Roughing up the screens, another option?

[kcress]

Seems to me that large sheets of Velcro cost a small fortune.

[KansasNative]

1. There are non toxic adhesives that will bond anything to anything and are waterproof.

2. Loop Velcro is sold 57 inches wide and cut to length - $8.36 per foot.

3. Hook Velcro is sold 57 inches wide and cut to length - $16.26 per foot.

Not so expensive - only a trip to Mac Donalds.

Not sure which is better, hook or loop .

[SantaMonica]

One thing about velcro is that is would block all light from getting through the screen. When a plastic-canvas screen is freshly-cleaned, the holes are open and the light from both sides can reach both sides of the screen. This helps get the new growth going faster. How fast, nobody knows. The velcro would indeed have a roughness advantage.

[KansasNative]

Yes that is true, light would be an issue.
Would it be a problem, if lighted from each side.
Oh well , it was just a thought.

Thanks

[SantaMonica]

It's already supposed to have light on both sides. The difference with velcro is that, after a cleaning, you have just a thin bottom layer of algae remaining, and thus little filtering. You want to get it growing fast. With canvas, that layer will get light from both sides. But it's not know if this makes any real difference or not.

[johnrt]

KansasNative:

Sounds like an interesting idea. I would go with the loop side. Cheaper and since you want some algae to stay on, I am sure some hair algae will grow through the loops and stick.

I doubt that lighting is a problem. We have seen successful single-sided horizontal and vertical screen in the design tread, so an opaque screen should be OK. Certainly worth the experiment.

BTW: Where are you getting such wide velcro?

John T

[KansasNative]

Velcro this size can be ordered from Mc Master Carr, they have a website.