Security Screens vs Retractable Fly Screens:A Canberra Designer’s Guide to Choosing the Right Screen for Your Home

When homeowners ask me about screens, the question is rarely just “Which one is better?”

What they’re really asking is:“Which one will make my home feel safer, more comfortable, and easier to live in?”

In Canberra homes, the two most commonly compared options are Security Screens and Retractable Fly Screens. On the surface, they both sit on windows and doors. But in reality, they serve very different purposes — and choosing the right one depends entirely on how a space is used.

As a designer who works with curtains, screens and light every day, I always explain this comparison in context. Screens don’t exist on their own — they work alongside sheer curtains, blockout curtains, and the daily rhythms of a home.

Let’s look at each option properly, room by room and need by need.

Understanding the Core Difference

Before comparing features, prices or appearance, it’s important to understand that security screens and retractable fly screens are designed with very different intentions in mind. From a designer’s perspective, this difference shapes how people experience their homes on a daily basis.

Security screens are fundamentally about protection. Their purpose is to create a constant physical barrier between the inside of the home and the outside world. They are designed to stay in place at all times, offering reassurance whether you are home or away. This permanence is intentional. It communicates strength, safety and stability, and many homeowners find comfort in knowing that protection is always present, without needing to think about it.

Retractable fly screens, by contrast, are about choice and flexibility. They are designed to appear only when needed and disappear when they are not. Their primary role is not security, but comfort — allowing fresh air into the home while keeping insects out, without visually or physically closing off the space. When retracted, they step out of the way, preserving views, light and architectural flow.

From a lifestyle point of view, this distinction matters. Security screens change how a home feels at all times. Retractable fly screens change how a home adapts moment to moment. One offers constancy; the other offers responsiveness.

Neither approach is superior in isolation. The “right” choice depends on what a specific opening needs to prioritise — safety, openness, airflow, or visual lightness — and how that space is used throughout the day and across seasons. Understanding this core difference makes every other decision much clearer.

Security Screens: When Safety Is the Priority

In many Canberra homes, security screens are chosen for peace of mind.

They are particularly suitable for:

• Ground-floor windows

• Front doors and side doors

• Homes with easy external access

• Properties that are unoccupied during the day

From a design perspective, security screens provide a constant sense of protection. Homeowners often tell me they feel more comfortable leaving windows open, knowing there’s a solid barrier in place.

However, security screens are always visible. This isn’t a downside — it’s simply a design reality. They become part of the exterior and interior look of the home.

Because of this, I often recommend pairing security screens with sheer curtains inside. Sheer curtains soften the visual presence of the screen from indoors, filtering light and maintaining warmth while the screen handles security.

In bedrooms or living areas where night-time privacy matters, blockout curtains layer naturally behind security screens, allowing homeowners to manage light and rest without relying on the screen itself.

Retractable Fly Screens Canberra: Designed for Everyday Living

Retractable fly screens are one of the most popular choices in modern Canberra homes — and for good reason.

They are ideal for:

• Sliding doors to patios or gardens

• Living areas that open outdoors

• Kitchens and dining spaces

• Homes that prioritise airflow and openness

What makes retractable fly screens special is their ability to disappear. When you don’t need them, they retract neatly out of sight, leaving views, light and design uninterrupted.

From a designer’s point of view, this is incredibly valuable. Homes feel lighter. Lines stay clean. The screen doesn’t compete with curtains, furniture or outdoor views.

Retractable fly screens work beautifully alongside sheer curtains Canberra homeowners use daily. During the day, sheers soften light. When doors are open, fly screens keep insects out while allowing air to flow. At night, blockout curtains can be drawn for privacy and rest.

This trio — sheers, blockouts and retractable fly screens — creates a very balanced, liveable system.

Visibility and Aesthetics: A Key Difference

One of the most noticeable differences between security screens and retractable fly screens is how present they are visually within a home. From a design perspective, this presence — or absence — shapes how a space feels long before anyone consciously thinks about function.

