Perforated mesh security screens are becoming more and more popular, mainly due to their price (they are a much more affordable than woven security screens), as well as their durability and strength. However, there are a few problems that we see with the perforated security screen product that we advise our customers about prior to purchasing.
Visibility
The number one issue with perforated mesh security screens is that they’re quite hard to see through. It’s not as easy to see through perforated mesh or perforated security screens as it is to see through the woven mesh products. The woven mesh products typically have stainless wire strands that’s a weave resulting in square holes, whereas the perforated sheet products are made from a flat sheet with round holes. Most of the time they are either 1.2-millimetre-thick stainless or 1.6-millimetre-thick structural grade aluminium, where the small round holes are punched into the flat sheet.
Visually, when you try to see through it you will notice that it is a lot darker and your eyes can struggle to see through the small round holes. It becomes more difficult to see through the screen the closer you get – when you get up close, your eyes tend to focus on the black powder coat sheet itself rather than see through the sheet. In addition to this vision is reduced considerably when viewing from an angle too.
Standing a distance of four- or five-meters back from the product, is much better. It is easier to see through the sheet when you look through the sheet straight on. But even then, when you start to get up close within a metre or so of the product, it will become quite difficult to see through the product like a normal door or window would allow.
Ventilation
The second biggest problem with the perforated mesh security screens is ventilation.
The opening area on a flat perforated mesh screen is only about 40-50%. So, half the area is the material itself which means that the ventilation is reduced quite significantly.
This is usually not a problem when it’s a large area like a door. But if you’ve got a small window and you’re relying on good ventilation coming through that small window then you’re reducing the amount of ventilation that’s going to come through there by half.
Light
The next problem is that they do tend to block more light.
Some brochures list this as an advantage as it provides greater UV protection. However, at Starline Security, we feel that this is a problem – a security screen shouldn’t block too much of your light or your view; it should let as much light through the windows as possible. And perforated mesh products – especially the 1.6-millimetre-thick aluminium ones, do tend to block the light quite a bit.
Cleaning
The final problem is cleaning.
Some perforated mesh screens are marketed as being easy to clean because they are a flat sheet. But what you’re actually doing when you’re rubbing down the sheet is pushing all of the dirt and dust into the little round holes. This fills up the little holes, adding to the light, ventilation and visibility issues already listed above.
Once the holes have been filled with dust and dirt, the only way to clean them out is to wash it properly – so yes, it might be a flat sheet and easy to clean by wiping it down, but you will still need to wash it properly on a regular basis.
Perforated Mesh Security Screen Benefits Block
We’ve listed the four biggest issues with perforated mesh security screens that we believe customers should be aware of when making their purchasing decision. However, there are also a number of great benefits that this product offers:
Strength
Perforated mesh security screens are one of the strongest screens available. Our 1.6-millimetre aluminium sheet is structural grade aluminium – it is extremely strong and impact resistant. Due to its strength and flatness of the sheet, you won’t experience any mesh wobble or warping either. A nice flat strong sheet is exactly what many consumers are looking for.
Anti-Corrosion
Our aluminium sheet is highly corrosion resistant. The aluminium alloy product that we sell is joined to an aluminium frame which means there aren’t any dissimilar metals to cause oxidisation and corrosion issues. The powder coat colour also sticks well to the aluminium.
Durability
This is a product that is going to last a long time in use. It is also significantly cheaper than woven security screens, meaning you’re getting a long-lasting, strong security solution for an affordable price.
