Check page 112 of M. Cusato's "Get Your House Right." She makes a convincing case for half screens.

If they are true double-hung, do full screens. That lets you open the top sash—especially useful if you have kids or pets who might push through the screen when the bottom sash is open—or you can crack open the top and bottom of the window to get convection going for some natural airflow.

Full screens -- don't you ever open the top part of your window?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe I'm alone in this but I don't like screens. I like how clean and clear the windows look without them. We remove all of ours and keep them in the garage or basement. I have a screen on strategic windows during fall or spring to get air flow.

+1

We don’t use screens either. The room is much brighter without screens blocking the window. This seems like an American thing and maybe even regional. My family is from the Mediterranean and nobody uses screens.

Don't you get bugs in the house then, or is is less buggy there than here?

Of course they do! They love flies spitting on their food.

They have far fewer mosquitos because of the drier climate

We have had both in three separate homes. My opinions are pretty split too.

We rarely have our windows open (allergies) so looking out of the window is nicer with the half screen. If you want to open up the top, you can slide it up easier. Storing half screens in the house in the winter is easier due to size. Although I never do this.) Cleaning screens is easier due to size.

I do feel like we have more bugs in the house with half screens. And every time I clean my windows, I wish I had a full screen (unless I am cleaning the screen.). I also think the half screen looks better from the outside. But breaking into a house is easier with the half screen.

It’s really evenly split when you do the pros and cons- and it’s hard to choose.

If you can…. Pick out the windows you want to have open all of the time and make those full screen. Everything else (like the front of the house?) make them half. I know it’s crazy. But I think that is what I would do with my windows now.

I just got new Marvin Elevate windows after waiting 6 months. They look great but really hate how the full screen looks from the outside. Makes the white mullions look Grey. Is there a better type of screen ? We only had one option with the Elevate.

OP here. Thanks everyone, seems pretty evenly split. My partner decided on full screens - thinks we will actually utilize the top portion of the window. We did opt for “high transparency” mesh whatever fwiw.