ᐅ Expensive Insect Screen Failed on the Cat – Is This Considered a Defect?
Created on: 13 May 2021 11:13
K
kati1337
Hello!
We finally invested in “proper” insect screens for our new house so we can open the windows in the evening without inviting bloodsuckers inside.
We had these professionally measured and installed. It cost about 500€ for one window and a swinging door on the porch.
What we didn’t consider was our cat. It saw “oh, window open! cool, I want in” — followed by “oh, what’s this?” — then standing upright on the insect screen with extended claws.
Now the screen has multiple damaged spots—one even has a hole. 🙁
I probably can’t blame the installer since the screen is probably not designed for a cat to stand on it. On the other hand, I’m a bit disappointed considering the price that the material feels so weak and thin. Is this normal / something we have to accept?
I assume the screens can be recovered or replaced, but they are only about 2 months old, and given the price we paid, I’m a bit concerned about how much it would cost to fix this if I ask now.
We finally invested in “proper” insect screens for our new house so we can open the windows in the evening without inviting bloodsuckers inside.
We had these professionally measured and installed. It cost about 500€ for one window and a swinging door on the porch.
What we didn’t consider was our cat. It saw “oh, window open! cool, I want in” — followed by “oh, what’s this?” — then standing upright on the insect screen with extended claws.
Now the screen has multiple damaged spots—one even has a hole. 🙁
I probably can’t blame the installer since the screen is probably not designed for a cat to stand on it. On the other hand, I’m a bit disappointed considering the price that the material feels so weak and thin. Is this normal / something we have to accept?
I assume the screens can be recovered or replaced, but they are only about 2 months old, and given the price we paid, I’m a bit concerned about how much it would cost to fix this if I ask now.
nordanney schrieb:
Yes, of course that’s normal. Aggressive cats destroy everything. Even a €7,000 Rolf Benz sofa actually gets scratched if the cat extends its claws – no complaint helps, no matter how high-quality the material is. Yes, that’s correct, I was just not expressing myself well earlier. My plan was not to call the supplier and complain. 😉
I was more wondering if it’s normal for the tensioned net to be extremely fine/thin and tear very easily.
I was in the room when it happened. The cat didn’t intend to damage it. It just stood up on it once and probably extended its claws briefly to “hold on.” When we said "no," it got down again. Without any audible scratching. I am surprised that this caused any damage to the material.
My question was more along the lines of: Did the supplier install cheap discount nets for €500? Should we feel like we were taken advantage of? Or is it normal that even professional nets are so thin and easily damaged?
Ontopic: It’s worth a try. 😉 I would possibly try to negotiate a discount on reupholstering by referring to consulting errors – maybe mentioning the cat during the sales conversation? – Possibly consider the mesh solution in the area of damage?
Offtopic:
Once the house is completed, we finally want to visit the animal shelter to get a cat and “bring some life into the place.”
So far, I’ve only had bad experiences with cats and fabric sofas. Are there any tips on how to make this somewhat compatible?
In general, the topic of cat flaps is quite conflicting in KFW-standard houses. Will I really have to get up every time later to let the meowing cat in or out?
Offtopic:
nordanney schrieb:
Even the €7,000 Rolf Benz sofa actually gets scratches,
Once the house is completed, we finally want to visit the animal shelter to get a cat and “bring some life into the place.”
So far, I’ve only had bad experiences with cats and fabric sofas. Are there any tips on how to make this somewhat compatible?
In general, the topic of cat flaps is quite conflicting in KFW-standard houses. Will I really have to get up every time later to let the meowing cat in or out?
kati1337 schrieb:
My question was more about whether the installer used cheap discount nets for 500€. Should we feel like we were ripped off? Or is it normal that even professional nets are so thin and fragile?I consider the price reasonable for one window and one door from a specialist retailer. That’s fair. And the ones from a specialist do have a completely different quality compared to what you usually get. Ours have been hanging in the windows for many years without any issues and still look like new, apart from some dust...
The problem is that especially the more expensive mesh fabrics are extremely fine to minimize the impact on visibility. And if your 5kg (11 lbs) cat jumps against the net, even metal threads probably won’t help anymore...
lastdrop schrieb:
And if a 5kg (11 lbs) tomcat jumps against the net, metal wires probably won't help anymore either... Visually, gauze is always smooth and looks neat.
A stainless steel mesh dents immediately, and those dents are quite visible due to light reflections.
Regarding quality: specialist trade versus discount store (had both in the old house),
the one from the specialist store survived a fall from the first floor onto the terrace without any damage.
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nordanney14 May 2021 10:33OWLer schrieb:
Once the house is finished, we finally want to visit the animal shelter to look for a cat, to "bring some life into the place."
So far, I’ve only had bad experiences with cats and fabric-covered sofas. Are there any tips on how to make this somewhat compatible?Just skip the sofa 😉 (+ Wort4 + Wort5)