Retractable Deck Privacy Screens: The Sentry by Sunesta

You want privacy on your deck without walling it in, and a fixed privacy panel does not give you that. Sunesta MN builds retractable deck privacy screens using the Sentry by Sunesta, a motorized screen that drops down the open side or the railing line of a deck to block the neighbors, the low sun, and the wind, then rolls fully out of sight when you want the deck open again. It runs in an integrated side track, comes down at the touch of a button, and handles openings up to 18 feet wide and 12 feet tall. The Sentry is the same full retractable screen system covered on our main retractable screens page; this page is about one job specifically: deck privacy.

Deck privacy is a different problem than screening a porch. A deck is usually open on two or three sides, often raised, and frequently a few feet from the neighbor's deck on a Twin Cities lot. Sunesta MN scopes deck privacy screens to that exact situation: a screen on the side that faces the neighbor, a screen along an exposed railing, or a screen enclosing the space under a raised deck. Every one is custom manufactured to the inch, American-built in Jacksonville, Florida, and installed by a Sunesta Certified Installer.

Retractable Privacy Screens for Decks: How They Work

A retractable privacy screen for a deck is a motorized Sentry screen mounted at the top of an open deck side or railing that drops vertically into a side track to block the view, then retracts completely into a slim housing when you do not need it. It runs up to 18 feet wide and 12 feet tall per opening on a wireless remote, so a full deck side comes down in seconds. That is the whole mechanism, and it is why a retractable screen beats a fixed privacy fence on a deck: you get privacy when you want it and an open deck the rest of the time. **Why retractable wins on a Minnesota deck:** a fixed privacy panel sits out in the weather twelve months a year and carries snow and ice through every storm. The Sentry retracts into its housing when you are not using it, so the fabric is not weathering nine months a season. In a four-season climate that is what makes it last. The deck-privacy use case is one job the Sentry system does. The same screen also handles porch, window, and garage openings, but on a deck the goal is specific: screen the neighbor-facing side or the railing line without turning the deck into a closed box. When the yard is quiet and the sightlines do not matter, you roll the screen up and the deck is fully open again.

Deck Privacy Screen Retractable Options: Side, Railing, and Under-Deck

There are three places a Sentry earns its keep on a deck, and the right one depends on where your privacy problem actually is. 1. **Neighbor-facing side screen.** The most common deck-privacy request on a tight suburban lot. A single Sentry drops down the open side that faces the neighbor's yard or deck, blocking the sightline and cutting the low afternoon sun that comes in flat from the west. The other sides of the deck stay open. 2. **Railing-line privacy screen.** For a raised deck where the railing itself is the exposed edge, the Sentry mounts above the railing line and drops to screen the seated sightline, so you are private in a chair without losing the standing view over the rail. 3. **Under-deck enclosure.** For a walkout or second-story deck, screening the underside turns the dead space below into an insect-sealed, private sitting area. The under-deck application is one of the four documented Sentry use cases, and it is a favorite in the Twin Cities where walkout basements and elevated decks are everywhere. > "Screen the side that faces the neighbor and leave the rest open. That is deck privacy done right: you block the one sightline that bothers you, not the whole deck." All three run on the same motorized wireless system and the same solution-dyed screen fabric line, so you can screen the neighbor side this year and add an under-deck enclosure next year with matching hardware. Talk to us about your deck and we will lay out which of the three fits your layout.

Under Deck Retractable Screens for Walkout and Raised Decks

Under deck retractable screens close in the space beneath a raised or walkout deck so you get a second, shaded, insect-sealed room without building an addition. The Sentry drops from the underside framing into an integrated side track that creates a sealed enclosure, keeping mosquitoes and wind-driven rain out while preserving airflow. It handles openings up to 18 feet wide and 12 feet tall, and larger under-deck spans are enclosed with multiple coordinated screens on one remote rather than a single oversized panel. **Twin Cities fit:** walkout lots are everywhere across the metro, and the space under a second-story deck is usually wasted. Screening it turns that footprint into the coolest seat in the yard on a July afternoon, then retracts so you keep the open patio the rest of the time. Because the underside of a deck already has a roof over it, the deck itself, it is a natural fit for a Sentry enclosure. The screens seal the open sides; the deck above provides the cover. Ready to reclaim the space under your deck? Call 763-271-3366 for a free in-home estimate.

