Screen Saver: Window Repair Job Made Easy
How long has that torn window screen been letting bugs into your house? Most homeowners do not realize that repairing aluminum-frame screens is an easy do-it-yourself task that takes about 15 minutes.
All the supplies you need can be found at most local hardware stores. Pick up enough screen mesh to overlap the frame at least an inch on all sides; a “screen tool,” which looks like a small pizza cutter (about $4); some long-nose pliers (about $4); and a utility knife (about $3). Screen mesh material comes in fiberglass or aluminum. Fiberglass is easier to work with, is more resistant to weathering and comes in either gray or black. Aluminum mesh holds up a little better to abuse from kids and pets.
Here is how it’s done:
* Remove the screen from the window and lay it on a flat surface with the perimeter groove facing upward.
* Use the long-nose pliers to remove the spline, the thin rubber tube wedged into the groove. Save this material. Pull the old mesh from the frame and discard it.
* Spread the new mesh over the frame and assure that there is at least half an inch of material overlapping the frame on all sides.
* Place one end of the spline over the groove at the lower corner of the frame, sandwiching the mesh between the spline and the screen frame.
* Use the roller on the screen tool to force the spline into the groove on top of the mesh, thereby locking the mesh into place. Stretching the mesh a bit with one hand as you force it into the groove with the tool in the other makes this process easier.
* Continue working the spline up one full side of the frame. When you reach the end, cut the spline with the utility knife and start working on the opposite side of the frame. Working on the opposite side next instead of continuing straight around provides a more wrinkle-free and properly snugged screen. The mesh should be tight enough that all creases are gone (not too tight, though, or the frame will start to bow inward).
* After completing the opposite side, continue with the other two remaining sides.
* The last step is to cut off the excess screen mesh with the utility knife. Place the blade tip just beyond the spline on the outside “wall” of the groove and carefully cut all the way around the frame. The screen mesh should come off cleanly, and the screen should look like new.
* Carefully reinstall the screen into the window. Reinstalling it into aluminum frame windows can be a little tricky and may require some flexing of the screen frame to get it reseated properly. It is usually easier if the sliding sash is first removed from the window frame.
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Gary Abrams is a general contractor who has written about home improvement for The Times for 10 years. Comments and questions can be sent to P.O. Box 711, Thousand Oaks, CA 91319. Please include a self-addressed stamped envelope.
