so. To the extent that there is an ongoing class action lawsuit over the tendency of the Architect, Designer, and Proline series to rot under the aluminum. And, when homeowners complain get told (wait for it...) their home's humidity must be causing the problem.

I'm busy exploring other options like Loewen, Kolbe, and Lepage.

(FWIW, Lepage also appears to have roll down screens.)

Holly-Are you saying you are dealing with the same thing on Pella?

I looked at the Lepage website, and didn't see any info on their screens. I'll see if there is a local dealer. I'm open to other brands, just don't want to compromise quality.

Well, I'm also trying to CHOOSE windows, and hearing not a lot good re: Pella.

I'm going to look at Loewen and Kolbe tomorrow. I can let you know what their status is on screens, if you like.

Holly-Yes, let me know! Some of the brands you are looking at don’t have dealers in Nebraska.

Will do.

I also intend to ask how hard those elements are to repair. If they have samples, I will take pictures.

My current house had Pella casements with retractable screens installed in 2003ish, and both the windows and screens have been great here in the dry desert. We also have two sets of sliders and the screen on the heavily used one sometimes won't slide smoothly on the track, but so far it's not annoying enough to figure out if we need to fix it.

I have had a Pella storm door in my kitchen now for at least 6-8s years - my DD has the same at her house. They both have a retractable screen at the top. No problems at all!

Holly-I looked at Pella today. I LOVED the Contemporary line. Their rollscreens for the double hung were awesome but not that fantastic sheer see-through I was hoping for. The rollscreen for the casements was pretty hidden also but still would have liked a more sheer screen. BUT, I went on the website and it says the rollscreens are only available in the sliding doors on the Contemporary line...even though the rep told me I could get rollscreens on the contemporary line. Ugghh. Maybe I'll just put cheap fiberglass windows in and wait 10 years before some decent innovations come along. I'm going to look at the Phantom screens again, but it doesn't look like their is a dealer in my area. How hard can it be to get everything we want in a window???

It does look like Kolbe has a very nice barely noticable retractable screen.

My last house and the Pella RollScreens on the casements. Worked pretty good.
I've got Phantom Screens on some of my patio doors. Happy with them as well.

B Carey...we used Marvin Casement s with retractable screens. I love being able to see out without a screen blocking my view and being able to easily slide the screen over and open a window when I wish. The screen comes out of the top frame easier than it should.

We we still need to clean the bottom interior frame of building dust, etc. for our screens to slide open easily (or so we have been told).

right now I’m giving the screens. 4.0 out of 5. May up my rating after cleaning the bottom frames.

The red circled area is the screen frame. Sent this to my curtain/blind person trying to determine the wisdom of interior mount solar shades.

I visited the showroom with the Kolbe windows today. They had a casement set up with both the hinged screen (left), and the pull down (right). Here they are both closed:

Here is the retractable screen open. You can see the black brush border that is the bottom of the screen piece here:

And a shot of it half pulled down (it won't stay in this position, it either lock in place at the very bottom or shoots back up like a roller shade)

But you can at least see how much frame it has.

I didn't get to ask about how easy it is to repair or replace, or what the upcharge is per window. (This is a lumberyard, and they're not terribly interested in people who wander in off the street - they pretty much sell to contractors. We'll be meeting with their window guy later and I'll ask then)

(Edited to fix the photos)

I love red-Thank you! Do you recall which line of windows those were?

Holly-Thank you. That retractable screen is very minimal! I’ll look at their site again.

B Carey..Marvin Ultimate Casement. We love these windows.

If you want to look into another window..we had Andersen 400 dh windows in our last build. Fifteen years and they performed flawlessly. Good luck!

https://www.marvin.com/marvin/windows/casement

Kolbe has a video of their mechanism in action:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxGkH8pnPE8

I will say the model we looked at retracted faster and harder than this one, although it was a shorter window. They also have aftermarket kits available for these, so presumably you can replace them if they break.

Note that the triple window allows you to see just how much glass you're losing to the screen housing.

There is also a video of the Loewen mechanism: (Who would have known was a trove Youtube is for window shopping?)

https://youtu.be/h54aPwjSBwU

Thank you Holly. I think I will have to look at some of these windows when I go to Kansas City.

Just talked with a glass guy to repair a broken pane at a house with 1970-era Pella casements and slider patio doors. I asked the guy if Pella had changed, and he said yes; the old Pella's like I'm repairing were great but the new ones have issues. Sigh. He doesn't sell Windows, just does glass, so no agenda on his part.

I have a client that put remote control blinds on all 27 windows in his entry/dining/kitchen/living room space. He can close or open the blind on ever window at the same time. He says it is very entertaining.

"the old Pella's like I'm repairing were great but the new ones have issues. "

Unfortuately the newer ones with issues started in the late 70's and continue to this day.

I have Anderson Eagles with retractable screens and LOVE LOVE LOVE them.

But they are pricey