What We Install
Retractable, remote-controlled screens — often called motorized patio shades or zip screens — that turn any covered patio into a true outdoor room. Lower them to block sun, wind, rain, dust, and bugs at the push of a button, then roll them up for a wide-open view whenever you want it.
Why Motorized Screens
Open or close your screens by remote, wall switch, or app — no manual cranking, no wrestling with a stuck track.
Lower the screens and keep the elements out — a patio you can actually use through a Texas summer or a sudden storm.
No off-the-shelf sizing. Every screen is measured, fabricated, and finished specifically for your opening.
No months-long waits. From free measurement to finished install, most projects wrap in about three weeks.
How They Work
A west-facing patio in Frisco or Plano bakes from mid-afternoon until sunset, and most of that heat arrives as direct sun. Screen fabric rated to block 90 to 99 percent of UV cuts the glare and the radiant heat that comes with it, so the space stays usable through July and August instead of sitting empty. It also keeps the sun off cushions, furniture, and the door frames and flooring that fade first.
Mosquitoes are the reason most DFW patios go unused from May through September. A lowered screen with side-track retention leaves no gap at the edges or the floor, so the patio is sealed the moment the fabric reaches the bottom bar — without the look of a permanent enclosure.
The side tracks are what separate a motorized patio screen from a roll-up shade. They hold the fabric taut on both edges, so when a North Texas front rolls through the screen stays in place instead of flapping like a curtain. Lower the screens before a storm and the patio furniture stays dry; keep them down through a dry spell and the dust stays outside.
Tighter fabrics read as a solid wall from the street or from a neighbor's second-story window, while you still see out. Lower them when you want the patio to yourself, raise them when you want the open view.
You choose the fabric openness — 90, 95, 97, or 99 percent UV block — and the frame and fabric colors to match your home's trim. Tighter fabric gives more shade and privacy; more open fabric keeps more airflow and view. Most DFW homeowners land on 95 percent, which is why it's the tier we recommend first. Try the fabric and color selector →
Every screen runs on a quiet tubular motor housed inside the top cassette. Operate it from a handheld remote, a wall switch, or your phone, and group several screens so one tap closes the whole patio. Smart-home integration is available if you want the screens on a schedule or tied to a weather sensor.
Motorized screens mount inside or in front of the openings of an existing covered patio, porch, pergola, or outdoor kitchen. Each opening is measured individually and each screen is built to that exact size, so odd widths, columns, sloped ceilings, and tall openings are normal for us. If your patio has no cover, we'll tell you honestly what would need to come first.
Recent Installs
Swipe to browse · See all installs →
Showing 6 of our motorized screen installs. See the full project gallery →
Looking for screen rooms instead? See our screen room installs →
Which One Fits Your Patio?
| Motorized Patio Screens | Screen Room | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Retractable screen panels that roll down over the openings of your covered patio and back up into a housing. | Permanent framed screen walls, floor to ceiling, with a screen door — your patio becomes an enclosed room. |
| Open view | Yes. Raise the screens and the patio is fully open again. | Screen stays in place year-round; you look through it. |
| Best for | Homeowners who want protection on demand and an unobstructed view the rest of the time. | Homeowners who want a bug-free room every day with no buttons to press. |
| Sun & privacy | Choose 90–99% UV-block fabric; tighter fabric also reads as a privacy wall from outside. | Standard insect mesh keeps the view open; solar mesh available for hot west exposures. |
| Wind & rain | Side tracks hold the fabric taut; lower before a storm to keep the patio dry. | Blocks wind-blown dust and light rain; open mesh lets heavy rain mist through. |
| Investment | Priced per opening. See the DFW pricing guide → | Priced per room by size and framing. See the DFW pricing guide → |
| Lead time | About three weeks from measurement to install. | About three weeks from measurement to install. |
| Learn more | Motorized patio screens → | Screen rooms → |
Common Questions
Most motorized patio screen installs wrap in about three weeks from your free measurement to a finished install, since our team handles fabrication and installation entirely in-house — nothing subcontracted out.
Yes — same product, different name. Motorized patio screens, motorized patio shades, retractable screens, and zip screens all describe a fabric screen that rolls down inside side tracks and retracts into a housing. We use "screens" because that's what most North Texas homeowners call them.
Yes — our motorized screens can be operated by remote, wall switch, or app, so you can open or close them without leaving your seat. Several screens can be grouped to move together.
Every screen is custom-measured and fabricated for your specific opening — there's no off-the-shelf sizing, so it fits patios of virtually any width or shape, including openings with columns or sloped ceilings.
Yes, as long as there is a solid header to mount the housing and posts or columns for the side tracks. Pergolas, covered outdoor kitchens, and porches are common installs for us.
The side tracks keep the fabric taut in everyday North Texas wind, and lowering the screens ahead of rain keeps the patio dry. In severe weather we recommend retracting them; the fabric rolls up inside the housing, protected.
Thanks for reaching out. A member of the Texas Patio Screens team will contact you within one business day to schedule your free consultation.