TradeBase Buying Guide

Choose the right flyscreen mesh in 60 seconds

Five mesh types, six widths, three roll lengths. 316 marine-grade stainless, super heavy-duty aluminium, standard aluminium, alkaline-free fibreglass, and pet-paw resistant. BAL-rated bushfire options. Tiered pricing on every roll.

Re-meshing a flyscreen looks simple until you stand in front of the rolls and realise they’re not all the same thing. Aluminium and fibreglass are different materials. Within aluminium itself there are two grades: a standard 30 m roll for general residential use, and a super heavy-duty 0.46 mm wire on 14 m rolls for high-traffic doors and security screens. 316 marine-grade stainless steel is BAL-rated for bushfire zones and runs at premium pricing for that reason. Pet-resistant mesh is a different beast made for households where dogs or cats scratch through standard insect screen. This guide walks through every decision in the right order so you end up with the right roll the first time.

The 60-second decision

  1. What’s the use case? Standard insect protection, high-traffic door, coastal/bushfire-rated, or pets scratching through?
  2. Which mesh? Fibreglass, standard aluminium, super heavy-duty aluminium, 316 marine stainless, or pet-resistant.
  3. What width? 610 mm to 2440 mm rolls.
  4. How long? 14 m, 30 m, or 50 m roll — tiered pricing per metre on bigger rolls.
  5. What accessories? Spline, corner stakes, swivel clips and pull tabs.

The mesh range

Click any card title to view that mesh in the shop.

Fibreglass

Standard residential →

  • 0.28 mm alkaline-free fibreglass
  • Most common Australian residential mesh
  • Easier to spline-fit than aluminium
  • Lower cost, replaceable every 8–15 years
  • Sold on 50 m rolls in 6 widths

View Fibreglass Range →

Standard Aluminium

Step up from fibreglass →

  • Standard-gauge aluminium wire
  • Powder-coated charcoal black
  • Holds shape better than fibreglass
  • 30 m roll length, 5 widths
  • Use for: standard windows, screen doors needing more durability than fibreglass

View Aluminium Range →

Super HD Aluminium

0.46 mm wire, heavy duty →

  • 0.46 mm super heavy-duty aluminium wire
  • ~60% thicker strand than standard aluminium
  • Holds shape under high wind load
  • 14 m roll, 910 mm and 1220 mm widths
  • Use for: large doors, frequently-cleaned screens, commercial fitouts
  • Also a great pet option — thicker wire resists most dog & cat scratching

View Super HD Range →

316 Marine Stainless

Coastal & bushfire-rated →

  • 316-grade stainless steel weave
  • BAL-rated for bushfire zones (AS 3959)
  • Salt-spray resistant for coastal builds
  • 30 m roll, 5 widths
  • Use for: coastal homes, BAL-FZ / BAL-29+ compliance

View 316 Marine Range →

Pet-Paw Resistant

Dog & cat households →

  • 0.80 mm reinforced polymer
  • 3× thickness of standard fibreglass
  • Resists scratching, jumping, lean-against damage
  • White, black or silver/grey edge

View Pet Mesh Range → · Pet Mesh Guide

Standard aluminium vs super heavy-duty — what’s the difference?

Standard aluminium — 30 m roll

Step up from fibreglass for windows and doors that get more day-to-day use. Aluminium holds shape better, won’t bow inward on big openings, and lasts longer. Available in five widths (610–1220 mm) on 30 m rolls. 610 mm · 760 mm · 810 mm · 910 mm · 1220 mm

Super heavy-duty — 0.46 mm wire, 14 m roll

Thicker wire (0.46 mm vs standard gauge) for the toughest residential and commercial applications. Use on full-height security door panels, frequently-pressure-washed screens, and any opening over 1.2 m wide where wind load is a factor. Sold on 14 m rolls in 910 mm and 1220 mm widths. 910 mm × 14 m · 1220 mm × 14 m.

🦣 Mid-tier pet option too — the thicker 0.46 mm wire stands up to most dog and cat paw scratching, so pet households on a budget can step up from fibreglass without going all the way to the dedicated pet-resistant polymer mesh.

316 marine stainless — when it’s required

316 marine-grade stainless mesh is the most expensive of the standard insect-mesh range and isn’t necessary for most homes. Specify it when:

  • The home is in a designated bushfire-prone zone (AS 3959 BAL ratings) — standard meshes won’t comply
  • The home is within ~1 km of the coast and salt-spray exposure rules out other materials
  • Council, builder or insurance requires marine-grade as part of the build spec

For inland residential without bushfire requirements, super heavy-duty aluminium gives you most of the durability at a fraction of the cost. Sizes: 610 mm · 760 mm · 910 mm · 1220 mm · 1520 mm.

