Introduction
I used to host tons of outdoor movie nights at my family’s old home in California. Often times, I would want to just leave the screen and projector set up outside and go to bed after the fun was over. Knowing I would want to do this, and considering the Bay Area receives a good amount of rain. I wanted to find out if projector screens can get wet (also because dew accumulates if you leave it out all night).
I did a ton of original research on this topic so you don’t have to (and I speak from my own experience having hosted tons of outdoor movie nights for 6 years now).
So can a projector screen get wet?
As a general rule, projector screens shouldn’t come into contact with moisture, rain, or dampness. However, many outdoor projector screens have all-weather material such as Oxford cloth to make them weather resistant, which means your screen will not be ruined if it gets rained on.
In this article we’ll cover the following things:
- How to keep projector screens dry
- The best weather resistant screens
- Related questions
If you have any additional questions or comments, you can reach me entertainmentden.ns@gmail.com and I’ll do my best to respond.
Before we begin, here’s 2 important things I learned that helped me take care of my screens
- The rougher the screen material, the more weather-resistant it is. Image quality is slightly less than that of a smoother, finer material. But watching an outdoor movie makes the experience a whole lot better
- If a screen gets wet, don’t fold it. Now that I live in a more humid area, I can’t let it sit outside to dry if it gets wet. The best way to dry your screen is to leave it hanging on its frame until the wrinkles naturally go away. Doing this will save you several hours of trying to hand-dry it yourself.
Will Rain Ruin a Projector Screen?
There are no projector screens that can be ruined by rain because its made from the same cloth material as clothes, and can be dried in a dryer on low heat. Afterwards, it will need to hang on its frame to be wrinkled out.
Here’s a good example of who this applies to: someone who has a big backyard who wants to watch a movie from their outdoor enclosure, but wants to place their screen further out in their backyard, naturally exposing it to the elements.
If you can put a slight overhang above your projector screen, you could easily shield it from any rain that might soak it.
NINJA TIP: Don’t iron the front of your screen if there are wrinkles. Instead, iron the back of it on a flat surface like a tile floor and use a low to medium heat setting.
Ironing the front creates more visible creases on that side, but if you use the back, no one will notice. The first time I did this I tried to iron it out on a ironing board and it took almost an hour (our screen was 120 inches too). It’s easier if you throw it in the dryer, then iron out some parts of it on the floor and then hand it up.
Easy Ways to Clean a Projector Screen
Whether its soaking wet because it got rained on or accumulates dirt, grime, and dust, here’s the easier way to restore it like new:
- Use window cleaner with warm water on your screen without taking it off its frame. Window cleaner with a rag makes it look extremely fresh and only needs to be done once a month.
- Use 95% warm water and 5% dish soap to get dirt and grime off. Combine this with a microfiber towel, and you’ll be in great shape.
Important note: Don’t use bleach! It’s too harsh of a material to use on screen material. Oxi-Clean is perfectly fine since it’s not bleach.
I wrote a really easy to understand article that talks about screens that are made with ALR material (ambient light rejecting). I only recommend this screen to those who watch movies indoors since the material is of a higher quality than the rest. These should not be exposed to outdoor elements or rain.
My family went back and forth on which material was best to use. After 6 years, using any from the ones I mentioned is a perfect solution. Remember, don’t use bleach!
Best Weather-Resistant Projector Screens
Elite Screens YardMaster (the one I use and love)
Check out my personal video review of it here:
This is the screen my family and I still use to this day. It’s extremely weather resistant and we’ve left it outside all night several times. It’s machine washable and easy to clean with window cleaner. It even has an IP 65 rating for water pressure resistance.
VIVO Home 14ft: Most Water Resistant
What I like about this one is that it’s great for watching movies if you have a pool that you want to set it up next to. It’s the most rain resistant and you could easily leave it out all night even in humid/ moist conditions.
It only takes a few minutes to blow up and I had a blast at my friends’ party when he had this one set up. It’s also roughly the same price as the Elite Screens Yardmaster.
MdBebbron 120 Inch Anti-Crease Screen: Best Entry Level
It’s actually crazy how cheap and affordable this screen is. If you’ve never owned a projector screen or setup an outdoor movie, this is my top recommendation (it’s also an Amazon’s Choice Winner). With this you’ll easily be able to experience the outdoor movie awe without breaking the bank. You can also easily replace this screen if a hurricane takes it out.
The microfiber cloth on this one gives you a quality image from your projector and this one is best suited for families and kids.
If you want some other great tips on how to host an outdoor winter movie night with kids, check out my article on it. I wrote this after I hosted my first movie night party and it includes all the small distinctions I made to make the next one better.
Lastly, we’ll go over some final related questions you might still have.
Related Questions
Does sun damage projector screens? Contrary to what you might thing, sunlight does not damage projector screens because the screen frame will preserve its original shape. The sun’s rays might stretch the corners a little but, but you won’t notice it when watching movies.
How do I prevent someone from taking my outdoor projector screen? You can buy high quality metal skewers that completely secure it to the grass if you are worried about this. If you’re looking to get a permanent setup in your yard, consider filing cement holds and staking the screen frame into it using this method.
Conclusion
As you can see, getting a projector screen wet isn’t a big deal, and there’s lots you can do to take care of it so it lasts all season long. My family used all these tips and tricks to make our outdoor home theater maintenance a breeze.
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions, you can refer to my email listed at the start of this article. Be sure to check back regularly for new topics!