For years now I’ve left my sliding glass door open in my living room during the warmer months. The cooler air circulating in from my patio is great but invariably flies find their way into my home. This summer, I decided to finally solve this problem, in a way that I was hoping to be both cheap and convenient.
I’d seen the commercials for the “Magic Mesh” for quite a while. It’s a simple soft fabric mesh that you install over a doorway. The gimmick is that the mesh is split down the middle to allow people and pets to continue to use the doorway. A series of magnets hold the mesh together in the middle so that it keeps pests out when people/pets aren’t going through it. Admittedly, the reviews I read online were mixed. Some complained it was difficult to install. Others said their “Magic Mesh” fell down after just a few weeks. A few people said the magnets weren’t strong enough.
I was hesitant but at about $20, it wouldn’t be that great of a loss even if it turned out to be complete junk. I bought my “Magic Mesh” at a local store and my box stated that it now had “stronger magnets”. I suppose this was in response to some of the reviews. Upon opening the box, I found the instructions to be clear and simple. Installation essentially involves sticking on some adhesives to the mesh and then applying the other side of the adhesives to your door frame. After a bit of measuring and eyeballing, I had the mesh over my doorway in minutes.
The adhesives they include in the box are really quite strong and just half of them could easily hold up the mesh without any problems. I can’t see how the mesh would fall down during regular use. Even if you tugged on it, the mesh would rip before the adhesives would detach. It’s possible I have the improved model but it certainly feels sturdy to me. As for the magnets, they don’t require much force to separate and I can easily walk through the mesh. Once you’re through though, the magnets snap together with authority, which let’s you know everything is sealed up tight again.
I’ve had it installed for about a month now and the biggest test to me is how many flies I’ve had to chase down since the mesh went up. The answer is zero. What was a daily bug hunt is now something I don’t even have to think about. I can only speak for my own experience but the “Magic Mesh” was well worth my $20.