Can Phantom Fit Any Opening? A Guide for Existing Homes

If you're already living in your home, whether it's an established place in North Twin Falls with mature trees and mid-century character, or a newer build in a growing subdivision, you might assume retractable screens are really a new-construction thing, something you either plan for while building or miss out on. That's not the case. In our experience, there hasn't been an opening we couldn't fit a screen to.

The typical home in Twin Falls was built decades ago; the median construction year across the city is 1982, and a meaningful share of homes are even older than that. Almost none of them were built with retractable screens in mind, and that's completely fine. It's not a barrier, it's just a normal retrofit.

What "Any Opening" Actually Covers

Retractable screens are custom-built to order rather than sold in standard off-the-shelf sizes, which is exactly what makes fitting an existing home possible in the first place. A few examples of what that covers in practice:

Standard windows and doors. Double-hung, single-hung, casement, sliding, awning, and tilt-and-turn windows are all compatible, as are in-swing, out-swing, single, double, and slider doors, regardless of when the home was built or what brand of window or door is currently installed.

Oversized and multi-panel openings. Wide sliding glass walls, folding or stacking door systems, and large patio openings can be covered with a single screen up to around 15 feet wide, and wider spans are handled with a dual-screen setup or cable guide system, the same approach used for new construction.

Arched and non-standard shapes. Openings that aren't a simple rectangle, arched doorways, unusual window shapes, older architectural details common in Twin Falls' historic downtown homes, are handled through custom on-site measurement and fabrication rather than a fixed template. The screen is built around your specific opening, not the other way around.

Garages and large bays. Same principle applies here. A garage opening gets measured and fitted the same way a door or window does.

Where an Existing Home Retrofit Actually Differs

The honest nuance, and the same one we covered when talking about screens during new construction, is that some retrofits take a bit more coordination than others. On a home currently being framed, the structural support for a large opening can be planned in from the start. On a home that's already finished, that same large opening may need a bit more assessment to confirm the mounting points work with the existing structure.

That's a difference in how much coordination a project takes, not a difference in whether it's possible. For the vast majority of existing homes and openings, whether that's a standard patio door, a window, or a garage bay, this isn't a factor at all. It only really comes into play on larger or more complex openings, and even then, it's something we work through during the consultation, not a reason to rule the project out.

What the Process Looks Like on an Already-Built Home

Retrofitting an existing home follows the same core process as any Phantom installation: an on-site consultation and measurement, custom fabrication built to those exact dimensions, and professional installation. There's no need to modify your existing windows or doors themselves, the screen is added to the opening you already have.

Why This Matters for a City Like Twin Falls

With a median home age north of 40 years and established neighborhoods across North Twin Falls full of mid-century homes that predate retractable screens entirely, most of the housing stock in this city falls into the "already built" category, not the "currently under construction" one. If you've been holding off on screens because you assumed it was too late, or that your home's age or window style would be a problem, that assumption is the only thing standing in the way.

Phantom Retractable Screens serves homeowners throughout Twin Falls and the surrounding Magic Valley, including Kimberly, Jerome, Buhl, Filer, and Hansen, whether your home was built last year or fifty years ago. Every project begins with an on-site consultation and measurement, followed by custom fabrication and professional installation. Motorized and manual systems are available for windows, doors, patios, and garages of nearly any shape or size. Every installation is backed by a limited lifetime component warranty and a labor warranty. Screen mesh is not included under the component warranty, but it can always be repaired or replaced if needed.

Request a free quote and a local specialist will take a look at your specific opening and let you know exactly what's involved.

Frequently Asked Questions

My home is older with non-standard windows. Can it still be screened? In almost every case, yes. Because screens are custom-built to your exact opening rather than sold in fixed sizes, older windows, non-standard shapes, and historic architectural details are handled through on-site measurement, not a catalog size.

Is it more expensive to add screens to an already-built home than during construction? Not typically for standard openings. For larger or more complex openings, a retrofit may involve a bit more assessment of the existing structure than a home built with the screen planned in from the framing stage, but this is worked through during the consultation rather than adding significant cost in most cases.

Do you need to modify my existing windows or doors to add a screen? No. The screen is added to your existing opening. Your windows and doors themselves stay exactly as they are.

What if my opening is an unusual shape, like an arch? Non-rectangular and arched openings are handled through custom on-site fabrication. It takes more careful measurement than a standard opening, but it's a routine part of the process, not a barrier.

How do I know if my specific home can be fitted? The most reliable way is a free on-site consultation. A specialist will look at your actual opening, take measurements, and tell you exactly what's involved, rather than guessing based on general assumptions about your home's age or style.