Width — what do I need?

Measure the inside dimensions of the screen frame — the part the spline sits in — and add about 50 mm to each dimension. Then choose the next-largest stocked width up.

WidthFibreglassStandard AluminiumSuper HD Aluminium316 Marine
610 mm50 m30 m30 m
760 mm50 m30 m30 m
810 mm50 m30 m
910 mm50 m30 m14 m30 m
1220 mm50 m30 m14 m30 m
1520 mm50 m30 m
1800 mm50 m
2140 mm50 m
2440 mm50 m

Tiered pricing across every roll

Per-metre cost drops with bigger rolls. Multi-roll trade pricing for installers, builders and property services — email your typical monthly volume for set rates.

Accessories — spline, corner stakes, swivel clips, pull tabs

Re-meshing a flyscreen is a 15–30 minute job per panel with the right consumables. Don’t order mesh without checking these:

Spline (rubber gasket)

Polythene foam spline holds the mesh in the frame channel. Sized 5.0, 5.3, 5.7, 6.0 or 6.3 mm. Cut-to-size or bulk trade rolls

Corner stakes

Hold the frame square while the mesh is splined. 9 × 22 mm · 11 × 25 mm

Swivel clips

Hold the screen panel inside the window opening. Black flush 1.6 mm

Lift tabs / pull grips

Finger pulls fitted to the frame edge for easy screen removal — the small tabs you grab to pop the screen out for cleaning. 22 mm frames · 25 mm frames

Common scenarios

ScenarioWhat you needExample product
Standard suburban window or screen doorFibreglass, 910 mm, 50 m roll910 mm × 50 m Fibreglass
Whole-house re-mesh, inlandFibreglass, mid-width, 50 m roll1220 mm × 50 m Fibreglass
Step up from fibreglass — standard windowsStandard aluminium, 30 m roll1220 mm × 30 m Aluminium
Heavy-use screen door / mid-tier petSuper HD aluminium 0.46 mm, 14 m roll1220 mm × 14 m HD Aluminium
Wide patio screen panelsFibreglass, 2440 mm, 50 m roll2440 mm × 50 m Fibreglass
Coastal home, salt-spray exposed316 marine-grade stainless1220 mm × 30 m Marine 316
Bushfire-zone build (BAL-rated)316 marine-grade stainless, BAL-rated1520 mm × 30 m Marine 316
Pets scratching through current screenPet-paw resistant 0.80 mm polymerSee Pet Mesh Guide →
Replace a broken pull tabLift tab matching frame size22 mm Lift Tab
Installer / builder / property services, ongoingSet trade pricing, multi-roll volumeEmail sales@tradebaseaustralia.com.au

Brand compatibility

TradeBase mesh fits any standard Australian flyscreen frame — the spline-and-channel system has been the industry standard for decades. Compatible with most popular frame brands including Stegbar®, A&L®, Bradnam®, Wideline®, Trend®, AWS® and Dowell®, plus generic aluminium and timber DIY frames sold at Bunnings, Mitre 10 and Home Hardware.

Compliance — bushfire and security ratings

Mesh fitted in designated bushfire zones is regulated under AS 3959. Our 316 marine-grade stainless steel mesh is BAL-rated for bushfire-prone zones up to BAL-FZ. Standard aluminium and fibreglass meshes are not BAL-rated and shouldn’t be specified on bushfire-classified builds. Note that mesh on its own doesn’t make a security screen door — that requires the door to also be tested to AS 5039 with the appropriate frame, hinges, and lock. See the security door lock buying guide.

Installation

Re-meshing takes about 15–30 minutes per panel. Pop the old spline out, lift the old mesh away, lay the new mesh over the frame with 50 mm overhang on each side, run the spline back in along all four channels with a splining tool, then trim the excess mesh with a sharp blade against the spline edge. The mesh should be slightly tensioned but not stretched.

Still not sure?

Take a photo of the existing screen frame and email it with the rough dimensions to sales@tradebaseaustralia.com.au. We’ll match you to the right mesh, width, length and spline diameter in one reply.

Or browse the full flyscreen mesh range and the flyscreen mesh accessories. For pets, see the dedicated Pet-Resistant Flyscreen Buying Guide.