The SportScreen is an Awesome Product to Save Your Garage
Obviously, I do a lot of hockey training from home. So far, things have been great. My kids are improving (and so am I), and the equipment I’ve been working with is holding up great! However, I had one vulnerability in my set-up. I have a wall in the basement with two windows. If I ring the puck off the post just right, it ricochets off and hits the window (it has already happened a few times).
When I heard about SportScreen, I immediately thought it could be an excellent solution for my window issue… I was right!
Unboxing the SportScreen:
When you unbox your SportScreen, I recommend opening the instructions and doing a quick inventory. There are quite a few pieces, so make sure you’re not missing anything.
QUICK TIP: The folks down at SportScreen love to stack pieces inside each other. So if you’re missing anything, check inside all the tubes before calling in your missing piece!
After taking inventory, give a quick read through the instructions, decide the mounting style you’re going to use, then have at it!
Installation Process:
Installing the SportScreen took me about 2 hours. The process is pretty straightforward if you follow the instructions. Here’s what I did:
- Assemble the header tube. It comes in three pieces. Stick the pieces together, then secure them with the self-tapping screws
- Hang the mounting brackets. This will vary depending on what you’re drilling into. For me, I mounted a 2×4 to my basement wall using a stud gun, then attached the brackets to the wood. It’s holding up great!
- Insert the header tube. If you’ve spaced the brackets properly, the header tube will slide right into place. Make sure you use the cotter pin to keep it from working it’s way out.
- Attach the screen. Hook the screen to the header tube using the velcro paneling that’s attaches to both the screen and the tube.
- Set your height stops. Use the wand tool that comes with your SportScreen to set the ascending stop and the descending stop. This will make it so you never have to manually stop it.
- Insert rods. Put the heavy, metal rod in the bottom slot, and the lighter, plastic rod in the slot that’s about half-way up the screen. The rods help it to hang properly, and make it so the pucks hit with a “dead bounce.”
- Test remote. The remote usually comes programmed for your SportScreen. If, for some reason, yours isn’t, just plug in the SportScreen, and hold down the up button while you hear the 5 beeps. Now your remote is programmed!
- Mount your remote holder somewhere convenient.
Usability & Functionality:
Assembly is the hard part (even thought it’s not that hard). Once you’re set up, using the SportScreen is literally as easy as pushing a button. Lower it down when you need to use it, raise it back up when you’re done!
Functionally the SportScreen does EVERYTHING it claims to do, and protects your house, cars, garage door, and windows from flying pucks! It’s also a great targeting system if you decide to use it that way.
