Screen Repair: How to Fix a Window Screen

Get your window screens in shape for summer with this unproblematic screen repair project. We'll walk you through it.

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Time

An hour or less

Complication

Beginner

Cost

Less than $20

Introduction

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

Tools Required

Materials Required

  • Brick
  • Screen
  • Spline
  • Forest stop block

Select Replacement Window Screens Fabric

The most popular window replacement screens material is fiberglass, the type we're installing. Its flexibility makes it the easiest to use. If you make a fault, you can take it out of the frame and effort once again. Aluminum screen is sturdier, but you lot but get one chance. The grooves you've made with the screen rolling tool are at that place to stay.

The third type of replacement window screens repair fabric that's pop is sun-shading fabric. It blocks more than sun, which means less load on your ac organisation and less fading of your carpeting, draperies and furniture. It's also stronger than fiberglass and aluminum screening, then information technology's great for pet owners.

All three materials come up in gray or black to match your other window screens. Yous can also get shiny aluminum equally well as dominicus-shading fabrics in statuary and brown tones.

Know the size of your window when you go to the home middle. It will sell pre-measured rolls to fit nigh any opening size. If your screen frame is taller than 36 inches, it should take a center back up to continue information technology from bowing in once the cloth is in identify. Newer screens unremarkably come up with this support.

If your long screens don't have a back up, you can make one out of aluminum frame stock. It's located near the screening supplies in virtually stores. The aluminum stock can be cut with a can snips and trimmed to fit. Keep reading to learn most a common type of screen repair: replacement.

Screens are splendid for bug command. Check out the x nigh disgusting house bugs and how to become rid of them hither.

Project step-by-footstep (vi)

Step i

Screen Repair: Pry Out the Spline

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

If you lot have just a small tear, you'll want to see our tips on how to patch a torn window screen.

repair window screen spline

Step 2

Secure the Frame

  • Place wooden blocks along the inside of the two longest sides of the frame and secure them to the work surface.
  • The blocks keep the frame from bowing inward when you install the new window screen repair textile.

secure frame screen replace

Stride 3

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

  • Lay the new screen fabric over the frame. It should overlap the frame past about iii/iv-in. to one inch.
  • Cut each corner at a 45-caste bending simply slightly across the spline groove. The cuts go along the screen from bunching in the corners.

If you think you need a heavy duty screen, hither are tips for installing a heavy duty window screen.

position new window screen repair

Pace 4

Push the New Screen In

  • Brainstorm installing the new spline at a corner.
  • Use the screen rolling tool to push the spline and screen cloth into the groove.
  • Continue around the frame. If wrinkles or bulges appear, remove the spline and re-roll.
  • Small wrinkles should tighten upwardly as you lot get back to the starting corner.

Push in new screen repair

Step five

Trim the Screen

  • Trim backlog screen material using a utility knife with a new sharp blade.
  • A wearisome blade will pull the cloth, not cutting it.
  • Cutting with the blade on top of the spline and pointed toward the outside of the frame.

trim window replacement screen

Stride 6

Pro Trick for Proper Screen Tension

  • During window screen replacement, if the screen tension is too loose the screen will sag. Merely if you pull it too tight, especially on larger door and window screens, the tension can really bow in the aluminum sides. Here's a elementary way to get it but right:
    • Afterward rolling in the screen on the offset two adjoining sides, place a brick or similar heavy object in the center of the screen to create the proper amount of slack.
    • Then continue installing the fabric along the 3rd and quaternary 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