Security screens are always visible. Their structure, mesh and framing become a permanent part of the window or door. For many homeowners, this visibility provides reassurance. It signals protection and solidity, especially at entry points. However, it also means the screen contributes to the visual language of the space and should be considered as part of the overall design rather than an afterthought.

Retractable fly screens are intentionally discreet. When retracted, they fade into the background, allowing architecture, views and curtains to take centre stage. This makes them especially appealing in living areas and open-plan spaces, where visual openness and connection to the outdoors matter. In these rooms, retractable screens support design by knowing when to step back — a subtle but powerful difference in how a home is experienced day to day.

Modern apartment with panoramic city and park views.

Airflow and Daily Use

Airflow is a major consideration in Canberra, especially in warmer months when evenings are cool and pleasant.

Retractable fly screens encourage natural ventilation. Homeowners tend to open doors and windows more often because it’s easy and comfortable to do so.

Security screens also allow airflow, but because they are permanent, they slightly change how people interact with windows and doors. Some homeowners love this sense of solidity; others prefer the flexibility of retractable options.

This is why I often ask clients:

“Do you want this opening to feel protected, or open?”

The answer usually makes the decision clear.

Bedrooms, Living Areas and Transitions

In bedrooms, the choice often depends on location.

• Ground-floor bedrooms facing the street may benefit from security screens, paired with sheer curtains for daytime privacy and blockout curtains for night-time rest.

• Upper-floor or private bedrooms often suit retractable fly screens, where airflow is more important than security.

In living rooms and dining areas, retractable fly screens are generally preferred. They support movement, entertaining and connection to outdoor spaces without adding visual weight.

Security screens tend to be more suitable for transitional or vulnerable access points — doors and windows that require constant protection.

Screens Are Part of a Larger System

One thing I always remind homeowners is that screens are rarely the full answer on their own. They work best when they are part of a broader, thoughtfully designed system that includes curtains and considers how a home functions from morning to night.

Screens address what comes through an opening — air, insects, and sometimes security. Curtains, on the other hand, manage what happens inside the room — light, privacy, warmth and emotional comfort. When these elements are designed together, the home feels balanced rather than over-managed.

This is especially relevant when it comes to airflow and insects. Public health guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO) highlights the importance of physical barriers such as screens in preventing insects from entering living spaces, particularly in warmer conditions where ventilation is needed.

Inside the home, sheer curtains soften daylight and maintain privacy, while blockout curtains support rest and insulation at night. Screens then sit quietly alongside these layers, allowing windows and doors to be used freely without compromising comfort or safety.

When each element has a clear role, the home adapts naturally — seasons change, routines shift, and the space responds without effort.

A Designer’s Closing Perspective

After years of working across Canberra homes, what stays with me most is not the products themselves, but the way people describe their homes once everything is working together.

They don’t say, “We love our screens.”They say, “The house feels easier to live in.”

From a designer’s perspective, that’s the goal. Security screens and retractable fly screens are not choices to be rushed or made in isolation. They are part of how a home supports daily life — opening windows without hesitation, enjoying fresh air, feeling safe, and resting comfortably at night.

That ease comes from systems that respect daily rhythms. During the day, sheer curtains allow light and openness. At night, blockout curtains help create darker, calmer environments that support rest. Research from the Sleep Foundation, a recognised authority in sleep health, explains that reducing external light at night supports deeper and more consistent sleep.

When screens are chosen with the same care as sheer curtains and blockout curtains, they stop feeling like additions and start feeling integrated. Doors are opened more often. Curtains are adjusted naturally. Spaces respond to the time of day without conscious effort.

Good design rarely announces itself. It works quietly in the background, supporting routines and comfort without demanding attention. When screens, curtains and light are in harmony, a home doesn’t just look considered — it feels settled, welcoming and genuinely lived in.