Which windscreen fabric fits your court?
A windscreen cuts the wind across the court and screens play from outside view. Douglas rates each fabric by windbreak, the share of wind it stops, and more windbreak means more privacy and more load on the fence.
| Fabric | Windbreak | Weight per sq yd | Weave | Hem | Grommets | Sizes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vinyl coated polyester | 80 percent | 8 oz | 9 by 12 | 3-ply, 1-1/2 in, solid vinyl insert | #2 brass, every 18 in top and bottom, every 12 in on the sides | 6 ft, or 9 ft with a center tab, custom heights by request |
| VCP Max | 85 percent | 10 oz | 16 by 17 | 3-ply, 1-1/2 in | Same as vinyl coated polyester, or every 12 in all round by request | 6 ft, or 9 ft with a center tab |
| PolyPro Plus open mesh | 85 percent | 7 oz | 28 by 14 leno | 4-ply with an 18 oz vinyl overlay, 1-1/2 in | Same as vinyl coated polyester | 6 ft or 9 ft, custom by request |
| PolyPro Plus closed mesh | 95 percent | 8 oz | 30 by 16 leno | Not published | Not published | 6 ft or 9 ft |
| Privacy screen, 150 ft rolls | Not published | Not published | Knit high density polyethylene | None, an optional reinforced hem with grommets lowers the roll height | None unless hemmed | 44, 68 or 92 in high by 150 ft, cut on site |
| Privacy screen, finished panels | Not published | Not published | Knit high density polyethylene | Hemmed all round | Spacing not published | 68 or 92 in by 50 ft, green or black |
Vinyl coated polyester comes in colors at 8 oz and 80 percent windbreak. VCP Max is the heavier, tighter weave, at 10 oz and 85 percent. PolyPro Plus open mesh stops the same 85 percent at 7 oz. PolyPro Plus closed mesh stops the most wind, 95 percent, and sits in its own listing. Woven screens are made to order to the inch, and Douglas recommends 60 ft as the longest panel.
Privacy screen is a knit polyethylene, sold in 150 ft rolls sized for 4, 6 and 8 ft fences and cut on site, or as finished 50 ft panels in green or black. Douglas publishes no windbreak or weight for it. For a club name or graphics on the screen, see custom digital windscreen printing.
How tall should the screen be?
Douglas puts the typical tennis court chain link fence at 10 feet, and the common tennis screen at 9 feet, hung at the top of that fence with a foot of fence left open at the bottom. A 9 foot screen can also be centered with 6 inches clear top and bottom. Some facilities center a 6 foot screen on the 10 foot fence instead, which leaves 2 feet of open fence above and below. On other fence heights, Douglas makes the screen about 4 inches shorter than the fence so mowing and trimming miss it.
Every screen over 6 feet carries a center tab with grommets every 18 inches, which ties to the fence as well.
How much windscreen does a court take?
Screen runs the whole fence line, gates included, since Douglas screens gates and transoms the same way as the fence. The tennis sizes below use the minimum space the International Tennis Federation, or ITF, sets around a court, 21 feet behind each baseline and 12 feet beside each sideline for international play, or 18 and 10 feet for club play. The pickleball sizes are the playing surface USA Pickleball sets, which the fence encloses.
| Court | Fence encloses | Size from | Linear feet of screen |
|---|---|---|---|
| One tennis court | 60 by 120 ft | ITF, international play | 360 |
| One tennis court | 56 by 114 ft | ITF, club play | 340 |
| One pickleball court | 34 by 64 ft | USA Pickleball, recommended for new courts, Rule 3.A.3 | 196 |
| One pickleball court | 30 by 60 ft | USA Pickleball minimum, Rule 3.A.3 | 180 |
Real panels run slightly shorter, because Douglas measures inside tension bar to inside tension bar and leaves out the end posts. Measure your own fence the way Douglas's guide sets out.
- Measure each run from inside tension bar to inside tension bar, with the tape along the ground, and round down to the inch.
- Start a new measurement at every corner, fence break and gate.
- Keep each panel to 60 feet or less. Douglas says panels of 30 to 40 feet take less wind stress and last longer.
- Count the ties for a panel as its top, bottom and both sides added together in feet. Douglas's example is two 6 by 50 foot panels taking 224 ties.
Worked from that rule, 360 feet of 9 foot screen in six 60 foot panels takes 828 ties on the hems and about 240 more on the center tabs, about 1,068 ties or 11 packs of 100.
How do you hang a windscreen?
Douglas calls for a 120 lb UV protected tie on every grommet, with 50 lb ties or black lacing cord as an alternative in some areas. Never hang a screen on metal clips or hog rings. A plastic tie breaks in a high wind and lets the screen go, while a metal clip holds on and tears the screen or its hem. Replace a broken tie at once, because a loose screen whips against the fence and shreds.
The 120 lb ties come in 8 inch, 14 inch and 17 inch lengths, and the 50 lb ties in 7 inch and 12 inch, each in packs of 100. For lacing, the collection carries braided poly lacing rope, which goes in the cart, and black nylon lacing cord, a quote item you request from its product page.
Wind load on a screened fence
A screen adds wind load to the fence it hangs on, and the more wind a fabric stops, the more load it passes to the fence. Douglas says PolyPro Plus open mesh puts the least strain on the fence, and suits taller fences and windy sites. Douglas also recommends air vents on screens over 6 feet and wherever high winds prevail, either 8 by 10 inch sewn vents or 8 by 5 inch die-cut vents every 10 feet. Ask for vents on the quote form when you order.
Send your fence runs, screen height and fabric through the quote form on the screen's product page, or call (480) 264-6889, Monday to Friday, 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM Arizona time. Privacy screen, ties and lacing rope go straight in the cart.
Ties and lacing rope also sit in windscreen accessories, and more Douglas screen fabrics in windscreen materials. For a pickleball court fence, see pickleball windscreens, and for the posts inside the fence, tennis net posts and ground sleeves.