Sliding Garage Screen Doors vs Retractable Screens
If you have been searching for a sliding screen door for your garage, here is the straight answer up front: Elite Garage Screens does not install sliding garage screens. We install retractable, spring-loaded Lifestyle garage screen doors, and we think they are the better fit for a sectional garage opening. This page explains why, so you can decide for yourself. The short version is that a retractable screen leaves nothing on the floor, uses the whole width of the opening, and disappears completely when the car needs to come in. It also works with the garage door you already have. If that sounds like what you were after, the rest of this page covers options and fitting, and you can request a quote or look at finished installs in the gallery whenever you are ready.
Do you install sliding garage screen doors?
No. We are proud installers of Lifestyle Screens, and the Lifestyle garage screen door is a retractable product. Rather than fitting something we do not specialise in, we would rather explain what a retractable screen does and let you compare. If you are unsure whether a retractable screen will suit your garage, send us your measurements and ask; we will give you a straight answer.
Why retractable suits a sectional garage opening
A sliding screen generally runs on a track and its panels have to stack somewhere, which takes up part of the opening. A retractable screen avoids both problems. There is no floor track to step over or drive across, and you do not lose opening width to panels parked at one side. Our gallery shows how a retracted screen looks in a finished garage.
When the car comes in, the spring-loaded screen retracts fully out of the way. When you want the garage open to the air, you pull it down across the full opening. Your garage door keeps doing its job; the screen simply works alongside it. That makes it easy to turn the garage into a workshop, home gym or entertaining space for an afternoon, then park in it again that night.
What you get instead
The screen fits most sectional garage doors with standard horizontal tracks; low-headroom tracks may need an extra kit. We cut and assemble the frame on site and the install usually takes a few hours. Locks are available for the frame and the retractable personal-access door. You choose a White, Sandstone or Dark Brown frame and either White privacy mesh or Super Black see-through mesh, both pet-proof. Head-room matters too: expect to give up about 30 mm, a little more with a double-track low-headroom system.
Every screen carries a 5-year product warranty and a 12-month installation warranty. Read how it works for the full process, or see our guide to retractable garage door screens.
Common questions
Can you fit a sliding screen to my garage?
No, we do not install sliding garage screens. We install retractable, spring-loaded Lifestyle garage screens, which fit most sectional garage doors with standard horizontal tracks.
Why choose a retractable screen over a sliding one?
A retractable screen has no floor track, uses the full width of the opening and retracts completely when you need the doorway clear.
Will the screen get in the way of parking the car?
No. Retract the screen and the opening is clear, and your garage door works just as it always has.
Ready for a quote?
Send us your width, height and head-room measurements and we will quote for your garage. Covering the North Island from Kaitaia to Wellington.