Skip links

(289) 270-5747
Free Estimate

Shading Solutions by ROLLerUP

Zipper track retractable screens

Zipper track screens use a zip-style edge that locks the mesh into a side track, keeping it taut under wind rather than letting it bow or gap. We install them on garage door openings, wide patios and exposed balconies, motorized or manual, built to a published wind rating with honest limits on very large or very windy spans.

Get a free on-site estimate

Retractable mesh screens enclosing a covered patio with a wood-plank ceiling, dining and lounge seating inside

Zipper track retractable screens

A zipper track retractable screen is a mesh panel whose vertical edges are sewn or welded into a bead that runs inside an extruded aluminum side channel – the same idea as a zipper, which is where the name comes from. As the screen lowers, that bead locks into the channel and stays captured along its full height, so the fabric cannot bow outward, flap loose in a gust, or pull away from the frame and leave a gap for insects. On a plain side-channel screen the mesh edge just slides in a groove; on a zip track it is mechanically retained, which is the difference that matters once the opening gets wide or the site is exposed to wind.

We use zip track hardware on openings a plain channel screen is not rated for: garage door conversions, wide patio or loggia spans, and balconies or rooftop openings with nothing around them to break the wind. The track runs in an aluminum guide fixed to the structure on both sides, with a header box at the top holding the roller and a bottom bar the screen locks into when fully lowered. We measure the opening on site, confirm what the track can actually be fastened to, and build the frame to the opening rather than trimming a stock size – any header, pillar or garage track in the way gets dealt with before the screen goes in, not worked around afterward.

Get a free on-site estimate

What it solves

Reduces UV exposure and glare benefit icon

Garage door openings

A lot of garage conversions start with the door sitting open for airflow and nothing stopping insects or the neighbour's dog from wandering in. A zip track screen mounts inside the opening, in tracks fixed to the existing frame, and gives you a bug-tight screened room without touching the garage door itself. Because the opening is wide and usually taller than a patio door, this is one of the places a plain side-channel screen is not strong enough – the track is what keeps the mesh from pulling loose across that width.

Blocks heat feature icon for retractable screens

Wide patio and loggia spans

Once a patio opening gets past a single sliding door's width, a plain channel screen starts to bow in the middle under its own weight and under wind pressure. The zip track keeps the vertical edge captured along the full height, so a long span still closes flat and seals at the sides instead of flexing away from the frame and leaving a gap at the bottom corner, which is where most insects actually get in.

Wind resistance performance rating icon

Exposed balconies and rooftop terraces

An opening with nothing around it to block wind – a balcony above the ground floor, a rooftop terrace, a lakefront deck – puts more load on the screen edge than a sheltered ground-floor patio ever will. We use zip track hardware here because the mechanical lock at the edge resists that load; a screen that only slides in a groove will work loose and flap on exactly these sites.

Retractable screen motorized smart-home operation icon

A sealed edge, not just a closed one

Closed and sealed are not the same thing. A screen can be fully lowered and still have gaps where the mesh edge has pulled a few millimetres out of its channel – enough for mosquitoes to get through. The zip track keeps that edge locked in place at every point along its height, which is the actual mechanical reason it stops billowing and insect gaps, not just a description on a brochure.

Built for Ontario weather, year round

These are not the thin screens that flap, jump their track and get rolled up at the first breeze. Our retractable screens run in magnetic side rails on an aluminum frame, and the numbers below are what set them apart.

30 ft × 20 ftLargest single screen

One screen covers an opening up to 30 feet wide and 20 feet tall, so a full-width patio or a two-storey porch gets one clean panel instead of two or three joined together.

120 km/hDesign wind speed, screen down

Independently evaluated to a 120 km/h (75 mph) design wind speed with the screen fully lowered. That is the kind of wind that strips leaves off trees; the screen stays put and keeps doing its job.

Magnetic railsSelf-correcting side tracks

Rare-earth magnets in each rail pull the mesh edge back into line after a gust or a knock. There is no zipper to jam and no fabric to re-thread, which is the service call most other screens eventually need.

750 lbHolding force across the rails

The magnets hold the mesh with roughly 750 pounds of pull across the pair of rails. A spring-tensioned track manages a few pounds, which is why those screens bow and flap.

Hurricane gradeStorm-rated option for exposed sites

For lakefront, ridge-top and high-rise openings we offer a hurricane-grade version of the same magnetic-rail system, engineered for winds above 250 km/h.

4 seasonsUse the space all year

Insect mesh for summer, solar mesh for heat and glare, privacy weave, or clear vinyl panels that turn a covered patio into a wind-free room you can heat and use through fall and winter. It is the cheapest square footage you will ever add to the house.

Obstacle sensingMotors that stop when they should

The motor senses an obstruction and stops before anything is damaged. Run up to 32 screens and 10 schedules from one app, a wall switch or a hand-held remote, with smart-home control if you want it.

Wildlife outA weighted, locked bottom bar

The heaviest weighted bottom bar in its class, with retention locks at both ends and a keder-locked fabric edge, keeps mosquitoes, wasps, birds, leaves and the neighbourhood wildlife on the right side of the mesh.

5-year warrantyIn writing, from our own crew

Measured, installed and serviced by ROLLerUP's own installers, with a 5-year warranty in writing and a showroom in Newmarket where you can see the screens work.

Size, wind and holding-force figures are the track system's published technical data and independent evaluation; the wind figure applies to the evaluated screen size, and we confirm the rating for your opening at the free on-site measure.

What it costs

Supplied and installed, a single screen has ranged from $1,400 to $23,500 on real jobs since 2022.

Every project is unique. The final figure depends on the size and number of openings, the options you choose and the site itself, and we put it in writing after a free on-site measure.

