Ok, this is definitely a post that only Alto owners will want to read… When I finished writing up my notes on why and how to change the screen/shade components in my Alto, it was too long to put into a post on the Facebook owners group so now it’s a blog post. And you can skip it completely if your reaction is “what the heck??!” and I won’t be offended 🙂
This is a follow-up to the post where I introduced my new screens. If you have the old screens and shades in a fixed-roof Alto (F series) and you want to replace one or more of them with new screens, yes, you can. It’s not super-simple, but it’s not really that hard either.
Why New Screens?
In my case, the answer is personal. My BFW screen/shade strings broke a year and a half ago, and so I really wanted to fix that. And once I saw the new screen design, I really, really wanted it.
The new version of the shades/screens for the BFW is a solid, solid improvement. It has very tiny mesh, double-thick, and is designed to stop no-see-must and smaller insects from sneaking into your Alto. It’s also less easy to see into the Alto, even when the screen is all the way extended. The shade has three horizontal supporting rods and the shade also has three of them, so the whole construction feels more sturdy and the shade better supported (the old shade had a single horizontal rod).
All of the newer screens have a different shade, which is not only double-thick but way better at blocking the light. I was camped next to someone who left their porch lights on all night and once I closed the shade, I couldn’t tell if that light was on or off. In short, if you love darkness at night, these shades are a massive improvement over the white ones. Also, there are no strings running through these shades, so nothing to break and no tiny holes where light can peek through. (The screens have two strings in them, for the record).
The three non-BFW screens are the same mesh as before, which lets the bugs slide in the sides. So I still use some foam backer rod (available at most good hardware stores) cut to size and then shoved gently into the side channels to flatten the screens and provide a decent seal on the edges.
The frames are black instead of white, so I chose to replace all of my screens so they matched.
Ordering New Screens
You can order the screens through the Safari Condo online store. The shipping would be horrible though, so best to do this when you can pick them up in Quebec (either service center or showroom). The screens are super-flexible, and so they require pallet shipping, which is why shipping is so expensive. That BFW screen is BIG – it took up most of the bed of my Ridgeline pickup. The new screens come in two parts: the actual screen/shade (all nicely assembled) and a plastic bag with parts. That bag is critical, as it contains the mounting pieces (2 or 4), screws, and corner pieces that cover the screws, so when you pick up your shiny new screens/shades, make sure you get the plastic bags (one bag per screen/shade).
I worked with the service department to make sure I was ordering the correct sizes, so there was a bit of back and forth before I had all the info to place an actual order. For the record, the F1743 window sizes are shown below (1 BFW, 2 side windows, 1 back window):
Removing the Old Screens
The old screens are held on with screws, and you have to remove them with a long-bit Robertson screwdriver because they are recessed into the frame. The old screens sit on some white mounting pieces, so remove those two as nothing from the old screens, including the holes, can be reused for the new screens.
If you want to fill the old holes that might be visible — because the new screens are slightly smaller — then use some JB weld silver epoxy or similar stuff. You’ll also need to flatten the screw holes with a small hammer or similar tool to make them smooth with the wall.
Hanging the New Screens
The new screens hang off the mounting clips, and, like most SC things, there is a story here. SC Service told me to put four clips on, one on each side in the middle of each side, and then provided four clips for each window. Later, we flipped someone’s screen that had been installed by the factory and there were only two clips, both of them at the top of the window. Personally, I think the two clips at the top is an easier install, especially for the BFW (because getting the distance right between top and bottom clips was a PITA for all four screens, especially the BFW).
The two clips are spaced along the top so that the screen frame hangs easily and you can then make starting holes for the new screws (an awl is a handy tool for this). The factory install uses two screws per corner, it’s kind of obvious where they go. Then you put on the corner piece, which is way easier to do if you unfurl the screen or shade a few inches; hook the inside corner of the piece to the inside corner of the screen and then gently snap the outside edges to the frame. All done! (And no more little white plugs in the corners to pop out and get lost, yay!)
Tips on Using the New Clips
The other thing to note is that the clips on the new screens are easy to pop off and go flying. How to avoid that? Don’t move the shades up and down with them clipped to both sides. Move the shade/screen where you want it, then gently push the clip edges into position. To unclip, put your finger into the bottom of the curve and then pull gently to disengage the clip edges. These are gentle little things that require a different technique than the super-robust clips the white screens used.
Would I do it again?
Definitely. I love the better light blocking and I really like the sleek black look of the new frames. Worth the hassle of ordering, picking them up, getting the plastic bag of parts (which didn’t make it to the showroom with the rest of the order), figuring out the old screen removal and the new screen placements. Thanks, especially, to Jim Gauvreau, who was, as always, modder extraordinaire, when I realized how different the old and new screens were and needed a partner in crime to get the job done.
(Editorial note: You might guess by the structure and detail of this post that I spent half my working life as a technical writer.)
If you invest wisely in beauty, it will remain with you all the days of your life.
Frank Lloyd Wright
Hello ! I am about to replace the BFW Screen/Shade Duo on my 2016 F1743 and SC seems too busy for answering my questions. I will appreciate if you could enlighten me with your precious experience doing it.
1- SC is telling me that this new BFW Screen/Shade Duo is somehow a hair smaller than the original. How smaller is it ? Did you have any problem making it functional ?
2- SC on-line store pictures show the shade on top and the screen at the bottom which is reversed from the original. Can that new one be installed upside down as to keep the shade at the bottom and the screen at the top ?
Thank you so much for your insights !
Luc
Hi, Luc! The new shade is slightly smaller, maybe half-inch, so you cannot reuse the original holes. But it still fits the window nicely. You will need two people to install it, one to hold it against the wall (it has two little “holders” that go on the top area of the wall ti position the frame, then you press it against the wall to secure the four corners. The little holders fit into the back of the frame, play with them first so you figure out how they work and then screw them into the wall.
I put my screens at the top, shade at the bottom. It voids the warranty, but I’ll take that chance because I like the shade as a privacy shade in campgrounds. No problem installing it this way.