Name: Sunesta MN
Price range: $$
Rating: 5.0

Question 1

Can a retractable screen cover a patio door or sliding-door wall?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Sentry by Sunesta is built for large openings, including patio-door and sliding-door walls, screen porches, garage bays, and under-deck spaces. It handles widths up to 18 feet and heights up to 12 feet, so a full wall of glass can be screened in one clean span. The screen is motorized and drops into an integrated side track that creates a sealed enclosure, then rolls fully out of sight when you want the opening open.

Question 2

Is the Sentry a hinged or sliding screen door?

Accepted Answer

No. The Sentry is a motorized retractable screen for large openings, not a small hinged or sliding entry-door screen. It is designed for wide spans a standard screen door cannot cover, such as screen porches, patio-door walls, and garage openings, up to 18 feet wide and 12 feet tall. It is also not a permitted three-season-room build; it drops into a sealed track enclosure and retracts out of sight.

Question 3

What is the openness factor on a retractable porch screen?

Accepted Answer

Openness factor is the percentage of open space in the fabric weave. A more open weave keeps more of your view and airflow on a porch or patio-door wall with lighter shade, while a tighter weave adds more solar shade, glare control, and privacy. All Sentry fabrics are solution-dyed and treated for mildew and moisture resistance. We bring physical samples to your free in-home estimate so you can compare openness levels against your actual opening.

Question 4

Can I turn my porch or deck into a screen room with retractable screens?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Adding a motorized Sentry screen to each open side of a porch or deck bay creates a screen room you can open or close on demand. The screens drop into an integrated side track that forms a sealed enclosure, keeping insects and weather out, then retract fully out of sight when you want the space open. It is not a permitted three-season-room build, but for a bug-free, shaded outdoor room across Minnesota summers it is a practical alternative.

Question 5

Do you install motorized patio screens for privacy on a deck?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Sentry is a motorized vertical screen that drops with the push of a button, and choosing a tighter-weave, lower-openness privacy fabric blocks sightlines from neighbors while still allowing airflow. On a deck or patio it gives you shade and privacy when you want it and a completely open view when you retract it. Sunesta MN installs these across the Twin Cities metro, Lake Minnetonka communities, and the Brainerd Lakes area.

Question 6

How much shade and privacy do retractable screens for a porch provide?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the openness factor you choose. A lower-openness weave adds solar shade, cuts glare, and increases privacy from neighbors; a more open weave preserves more view and airflow with lighter shade. All Sentry screens are motorized and retract fully out of sight, so a Minnesota porch stays open through spring and fall and screened during bug-heavy, sun-intense summer evenings.

Retractable Screens for Minnesota Porches, Patios & Decks

Turn a Porch or Deck Bay into a Screen Room

Motorized Patio Screens & Privacy Screens for Decks

Retractable Screens for a Porch: Openness Factor

Four Ways Minnesota Homeowners Use the Sentry