Screened Porches in the Rio Grande Valley, TX
Wasps build at the eave and scorpions come in at the slab line, so we close off both. Your frames come out one at a time for rescreening.
A screened porch is a covered room with mesh walls, so you sit outside without the mosquitoes. Standard 18 by 16 insect mesh stops most of them. Near the river and the resacas we use tighter 20 by 20 no-see-um mesh, and a self closing door.
What the job includes02
What a porches and patio covers job with us includes
Mosquitoes are a location problem here, not a season problem. Homes along the river in Roma and La Grulla breed them after every rain. So do homes near the resacas in Brownsville, San Benito and Rio Hondo. Standing water turns into biting adults in about a week. That is why the mesh choice matters more than the frame. Salt air near the bay also argues for aluminum frames instead of steel.
- —Screen frames built to your actual openings, not stock panels cut down to fit
- —A mid rail in every tall opening so the mesh cannot belly out in the wind
- —Mesh in 18 by 16 standard or 20 by 20 no-see-um, decided at the measure visit
- —A self closing screen door with a spring, a latch and a kick plate
- —Kick panels along the bottom rail where shoes, chairs and pets hit the mesh
- —Mesh stretched and splined tight, with no ripples left at the corners
- —Wiring run for a ceiling fan, because moving air is what keeps bugs off you
- —You go inside at dusk because of the bugs, not because you want to
- —Bug spray lives on the patio table from May through October
- —The old screen has a hole at knee height where the dog pushed through
- —Mesh ripples and drums in the wind because the spline has dried and shrunk
- —Water stands in the yard, the ditch or the resaca for days after a rain
- —Wasps build nests under the porch ceiling every spring
Price range03
How much does porches and patio covers cost in the Rio Grande Valley?
2 to 3 working days to screen an existing 12 by 16 foot covered porch
One day to rescreen and respline. Two weeks when the roof has to be built first.
Which material holds up best in Valley weather?
| Material | Holds up because | Watch out for | Best for | Lasts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiberglass insect mesh, 18 by 16 | Best airflow of the three and the easiest to replace panel by panel | Lets the smallest gnats through, which matters within a block of water | Homes away from the river, the resacas and the irrigation ditches | 8 to 12 years in full Valley sun |
| No-see-um mesh, 20 by 20 | Tighter weave stops the gnats that walk straight through standard mesh | Cuts a noticeable amount of breeze and costs more per panel | Roma, La Grulla, Brownsville, San Benito and Rio Hondo, near standing water | 8 to 12 years |
| Pet resistant mesh | Heavy vinyl coated polyester that a dog cannot push a hole through | Darkest of the three and the most expensive per square foot | The bottom panels and the door, where damage always starts | 10 to 15 years |
How we work this job04
How does the job actually run?
A written estimate before anything starts, a start date we commit to, and one person responsible from the first walkthrough to the last inspection.
- 01We measure every opening separatelyNo two openings on a porch are the same size. Each frame gets built to its own measurement, so nothing gets shimmed.Day 1
- 02You pick the mesh with a sample in handYou hold 18 by 16 next to 20 by 20 and look through both. The difference in view and in breeze is easy to see.Day 1
- 03Frames go in, door gets hungFrames get fastened to the posts and the beam, then the door is hung plumb so it closes on its own.1 to 2 days
- 04Mesh, spline and a walk aroundMesh gets stretched and splined tight, then we walk the whole perimeter looking for gaps at the slab.Handover
From the build site05
Which homes has David Aceves helped build?
Homes built by Cuates Construction, with David Aceves on the build. Look at the covered patios, the posts and beams and the concrete underfoot: David plans a porches and patio covers job with that same eye.
Questions we get06
Questions homeowners ask us about this work
Which screen mesh actually keeps out the little bugs near the river?
The 20 by 20 no-see-um mesh. Standard 18 by 16 mesh stops mosquitoes but the smallest gnats walk right through it. If you are near the river in Roma or near a resaca in Brownsville, pay for the tighter weave and accept slightly less breeze.
Can you screen in a patio cover I already have?
Yes, if the posts are plumb and the beam is straight enough to hang frames on. We check the post spacing first, because uneven bays mean every frame is a different width. A cover built without screening in mind usually still works with an added post or two.
How much hotter is a screened porch than an open patio?
Barely different if you build it right. Mesh cuts the breeze by a small amount, so a ceiling fan puts it back. What makes a screened porch feel hot is a closed gable end or a solid wall on the windward side, which we avoid.
How long does the mesh last in this sun?
Eight to twelve years for fiberglass mesh facing south or west. It fails at the spline first, not in the middle of the panel. Rescreening a single panel is a short job, which is why we build frames you can pull one at a time.
Will a screened porch keep out wasps and scorpions?
Wasps, yes, as long as the ceiling and the eave are closed off where they like to build. Scorpions come in low, at the slab line, so the bottom rail gets sealed to the concrete. No screen room is airtight, but those two details are where most of them get in.
A remodeling contractor based in Rio Grande City, working across the four Valley counties. The team is led by David Aceves, whose background is building custom homes, from the slab and the framing to the finish work.
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Let us talk07