OurCosyVale
our journey to create a cosy home | 5 rm BTO | 113sqm | Minimalist Japandi
Rating our Insect Meshes
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Our insect mesh journey has been quite a ride. We started with budget-friendly Taobao options and ended up choosing a local vendor for proper installation. In this post, we share our evaluations and ratings of the different meshes we’ve tried. 
#1. Detachable magnetic screens from Taobao We started with these as the cost outlay was low. Cost: 5/5 Quality: 3/5 Ease of installation: 4/5 Installation invasiveness: 4/5 Aesthetics : 4/5 Functionality: 4/5 Maintenance: 3/5 Pros: - Cheap and easy to install. - No structural changes required to our window frames Cons: - Less secure than permanent retractable meshes. - Frequent removal for cleaning can wear out the mesh and attachments overtime Overall rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Suitable for bathrooms where frequent opening and closing isn’t required, and where a simple barrier is enough. It’s also much more affordable than a full retractable mesh installation. P.s. We did find a small lizard in the bathroom once, though we’re not sure if it came from another area or slipped through a small gap in the mesh. TBD 
#2. Retractable magnetic screens from Taobao Encouraged by good reviews, we tried a DIY approach and purchased customized meshes from Taobao for our service yard and living room. Taobao retractable meshes were also much cheaper than getting local installers. Cost: 3/5 Quality: 4/5 Ease of installation: 2/5 Installation invasiveness: 3/5 Aesthetics : 3/5 Functionality: 3/5 Maintenance: 3/5 Pros: - Cheaper (about 50% less) than hiring local vendors. - Relatively good quality. Cons: - Requires precise measurements. - No warranty or coverage if measurements are wrong. Living room mesh ended up with incorrect measurements we we had to scrape it. - Difficult to install—our DIY attempt failed, and we had to hire a handyman to help. - Seller claimed no drilling was needed, but we had to drill to secure it. Overall rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ Only attempt this if you’re handy, willing to take risks, and prepared for potential hassle for the sake of cost savings. Honestly, in our experience, it wasn’t very worth it. 
#2. Retractable magnetic screens from Irusu After our failed attempts with Taobao, we finally decided to go with a local vendor Cost: 2/5 Quality: 5/5 Ease of installation: 5/5 Installation invasiveness: 3/5 Aesthetics : 5/5 Functionality: 5/5 Maintenance: 4/5 Pros: - Superb quality and professional measurement/installation. - Comes with a one year warranty - Minimal impact on aesthetics — thin mesh that blends seamlessly. - For our living room and master bedroom, we were able to opt for top down pulling for easy use Cons: - Very costly — we paid $1.8k for our living room and three bedrooms (after a 15% discount) - Slight structural invasiveness, as small screws are required for installation - Would have prefer a longer warranty period Overall rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Despite the high cost, we highly recommend these screens — the quality, functionality, and professional installation make it great value for money.
7 days ago
