Stainless mesh, perforated aluminium or diamond grille: which security screen suits your home?

How each screen is made

Most of the difference between one security screen and another is the infill: the panel you look through. On the Gold Coast the three common options are woven stainless steel mesh, perforated aluminium sheet and diamond grille. All three sit in an aluminium frame, but they are made in very different ways, and that changes how they look, feel and perform.

Stainless steel mesh

Fine stainless steel wire is woven into a tight mesh, then tensioned and clamped into a heavy aluminium frame. Because the wire is thin, the mesh reads almost like a fly screen from a few metres away. It comes in two common grades: 304, and 316 marine grade, which holds up better in salt air.

Perforated aluminium

A single sheet of aluminium is punched with thousands of small holes, then powder coated. With no joins or weave in the infill, it is very rigid and resists cutting and pushing well. The holes are larger than the gaps in mesh, so the view out is a little busier, but you get more privacy during the day.

Diamond grille

An aluminium grille in a diamond or decorative pattern, usually with a separate insect screen behind it. It is the look many older Queensland homes already have. Grille doors can be built and tested to AS 5039, but plenty of older and budget grilles were not, and the larger openings are easier to reach through.

How they compare side by side

Here is how the three compare on the points customers ask about most. Ratings are relative to each other and assume a complete door built and installed to the Australian Standards.

Strength and the Australian Standards

In Australia, security screen doors and window grilles are covered by three standards. AS 5039 sets the performance requirements, AS 5040 covers installation, and AS 5041 describes the tests a product has to pass, including knife shear, impact, jemmy, pull and probe tests.

A screen meets the standard as a complete system, not as a piece of mesh. Strong infill in a weak frame, or a good door fixed with the wrong screws, will not perform the way the test results suggest. That is why it is worth asking whether the product was tested as a whole door or window, and whether the installer follows AS 5040.

Stainless mesh and perforated aluminium products made for security work are designed to pass these tests. Grille doors can comply when they are built for it, but if you are relying on an older grille door for security, ask for evidence rather than assuming.

Views, airflow and salt air

Looking through it

If you look through the screen every day, this is where the three differ most. Fine stainless mesh is the most see-through and lets the most breeze in. Perforated aluminium is a little darker to look through, which most people do not mind on a front door and many like for privacy. On all three, a black finish is easier to see through than a light colour, because it reflects less glare.

Living near the water

Salt spray travels further inland than most people expect, especially along the canals, around the Broadwater and in beachside suburbs. Near the water, 316 marine grade stainless and well powder-coated aluminium both perform well, as long as they are rinsed with fresh water every few weeks. Most warranties ask for regular cleaning in coastal areas, so it is worth keeping a note of when you do it.

Cost and what to expect

Price depends on more than the infill. The size and type of opening, the frame, the lock and how the screen is fixed all move the number, so it is hard to compare quotes by material alone. As a rough order, diamond grille is usually the lowest cost, perforated aluminium sits in the middle and stainless steel mesh is usually the highest.

As a guide, a single hinged security door is typically $590 to $1,250 supplied and installed, and a sliding door $950 to $1,650. Our price guide explains what moves those ranges and how to compare two quotes fairly.

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