What moves the number:

  • The width and height of the opening – a wider or taller span needs a reinforced track and a bigger motor.
  • Motorized versus hand-crank operation, which changes both the hardware and the labour.
  • The mesh grade – a basic insect mesh costs less than a solar-weave or privacy-weave fabric.
  • How many openings are screened in one visit – several openings on one property share a single measure and install trip.
  • Access and height of the install – a second-storey or hard-to-reach opening takes longer to mount safely.
  • The frame and housing colour or finish chosen to match the home.
  • Whether an existing structure needs modification before the screen can be mounted to it.
Louvered aluminum pergola on a large brick home, enclosed with dark motorized retractable screens over a poolside patio

Jobs we've done

Dark motorized retractable screens lowered around a covered lakeside deck at dusk, warm lighting under a wood ceiling

Retractable screens on a covered lakeside deck

Black mesh retractable screen partly lowered on a covered patio looking out to a backyard pool

Retractable screen on a covered patio beside a pool, Newmarket

Two motorized retractable mesh screens lowered over a covered patio beside an in-ground pool and cedar fence

Two motorized retractable screens over a pool patio, Holland Landing

Cedar-framed covered patio with retractable mesh screens lowered in black side tracks around a wicker seating area

Retractable screens on a cedar-framed covered patio

Large black retractable screen fully lowered across a stone and wood-clad house patio with potted plants

Wide retractable screen on a stone and wood house patio

Covered patio with stone columns and a fireplace, retractable mesh screens lowered on two sides over a rural view

Retractable screens between stone columns on a covered patio

If your opening is sheltered and no wider than a standard patio door, a plain side-channel screen may do the job for less – see how the two track styles actually compare.

See the comparison

Dark vertical retractable screens lowered on rooftop pergola overlooking city skyline

How the ROLLerUP® Process Works

Consultation

We assess your space and recommend the best retractable screen solution for your needs.

Custom Design & Quote

You’ll receive a transparent quote and a design that fits your space precisely.

Professional Installation

Our team installs your screen system with precision and care—on time and on budget.

Post-Installation Support

We stay available after the install for adjustments, care advice and warranty questions.

Get a free on-site estimate

Why Choose ROLLerUP®?

Trusted Across Canada

From residential porches to commercial projects, thousands of homeowners and businesses rely on ROLLerUP® for shading solutions that combine comfort, style, and durability.

Certified & Insured Experts

Fully insured, WSIB-compliant, and A+ BBB rated — your project is in safe hands. Every ROLLerUP® installer is a trained professional with a clean criminal record, ensuring safety, integrity, and peace of mind on every job site.

Custom Solutions, Built to Last

Every screen, awning, and pergola is made-to-measure with premium materials, smart controls, and weather-ready performance.

Proven Experience

With over a decade in business and 1000+ successful projects completed, our track record speaks for itself

5-Star Customer Reviews

“ROLLerUP® transformed our backyard into the perfect outdoor oasis. Professional, reliable, and a team you can trust.” — Verified Customer

Frequently Asked Questions

We don't quote a single wind number because it changes with opening width, mesh grade and mounting, and a rating that applies to a narrow window doesn't apply to a wide garage opening. What we can tell you plainly is that the zip track holds the mesh edge far more firmly than a plain side channel, and if an opening is too wide or too exposed for us to stand behind, we'll say so on-site instead of installing it anyway.

Yes. A zip track screen can run on a motor the same way a plain retractable screen does – a switch, remote or home automation input raises and lowers it – or it can be built as a manual hand-crank or pull-bar version. The track itself doesn't change between the two; what changes is the header housing, which needs to hold a motor and its wiring on a motorized unit.

The track is an aluminum channel that collects grit and pollen over a season, and that debris is what eventually makes a screen stiff to raise or lower. We recommend vacuuming the channel out and wiping it with a damp cloth a few times a year, and keeping the roller housing clear of leaves and nesting insects. The mesh itself can be wiped down or rinsed; it should not be scrubbed with anything abrasive.

Yes, that's one of the main reasons the hardware exists. The opening is wider and usually taller than a patio door, so the screen needs the track's mechanical edge lock to stay taut across that span. We still need to check what the track can be fixed to on both sides and whether the garage door track itself gets in the way before we confirm the job.

On a modest, sheltered opening – a single patio door on a covered porch, for instance – a side-channel screen does the job at a lower cost, because the opening isn't wide enough or exposed enough to put real load on the mesh edge. We'll tell you during the site visit which track style your opening actually needs rather than defaulting to the more expensive option.

Every zip track screen we install carries a 5-year warranty, in writing, covering the hardware and workmanship. It doesn't cover misuse – forcing a jammed track, or damage from someone leaning on the mesh – but normal wear on the track, roller and motor is covered for that period.

Dark retractable mesh screens lowered along a louvered pergola patio beside a pool with striped chaise lounges

Where we install this

Southern Ontario's wind gusts off open spaces – lakefront, ridge-top lots, big-box parking lots next to a backyard – are exactly the condition a zip track screen is built for, and local rules never limit a retractable screen the way they might a permanent structure, so most openings are a straightforward install once the site survey is done. We've completed 30 installs in Toronto and 15 installs in Richmond Hill since 2022, plus smaller runs across York Region, and garage door conversions are one of the most common zip track requests we get in subdivisions where the garage faces the street and doubles as extra living space in summer.

More about retractable screens

Retractable screens guides

Compare options

Where we install

About ROLLerUP

Get a free on-site estimate

We'll measure the opening, check what the track can mount to, and tell you honestly whether a zip track or a plain side-channel screen is the right fit.

Get a free on-site estimate