Short answer: zip screens are motorized fabric screens locked into side channels: the lower-cost way to block sun, wind, insects and views. Glass walls (guillotine or sliding) give a fully weather-sealed, clear enclosure you can use in colder months. Many projects use both: glass where you want the view and the seal, screens for shade and privacy.
Zip Screens in Brief
A zip screen is an exterior fabric screen whose edges run inside side channels, so it stays taut and does not flap or let insects around the edges. Our Ventus screens are motorized, remote-controlled and installed in pergola columns or on walls.
Glass Walls in Brief
VitraLift guillotine glass walls move vertically: panels of 10 mm tempered or 19 mm double-glazed glass slide up and down in side rails, driven by a motor and timing belt. Horizontal sliding glass walls open sideways like doors. Both close the space against rain, wind and cold while keeping the view.
Comparison
| Zip screens | Glass walls | |
|---|---|---|
| Sun and glare | Excellent | Some (glass lets sun in) |
| Wind | Good, screen stays in its channels | Excellent, fully closed |
| Rain and cold | Partial | Sealed enclosure |
| Insects | Yes | Yes, when closed |
| Privacy | Yes, depending on fabric | No (clear glass) |
| View when closed | Filtered | Clear |
| Starting price (published) | From $8,000 (Ventus) | From $20,000 (VitraLift) |
Prices are starting points for a typical opening; every project is quoted after we see the site.
Which Should You Choose?
- Mainly shade, privacy and bugs, used in warm months: zip screens.
- Year-round use, rain and cold, keeping the view: glass walls.
- Restaurants and full outdoor rooms: often both, on different sides or layered on the same side.
Both are frequently added to a louvered or retractable pergola.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a zip screen?
A zip screen is a motorized exterior fabric screen whose side edges are locked into channels, so it stays taut in wind and seals the edges against insects.
Are glass walls or zip screens better for winter?
Glass walls. They close the space against rain, wind and cold, while zip screens mainly block sun, wind, insects and views.
Can I have zip screens and glass walls on the same patio?
Yes. Many projects use glass walls where the view and weather sealing matter and zip screens for shade and privacy.
How much do zip screens and glass walls cost?
Ventus zip screens start from $8,000 and VitraLift guillotine glass walls from $20,000. Each project is custom and quoted after a site review.
Plan Your Patio Enclosure
Tell us how you want to use the space and we will recommend screens, glass or both, with a custom quote.
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