Deck Privacy Screens vs a Fixed Privacy Wall

Homeowners weighing a Sentry against a fixed privacy panel are really weighing two different things. - **Fixed privacy wall or lattice:** cheaper up front, always up, always in the weather. It blocks the view whether you want it blocked or not, collects snow and ice through winter, and permanently changes the open feel of the deck. - **Retractable Sentry screen:** privacy on demand. Down when you want the neighbor blocked and the sun cut, up and out of sight when you want the deck fully open. The solution-dyed fabric retracts out of the weather, so it is not weathering nine months a year. It earns its price over years in a four-season climate. > "A fence gives you privacy you cannot turn off. A retractable screen gives you the open deck and the private deck, on the same evening." For a lot where you only need the neighbor side blocked at certain times, or a raised deck where a permanent wall would look heavy, the retractable approach is the honest better call. See the full Sentry system for how the same screen handles porch, window, and garage openings too.

When a Retractable Deck Screen Is the Wrong Call

Straight talk, because it saves everyone time. A Sentry deck screen is not the answer for every deck. - **You want a heated, insulated, year-round room off your deck.** That is a permitted three-season or four-season room build with framing, glazing, and a foundation. The Sentry adds retractable screens to an open or covered deck. It does not insulate a space and we will not sell it as a conditioned room. - **You want a permanent privacy wall and do not value the retract feature.** If you genuinely never want the deck open on that side, a fixed fence or panel is cheaper. The Sentry earns its price precisely because it retracts. - **You want an under-deck screen but the deck above is not weather-tight.** The Sentry screens the sides of a covered space. If the deck boards above leak water onto the space below, you may want under-deck drainage first, then the screens. If any of those describe your project, we will tell you on the estimate visit rather than after. When your deck does suit retractable privacy screens, there is not a better system for a Minnesota deck.

Fabric, Openness Factor, and Deck Privacy Performance

How private a deck screen actually is comes down to the fabric. Sentry screen fabrics are rated by openness factor, the percentage of open space in the weave. For deck privacy you generally want a lower openness factor: a tighter weave that adds shade, cuts glare, and increases privacy from the neighbors. A more open weave preserves more of your own outward view and breeze with lighter privacy. **Choosing for privacy:** tighter weave means more privacy and shade; more open weave means more view and airflow. The fabric line covers three intents, solar and shade, privacy, and insect, so a deck screen can be dialed to block the neighbor while still reading the sunset. All Sentry fabrics are solution-dyed for lasting color and treated for mildew and moisture resistance, which matters through Minnesota's humid summers. Paired with the integrated side track, the fabric edges are held in the channel rather than flapping loose in the wind, which is what produces both the privacy and the sealed enclosure. We bring physical screen fabric samples to your free in-home estimate so you can compare openness levels against your actual deck in real light.

Timeline, Financing, and the Free In-Home Estimate

Custom Sentry deck screens are manufactured to your exact opening dimensions after the in-home consultation, so plan on production time from the day you approve the order. Many Twin Cities homeowners order over the winter and install in spring, so the deck is private and bug-sealed before the first warm weekend, and Sunesta Certified Installers handle the full job, mounting, motor wiring, and remote pairing, typically in a single visit. **Current offers apply:** 15% off any motorized retractable awning or retractable screen through March 31, 2026, plus 15 months no-interest financing if paid in full within 15 months, subject to credit approval. These specials cannot be combined with any other offers or promotions. See the specials page for details. The in-home estimate is free and carries no obligation. A Sunesta Certified consultant measures your deck, confirms whether you want a side screen, a railing screen, or an under-deck enclosure, and brings screen fabric samples to your home. Call 763-271-3366 to schedule, or request a free in-home estimate online.

Frequently Asked Questions

Get privacy on your deck without walling it in. Call 763-271-3366 for a free, no-obligation in-home Sentry deck screen estimate.