Panhandle screens: a June-through-November list.

Before the storm.

Everything here is done from the ground, so leave the screens and roof to the pros. If framing already looks bent or loose, keep people clear and arrange a professional evaluation. On the Panhandle, tropical systems and Gulf storms are a regular part of the season.

• Walk each side of the enclosure and note tears, sagging mesh, or loose spline you can see without climbing.
• Check the door from the ground: latch, closer, and whether the door panel is already torn.
• Look for debris sitting on or against the cage that you can move without climbing.
• Secure loose patio furniture, pots, toys, grills, and decorations so they cannot blow into the screen.
• Photograph the cage now, from the ground, so later pictures can be compared with pre-storm condition.
• Put the written scope of any earlier repair, and your insurance papers, where you can find them after the storm.

County preparedness page: Escambia County Storm Center.

Season dates, from NOAA.

NOAA’s National Hurricane Center sets the Atlantic season as June 1 to November 30. Use this Escambia and Santa Rosa checklist before June, and again when it is safe after a Gulf storm. Off-season systems still happen.

After the storm: document from the ground.

If the frame is distorted or members are loose, stay clear and book a qualified inspection. Ground-level photos tell the story well. Florida’s Insurance Consumer Advocate recommends documenting damage with photos or video and keeping receipts.

Photo checklist

• A wide photo of each side of the cage, taken from the ground.
• The roof slope, photographed from the ground.
• Close views of tears, holes, and loose spline you can see safely.
• The door, latch, and closer.
• Debris that struck the enclosure, shown where it landed.
• A photo that shows the house number or street, so the set is tied to the address.
• The date, if the camera does not record it.
• Any pre-storm photos of the same cage.

• Keep receipts for emergency protective work.
• Ask the insurer what to file before permanent repairs.

More on coverage: the storm damage and insurance guide.

Repair, or a full rescreen?

An easy way to organize the question before the contractor’s visit.

• One or a few torn panels, and the rest of the mesh still looks serviceable: ask about a panel repair and any minimum visit charge.
• Mesh failing in many places, or brittle and already patched: ask for a full rescreen estimate to compare with another patch.
• Bent, loose, or corroded framing: ask for a separate structural assessment.
• Not sure from the ground? Just say so on the call.

Read repair versus full rescreen before you compare prices.

Questions before you accept a quote.

Ask these of any contractor you talk to.

• Mesh spec: manufacturer, product name, and weave, in writing. See screen types.
• Scope: which wall, roof, and door panels are included, and which are excluded.
• Debris removal: who hauls away the old mesh, spline, and storm debris, and whether that is in the price.
• Warranty: material, labor, or both, and whether storm, impact, or animal damage is excluded.
• Permits: who decides whether this exact scope needs a permit, and who pulls it.
• Licensing: which license, if any, applies to this scope. You can look it up in a few minutes in the Florida DBPR lookup.

The longer version is the contractor question list.