Retractable Porch Screens | Sentry by Sunesta
The Sentry by Sunesta MN is a motorized retractable porch screen that turns a Minnesota porch you avoid from June through September into one you actually use. It drops screens into an integrated track system that seals the enclosure against mosquitoes, wind, and afternoon glare, then retracts fully out of sight when you want the porch open. Available in widths up to 18 feet and heights up to 12 feet, custom-built to your exact opening.
Sunesta MN sells and installs the Sentry across the Twin Cities metro and Western Wisconsin. Every screen is American-built, custom manufactured to the inch, fitted by a Sunesta Certified Installer, and backed by the most extensive warranty in the industry. Call 763-271-3366 for a free, no-obligation in-home estimate.
Retractable Screen for Porch: How the Sentry Works
The Sentry is a motorized retractable screen that runs on an integrated track system built into the sides of your porch opening. At the touch of a wireless remote, the screen lowers into the tracks to create a sealed enclosure and retracts completely into a discreet housing when you want the porch fully open. Because the fabric locks into the side tracks rather than hanging free, wind does not lift it and gaps do not open up along the edges. Custom-built to widths up to 18 feet and heights up to 12 feet, a single Sentry can cover a wide porch opening in one seamless panel. It is the same motorized Sentry retractable screen system Sunesta installs across under-deck areas, patio-door walls, and garage bays.
Retractable Screens for Porch Comfort in Minnesota's Climate
Minnesota porches face a specific problem: peak mosquito season lands right in the middle of the summer evenings you most want to spend outside, and intense afternoon sun from the southwest bakes west-facing porches from noon on. Retractable screens for a porch solve both. Solution-dyed screen fabrics reduce heat gain and UV while preserving your view and airflow, and the sealed track keeps insects and blowing debris out. The right screen fabric openness factor is what lets you dial in that balance of shade, privacy, and outward view for your exposure. When the weather is perfect and the bugs are gone, the screens roll up and the porch is fully open again. That is the advantage of a retractable system over a fixed screen: you are not committed to living behind mesh year round.
Motorized Patio Screens and Porch Enclosures
The same Sentry system that screens a porch also works for adjacent patio and under-deck spaces. Motorized operation with wireless remote means no cranking and no manual struggle with an oversized screen. Homeowners across Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Edina, Maple Grove, and Eden Prairie use the Sentry to enclose covered patios, screen under-deck living areas, and add privacy and shade to existing screen porches and sun rooms. The Sentry is a retractable screen enclosure, not a structural addition, so it enhances a porch or patio you already have without a permitted three-season-room build.
When a Retractable Porch Screen Is Not the Right Call
A retractable screen is the wrong product if you are trying to convert an open porch into a fully heated, insulated, year-round room. The Sentry seals against insects and weather and cuts wind and glare, but it is a screen system, not an insulated wall assembly and not a substitute for a permitted three-season or four-season room build. If your goal is a fully enclosed room instead, our screen porch enclosure page walks through that option, and if you want a conditioned living space with drywall and heat, tell us during the estimate and we will be straight with you about it. The Sentry shines when you want to keep the open, airy feel of a porch and simply gain control over bugs, sun, and wind.
Custom Fit, Fabric Choice, and Certified Installation
Every Sentry is manufactured to the exact dimensions of your porch opening after an in-home measurement, so the screen fits the space precisely rather than being cut down from a stock size. Screen fabrics come in multiple openness factors, letting you dial in the balance of shade, privacy, insect protection, and outward visibility for your specific exposure. Physical fabric samples come to your home during the free consultation. Installation is handled start to finish by a Sunesta Certified Installer, and the Sentry carries the most extensive warranty in the industry on fabric, frame, and motorized components.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do retractable porch screens keep bugs out?
Yes. The Sentry's integrated track system creates a sealed enclosure that keeps insects and weather out while maintaining airflow. Because the screen fabric locks into side tracks rather than hanging loose, mosquitoes and other bugs cannot slip past the edges the way they can with a loose-hanging screen.
How wide can a retractable porch screen be?
A single Sentry retractable screen can be custom-built up to 18 feet wide and 12 feet tall, covering most porch openings in one seamless panel. Wider openings can be covered by combining screens. We measure your exact opening during the free in-home estimate and manufacture the screen to the inch.
Can you add a retractable screen to an existing porch?
Yes. The Sentry is designed to add weather, privacy, and sun protection to existing porches, screen porches, patios, and sun rooms. The track system mounts to the sides of your current opening, so there is no need to rebuild the porch. A Sunesta Certified Installer confirms the mounting configuration during the free in-home consultation.
Are retractable porch screens motorized?
Yes. Every Sentry screen operates with motorized wireless remote control, so you lower and retract the screen at the touch of a button with no cranking. The screen retracts completely into a discreet housing when not in use, leaving your porch fully open.
Call 763-271-3366 for a free in-home retractable porch screen estimate, or request your free quote online. A Sunesta Certified Installer will measure your porch and bring fabric samples.