A set of glass screen doors opening onto your deck, patio or garden can be a beautiful addition to any home, letting natural light flood into your home and giving you an unrestricted view of the world outside. Unfortunately, this view goes both ways, and even double- or triple-glazed screen doors provide little security if burglars see something they like inside your home and decide to smash their way in.
Installing a sliding security door outside of your existing screen doors will do a great deal to protect them from intruders, and these sliding doors can be made from a wide variety of metal meshes that allow light into your home without compromising on security. DVA mesh is a relatively recent addition to the sliding security door market, but it's one that has unique advantages over more conventional mesh types.
What is DVA mesh, and what advantages does it have over traditional security door meshes?
DVA (Diminished Vision Aluminium) mesh is also known and sold as one-way vision mesh; despite this it is not, strictly speaking, a mesh. Instead, DVA mesh doors are made from single, continuous sheets of aluminium. Holes are punched in these sheets to allow light to pass through the door, but unlike ordinary security doors made from perforated metal sheets, the holes punched in sheets of DVA mesh are angled downwards.
When installed correctly, the unique construction of a DVA mesh door allows plenty of natural light into your home and still gives you relatively unrestricted views of the outdoors from inside your home. From the outside, however, the angled holes in the door are almost invisible, and from a reasonable distance a DVA mesh security door viewed from the outside will appear to be made from solid, opaque metal sheets.
Naturally, DVA mesh is an excellent choice for the homeowner who wants to improve the security of their screen doors without losing the light and visibility they offer. Because they are made from aluminium, DVA mesh security doors are also relatively light compared to steel security doors, making them easier to install, easier to open and close and less likely to become jammed in their sliding tracks.
What are the disadvantages of DVA mesh security doors?
Unfortunately, aluminium is also somewhat weaker than steel and will not resist particularly heavy impacts quite as well. Because it is made from aluminium sheets rather than woven aluminium cords, DVA mesh is still significantly stronger than conventional aluminium meshes and will resist most impacts without buckling or breaking, but a DVA mesh security door will never be quite as secure as one made from high-quality steel security mesh.
You should also bear in mind that the view-blocking qualities of DVA meshes have their limits. If it is dark outside and the room behind your screen doors is brightly lit, outsiders may still be able to see into your home, albeit with a very limited view. If you do choose DVA mesh security doors, consider installing some curtains on your screen door (if you haven't already) to prevent this.
Hello! My name is Erica. I have decided to dedicate this blog to a subject which I hold close to my heart - doors. While the subject of doors may seem like a strange one to write about, as you will find when you read the articles below, this is, in fact, a very rich and interesting subject. I first got into the topic when looking to replace the old doors on my property. I spoke with many experts and many of them took the time to explain what made the old doors on my property valuable. I decided to keep the doors but I continued learning all I could.