guide
Why square footage can undercount screen rolls
A piece can have less area than a roll and still be impossible to cut from it.
One panel needs one continuous blank
A 35 × 85 inch blank has 2,975 square inches of area. A 36 × 84 inch roll has 3,024. Area division suggests enough material, but the 85-inch side exceeds the roll’s 84-inch length. Turning the blank puts 85 inches across a 36-inch width, which also fails.
Buying two short rolls does not solve that continuous-piece problem. Choose a roll with dimensions that can contain the blank in an allowed orientation.
After fit, account for arrangement
Even when every piece fits individually, their widths may not combine neatly into rows. The resulting strips and ends affect how many rolls are purchased. Our diagrams make those unused areas visible.
Read “leftover” carefully
The tool reports purchased mesh area minus the area of the planned blanks. Some of this unassigned mesh may be reusable. Some is a narrow strip. The blanks themselves include trimming allowance, so leftover area is not the same as final installed area or total project waste.
Use a trial cut
Nominal roll dimensions, frame variations and your cutting technique still matter. Review the labeled cuts and test one screen before using the whole batch.