Screen Repair: How to Fix a Window Screen

Get your window screens in shape for summer with this simple screen repair projection. We'll walk yous through information technology.

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Time

An hour or less

Complexity

Beginner

Cost

Less than $20

Introduction

Window screens can get punctured or torn, but every bit long as the frame is in good shape window screen repairs are easy and can be done in a few minutes. Here's how to brand your screen door or window look good as new.

Tools Required

Materials Required

  • Brick
  • Screen
  • Spline
  • Wood stop cake

Select Replacement Window Screens Material

The most popular window replacement screens textile is fiberglass, the type nosotros're installing. Its flexibility makes it the easiest to use. If you make a mistake, you tin have it out of the frame and try again. Aluminum screen is sturdier, merely you lot only go one chance. The grooves you've fabricated with the screen rolling tool are there to stay.

The third type of replacement window screens repair cloth that'due south popular is sunday-shading fabric. It blocks more lord's day, which means less load on your air-conditioning arrangement and less fading of your carpet, draperies and piece of furniture. It's also stronger than fiberglass and aluminum screening, so it's great for pet owners.

All three materials come in greyness or black to friction match your other window screens. You can besides get shiny aluminum equally well as sunday-shading fabrics in bronze and dark-brown tones.

Know the size of your window when you go to the home center. It will sell pre-measured rolls to fit nearly any opening size. If your screen frame is taller than 36 inches, it should accept a center back up to keep information technology from bowing in once the material is in place. Newer screens commonly come up with this support.

If your long screens don't have a back up, you lot can make one out of aluminum frame stock. It'southward located near the screening supplies in most stores. The aluminum stock can be cutting with a tin snips and trimmed to fit. Keep reading to acquire almost a common blazon of screen repair: replacement.

Screens are first-class for bug command. Check out the 10 about disgusting house bugs and how to get rid of them hither.

Projection step-by-step (6)

Footstep i

Screen Repair: Pry Out the Spline

  • Pry out the old spline with an awl or a narrow-tipped screwdriver.
  • Throw it abroad — spline gets hard and brittle as it ages and shouldn't be reused.

If you lot have just a pocket-sized tear, you'll want to run across our tips on how to patch a torn window screen.

repair window screen spline

Step two

Secure the Frame

  • Identify wooden blocks along the within of the two longest sides of the frame and secure them to the work surface.
  • The blocks keep the frame from bowing inwards when you lot install the new window screen repair cloth.

secure frame screen replace

Step 3

How to Put a Window Screen Dorsum In and Position the New Screen

  • Lay the new screen material over the frame. It should overlap the frame by about 3/4-in. to one inch.
  • Cut each corner at a 45-caste bending only slightly across the spline groove. The cuts continue the screen from bunching in the corners.

If y'all call up you lot demand a heavy duty screen, hither are tips for installing a heavy duty window screen.

position new window screen repair

Step 4

Push button the New Screen In

  • Begin installing the new spline at a corner.
  • Use the screen rolling tool to push the spline and screen material into the groove.
  • Continue effectually the frame. If wrinkles or bulges announced, remove the spline and re-roll.
  • Small wrinkles should tighten up equally you get dorsum to the starting corner.

Push in new screen repair

Stride 5

Trim the Screen

  • Trim excess screen material using a utility knife with a new sharp bract.
  • A dull blade will pull the cloth, non cut information technology.
  • Cut with the blade on top of the spline and pointed toward the outside of the frame.

trim window replacement screen

Step 6

Pro Play a trick on for Proper Screen Tension

  • During window screen replacement, if the screen tension is too loose the screen will sag. Merely if you lot pull information technology too tight, peculiarly on larger door and window screens, the tension can actually bow in the aluminum sides. Here'due south a simple way to get it just right:
    • After rolling in the screen on the kickoff two adjoining sides, identify a brick or similar heavy object in the center of the screen to create the proper amount of slack.
    • Then proceed installing the fabric along the third and fourth sides of the screen frame. Remove the brick.

Learn how to replace a door or window screen in our video tutorial.

proper screen tension

Originally Published: August 17, 2020