Security Screens vs Fly Screens: What Is the Difference?
By Steve ยท Owner & Licensed Security Installer (Master Security Licence #000105713)
Reviewed by Steve
Last updated: 18 June 2026
Clarifies the real difference between AS 5039 tested security screens with stainless steel mesh and insect-only fly screens, so Sydney homeowners do not pay for, or rely on, the wrong level of protection.
Key product notes
A fly screen keeps insects out. A security screen is a tested barrier built to resist a break-in. They can look similar but they are not interchangeable.
Security screens use high-tensile stainless steel mesh (316 marine-grade near the coast) in a strong frame and are tested to AS 5039; fly screens use light fibreglass or aluminium insect mesh in a light frame.
A fly screen costs far less but offers zero forced-entry resistance, so it is the right product only where the goal is purely insect control.
Shire Security Doors and Screens supplies both and will recommend the right one per opening. Free measure and quote on 0410 474 256 or steve@shiredoors.com.au.
What is the difference between a security screen and a fly screen?
The difference is purpose and construction. A fly screen uses light insect mesh in a light frame and is designed only to keep bugs out; it offers no resistance to forced entry. A security screen uses high-tensile stainless steel mesh in a strong, fixed frame and is tested to Australian Standard AS 5039 to resist break-ins, while still keeping insects out as a bonus. Security screens typically cost $480 to $700 per window or $700 to
,600 per door installed, against roughly $50 to $200 for a fly screen.
They are often confused because both fit over an opening and both let air through. But only one is a security product, and treating a fly screen as security is a costly mistake. Here is how to tell them apart and choose the right one for each opening.
Fly screen: insect protection only, no forced-entry resistance
Security screen: AS 5039 tested barrier built to resist break-ins
Security screens keep insects out as a secondary benefit
Very different price points reflect very different jobs
The mesh is the real difference
Mesh is where the two products diverge most. Fly screen mesh is light fibreglass or thin aluminium, easily pushed, cut or torn, which is all that is needed to stop insects. Security screen mesh is high-tensile woven stainless steel, designed to resist cutting, levering and impact. On coastal Shire homes the right specification is 316 marine-grade stainless steel, which contains molybdenum for superior salt corrosion resistance.
The frame matters just as much. A fly screen sits in a light aluminium surround, while a security screen uses a strong frame, ideally with welded corners, fixed firmly to the building so the whole assembly resists attack as one unit. You cannot turn a fly screen into a security screen by changing the mesh alone.
Fly screen mesh: light fibreglass or aluminium, insect-only
Security mesh: high-tensile stainless steel, cut and impact resistant
316 marine-grade mesh for coastal corrosion resistance
Security screens use strong, firmly fixed frames
Compliance: only one is tested to AS 5039
A genuine security screen is tested to AS 5039, the Australian Standard for security screen doors and window grilles, which puts the product through a sequence of forced-entry tests, including dynamic impact, jemmy, pull, probe, shear and knife-shear tests. A fly screen is not tested to any security standard because it is not a security product.
This is where buyers get caught: some products are marketed as security screens but have never passed AS 5039, making them little more than heavier-looking fly screens. The practical safeguard is simple. Ask for the AS 5039 test documentation for the exact product. A genuine security screen supplier can produce it; an insect screen with a security label cannot.
Security screens are tested to AS 5039 against six forced-entry methods
Fly screens meet no security standard
Beware insect screens marketed as 'security' without AS 5039 testing
Always ask to see the AS 5039 test report for the product quoted
When should you choose which?
Choose a security screen wherever protection is part of the goal: front and back doors, ground-floor and accessible windows, and anywhere you want to leave a door or window open for airflow without leaving the house open. Across most of the Sutherland Shire that means security doors on entries and security screens on accessible windows form the core of a complete perimeter.
Choose a fly screen only where the sole goal is insect control and security is not a factor, such as a high upper-storey window that is not an accessible entry point. Many homes use a sensible mix: tested security screens on the openings that matter and basic fly screens elsewhere.
Security screens: doors, ground-floor and accessible windows
Security screens: any opening you want to leave open for airflow
Fly screens: insect-only needs where security is not a factor
A mix of both across a home is common and cost-effective
Cost: what you pay and what you get
The price gap reflects the difference in materials, construction and testing. A fly screen for a door or window is an inexpensive consumable, typically $50 to $200 depending on size, and may need replacing every few years as the light mesh ages or tears. A security screen is a long-term investment: roughly $480 to $700 per window and $700 to
,600 per door installed, with marine-grade options and a 10-year warranty at the premium end.
Paying fly-screen money and expecting security is the false economy to avoid. If protection matters, a tested security screen is the right spend, and it includes insect protection anyway, so you are not buying both.
Fly screen: about $50 to $200, a consumable that ages and tears
Security window screen: about $480 to $700 per window installed
Security door: about $700 to
,600 installed
A security screen includes insect protection, so you do not need both
No. A fly screen uses light insect mesh in a light frame and only keeps bugs out, with no resistance to forced entry. A security screen uses high-tensile stainless steel mesh in a strong frame and is tested to AS 5039 to resist break-ins. A fly screen is never a substitute for a security screen.
Can I upgrade my fly screen into a security screen?
No. Security comes from the whole assembly, the stainless steel mesh, the strong welded frame and how firmly it is fixed to the building, not the mesh alone. A fly screen frame is too light to make a security barrier, so a genuine security screen has to be a purpose-built, AS 5039 tested product.
How can I tell if a screen is a real security screen?
Ask for the AS 5039 test documentation for the exact product. A genuine security screen passes six forced-entry tests and the supplier can produce the certificate. If a product is marketed as 'security' but no AS 5039 report can be supplied, treat it as an insect screen with a security label.
Do security screens keep insects out too?
Yes. A security screen keeps insects out as a secondary benefit of its tightly woven stainless steel mesh, so you get insect protection and forced-entry resistance in one product. That means you do not need a separate fly screen on an opening that already has a security screen fitted.
When is a fly screen the right choice?
A fly screen is the right choice only where the goal is purely insect control and security is not a factor, such as a high upper-storey window that is not an accessible entry point. For doors and accessible ground-floor windows, a tested security screen is the appropriate product.
How much more do security screens cost than fly screens?
Considerably more, because they do a different job. A fly screen costs roughly $50 to $200, while a security window screen costs about $480 to $700 installed and a security door $700 to
,600. The extra pays for stainless steel mesh, a strong frame and AS 5039 testing, plus insect protection is included.