Florida deals with pool screen shortages after Hurricane Irma

ROTONDA WEST, Fla. An unusual shortage is stopping repairs on homes damaged by Hurricane Irma.

Terry Russell, owner of Russell Screen Repair, can hardly keep up with the demand of screen repairs since the storm hit Southwest Florida nearly two months ago.

“Learning from Hurricane Charley, I stocked up on screen as much as I possibly could afford and I did do that and I’m glad I did, because I wouldn’t be working today if I wouldn’t have done that,” Russell said.

For Russell, business is up by 400 percent.

“Everybody is sold out, you know, on their screens,” he said. “We’re booked into February.”

Other companies have backlogs up to four to six months, because of the shortage of screen and increased calls.

Charlotte County resident Susan Cormier searched all over for a company to repair her pool cage before she contracted Russell.

“I called at least five different screen companies and most of them didn’t even answer the phone,” Cormier said.

Hundreds of pool cages and lanais were ripped apart by Irma, hundreds more were intentionally slashed ahead of the storm.

Russel reminds people it’s not necessary to cut every panel on a pool cage or lanai, just one or two on each side should be enough to let air flow through.