When we need to surface mount a solar screen, it is because there is not a track. When there is not a track to hold a solar screen we have to surface mount it. Surface mounting means that we can direct screw, or we can use turn clips. All non-opening Windows require surface mounting. All opening Windows without tracks require surface mounting. Attract is a Groove at the top and bottom of the window. Meaning the window manufacturer made the window to hold a screen of full size.

Direct screw surface mount

If you have vinyl windows, solar screens will need to be direct screw surface mounted.  The following two pictures are illustrations. The following two pictures are two different types of vinyl windows.

Direct screw surface mounting to vinyl window. Here we surface mount direct screwed the solar screen to the vinyl window frame.

Notice with the window above that we did not cover the weep hole. Notice that we did not cover that weep hole with our solar screen framing. That we pole is there for a reason. That weep hole allows the window to weep (drain) water.  When you surface smell a solar screen, you always want to make sure that water can drain.

Another vinyl window surface mount installation.

Here’s another vinyl window surface mount installation. You can’t see them, but there are we pause at the bottom of the screens. We did not cover those weep holes. And when you screw into a vinyl window, you screw to the farthest outermost edge of the vinyl window.

Turn clip surface mount

We can use our turn Clips to surface mount when we have metal windows. You cannot use turn Clips to surface mount with vinyl windows. The reason is with vinyl windows you cannot torque the turn clip down not enough. You need to turn clip torqued down tight to hold overtime. You did not want the turn Clips to become loose because you can’t talk them down tightly.

Shown here are solar screens for the right side of this solar screens Round Rock TX home, that’s a chocolate solar screen fabric outlined with white frame.

Windows that get turn clips, that are exposed like these two-second floor screens are to the wind are vulnerable.  If we think the solar screens can come off by the wind when using turn clips.  If we think when can get behind the screens to take them off. When we surface mount with turn clips, we will also add Center screws to the solar screen framing.  The center screws will ensure that the screens can never come off. Now for a protected screen like they’re on the first floor.  For this Round Rock home, that one screen is protected by brick.  Because so, there’s little chance the wind can get behind that screen to pull it off. That being the case, no center screws will be needed for that screen.

These are opening windows, these solar screens Round Rock Texas windows were not made to house a full size screen.  So, we had to surface mount each of these full size solar screens.  In doing so, we used our turn clips, our die cast metal turn clips, to hold the solar screens onto the window.