Quick version: A pool cage is an aluminum frame with screen panels held in by spline. Most repairs are a rescreen, where we swap the screen and keep the frame. A rebuild means the frame itself needs work. The terms below cover the parts, the screen types, the roof styles, and the storm and code words you'll hear on a quote.
You don't need to know any of this to get good work done. But it helps to know what you're paying for, so we pulled together the terms Sarasota homeowners run into most. Skim the group you need, or read it all in a couple of minutes.
Cage parts and anatomy
- Pool cage (screen enclosure)
- The aluminum-and-screen structure over a pool or lanai that keeps out bugs, leaves, and debris while still letting the breeze through. You'll also hear it called a screen enclosure, or a birdcage when it's tall and open on top.
- Spline
- The thin rubber cord pressed into a groove around each opening to hold the screen tight. When spline dries out and shrinks, screen starts to sag or pop loose, so we replace it whenever we rescreen.
- Kickplate (kick panel)
- The heavier panel along the bottom of the cage and doors, usually the first foot or two off the deck. It takes the most abuse from feet, pets, and pool gear. That's why the low screen tends to go first.
- Chair rail
- A horizontal bar running around the cage at about waist height. It stiffens the frame and gives the lower screen an extra edge to attach to.
- Super gutter
- An oversized gutter that ties the pool cage to the house roofline and carries roof runoff away from the deck. It also gives the top of the cage a clean place to attach along the fascia.
- Fascia
- The horizontal board along the edge of your roof, where the cage and the super gutter fasten to the house.
- Upright and beam
- The bones of the cage. Uprights are the vertical posts, and beams are the horizontal top bars. Together they make the aluminum skeleton that holds the screen.
- Screen door
- The hinged, latching door you walk through to get in and out. It gets the most use of anything on the cage, so it's often the first part to need a fix. See screen door replacement for what that involves.
Roof and cage styles
- Mansard
- A roof style with a short angled section around the edge before it flattens on top. It's common in Florida and sits between a flat roof and a full dome for looks and headroom.
- Gable
- A peaked roof that runs up to a ridge down the center, giving more height and a pitched, open look inside.
- Dome (hip)
- A roof that slopes up from all four sides toward the center. It sheds water and wind well and feels roomy overhead.
- Flat or studio roof
- A low, flat roof that attaches straight to the house. It's simple and lower cost, and you see it a lot on smaller lanai enclosures.
Screen types and mesh
- Standard 18x14 fiberglass
- The everyday pool screen, named for its weave of 18 by 14 strands per inch. It gives good airflow and a clear view and is the most affordable option. Our screen guide compares all of them.
- No-see-um screen
- A tighter mesh, often 20 by 20, that stops the tiny biting midges standard screen lets through. It's the same fiberglass at heart, so it ages on a similar timeline.
- Pet-resistant screen
- A heavier, tougher weave built to take dogs and cats. We often put it low on doors and kick panels, where screens get the most contact. Standard screen goes up high.
- Solar and privacy screen
- A denser mesh that blocks more sun and blocks sightlines, so you get shade and privacy. The trade-off is a bit less airflow and a less open view.
- Florida Glass
- A clear vinyl panel set into the lower frame to block wind, splash, and blowing rain. It's handy along kick areas and anywhere you want a solid, wipeable section instead of screen.
Storm, wind, and code terms
- Wind load and design wind speed
- The wind force a cage is engineered to stand up to, set by the building code for your area. Coastal Sarasota County sits in a high-wind zone, so cages here are built to tougher numbers than inland spots.
- Wind zone
- The wind-speed region your address falls in under the Florida Building Code. It drives how the cage has to be anchored and framed.
- Notice of Commencement
- A document filed with the county before larger permitted work, like a full rebuild. It's part of the permit paperwork, and a simple rescreen doesn't need one.
- Permit and building code
- A straight rescreen usually needs no permit. A new cage or a major structural rebuild is permitted work under the Florida Building Code. The code sets how it's engineered and anchored.
- Hurricane rating
- Shorthand for a cage built and anchored to the current wind-load code so it holds up in a storm. There's no single hurricane-proof screen. It really comes down to the frame, the anchors, and how it's put together. For storm work, see storm and hurricane damage repair.
Common repair terms
- Rescreen
- Replacing the screen, and usually the spline, in part or all of the cage while keeping the existing aluminum frame. It's the most common pool cage repair by far. Here's our rescreening service.
- Rebuild
- Replacing the aluminum frame itself, in part or whole, when it's bent, corroded, or storm-damaged. It's a bigger job than a rescreen. Our rescreen vs rebuild guide helps you tell which you need.
- Spot repair (panel repair)
- Rescreening just the one or two panels that are torn instead of the whole cage. It's the right call when the rest of the screen is still in decent shape.
- Re-anchoring
- Refastening the cage to the deck or the house when the old anchors have loosened or corroded. It's common after years of salt exposure or a storm.
Still not sure what your cage needs?
Heard a word on a quote you didn't know? Or you just want a plain read on your cage? Call us. We'll come out and look it over, then tell you honestly whether it's a rescreen, a spot repair, or a rebuild. You get a written price and no pressure. For what the work runs, see our Sarasota cost guide. Call (941) 541-6567 or use the form above.