By Tony Carrick | Updated Jun 11, 2021 8:56 AM

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For some, a garage is simply a place to store yard equipment, cars, and the family’s fleet of bikes, but for many, it is a workshop, a place to hang out while watching the kids play, or even a setting for poker night. While opening the large door turns a garage into an open-air space, it also allows all manner of bugs to intrude. A garage door screen keeps the space open and ventilated while preventing bugs from getting inside.

Garage door screens consist of a durable fiberglass mesh screen that covers the entire opening. Installing these screens requires no special tools and can be completed with the help of a stepladder in minutes. Magnets sewed into the seam keep the screen’s opening tightly closed to keep bugs out but opens easily, allowing people and pets to pass through.

This guide will explore the characteristics one should look for in the best garage door screen while also reviewing some of the best options available.

Below, learn about the types of garage door screens available, how these bug blockers attach to a garage door opening, and other important features.

Garage door screens come in two types: roll-up and removable. Both types attach to a hook-and-loop adhesive mounting strip that runs around the top and sides of the doorframe. This strip makes it easy to attach the screen for use and detach it for storage. Roll-up screens are detachable and have straps at the top of the door, enabling the user to manually roll them up to store the screen or to allow a car to pull inside the garage.

Both types of screens have a tractable opening at the center that serves as a door, allowing people and pets to pass through. Magnets sewn into the opening’s seams hold it together when closed, creating a tight seal that keeps bugs out.

Garage door screens mount to the exterior of the doorframe so they don’t interfere with the functioning of the garage door. Similar to screens designed for entryways into the home, installing a garage door screen involves attaching an adhesive strip around the rim of the door opening.

This installation generally involves no tools other than a stepladder and can be completed in less than 30 minutes. The screen door then attaches to the strip via a hook-and-loop connection. To remove the screen door for storage, simply pull it off of the hook-and-loop strip.

Like the smaller retractable screens designed for doorways, garage door screens use some form of tear-resistant fiberglass mesh. Higher-end door screens use denser mesh that is heavier and less prone to stretching or being blown around by the wind. These doors use powerful magnets in the seam of the opening that hold together while allowing people and animals to open it and pass through. Some garage screen doors have weights sewn into the bottom seam that help keep the screen taut and in place.

Since a garage door opening constitutes a large part of a home’s facade, the curb appeal of a garage door screen is also a factor to consider. While most garage screen doors look similar in appearance, they come in black or white.

The list below narrows the field to some of the best garage door screens on the market. These screens install quickly, feature durable construction, and have designs that make them easy to open and close.

With its ease of installation, wide coverage, and a design that holds up to wind, this garage door screen is one of the best options on the market. The screen attaches to the header of the garage door using adhesive tape with a hook-and-loop connection that sticks to the screen’s outer seam. Powerful magnets hold the opening in the center of the door closed while gravity weights prevent wind from blowing the screen inward and creating a gap at the bottom.

When the screen is not in use, the user can either pull apart the hook-and-loop connection to remove the screen or roll it up and secure it with the integrated straps. The screen, which is made from tear-resistant and fireproof fiberglass mesh, is available in a 16-foot by 7-foot size for two-car garages and in an 8-foot by 7-foot size for one-car garages, and it comes in white or black.

Adding a screen door to a two-car garage opening doesn’t have to be an investment. This affordable model from iGotTech covers a standard 16-foot by 7-foot opening. Installing this screen requires no tools thanks to an adhesive mounting strip and hook-and-loop design. The opening that bisects the screen closes automatically with 26 magnets, creating a tight seal between the opening’s seams. Weights at the bottom of the screen hold it stable during high winds.

This screen features two options for stowing it: Remove the screen from the mounting strip and fold it up for storage or roll it up using the integrated ties at the top of the screen. In addition to this two-car garage option, iGotTech also makes a single-car option.

A screen that can capably cover an entire opening for a two-car garage needs to be durable. This model is, thanks to reinforced fiberglass mesh construction that resists tearing. This screen also installs quickly using a hook-and-loop strip that adheres to the exterior of the garage door frame.

Its 34 magnets, which are more than most garage door screens use, ensure it closes automatically and stays closed after people and pets walk through it. Integrated gravity sticks add stability that ensures the opening closes quickly while preventing the screen from being pushed around by the wind. The screen, which fits garage doors 16 feet wide and 7 feet tall, is detachable for easy storage.

With its use of high-density fiberglass mesh, this is one of the heavier and therefore more durable garage door screens on the market, which ensures it won’t rip or be blown around by the wind. It uses adhesive tape that runs around the frame of the garage door and attaches to the screen with a hook-and-loop connection that can be easily removed for storage.

A total of 28 magnets create a tight seal that ensures there are no gaps in the screen’s opening. The screen can be easily removed for storage or rolled up using its integrated straps. Weights built into the bottom hold the screen steady while also helping to close the opening quickly after someone passes through. With dimensions of 16 feet wide and 8 feet tall, the screen fits standard two-car garages.

If you’re wondering about the durability of a garage door screen or what makes one better than another, read on for more information about these helpful bug barriers.

While it is possible to tear or pull down a garage door screen, most are made of tear-resistant fiberglass mesh and mount to hook-and-loop strips that will pull apart rather than rip if too much force is applied to the screen.

The durable materials used to make garage door screens can last for a long time if properly cared for. White garage door screens do require more maintenance to keep clean as dirt shows more easily on the white mesh.

While most use the same design for their doorways and installation, they vary in the quality of fiberglass mesh they use for the screen. Higher-end garage screen doors use a heavier, more durable mesh that will hold up longer than lower-end screen doors.

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