How to Repair Your Window Screen

Part of being a homeowner is knowing when to prioritize. Odds are, there’s always something in your home that could stand to be improved. If not, there’s likely something that need to be repaired. At any given time, you need to make a decision about if you’re going to tackle a project now, or let it go a little while. But what if your project involves window screen repair?

Let’s talk about that for a moment, because just how big of an issue is a torn screen, anyway? First, imagine an astronaut’s spacesuit. It needs to be completely closed off from the vacuum of space, but if a single tear or hole is ripped in the spacesuit, you’ve got an astronaut with a really serious problem. If the screen in your window is damaged, while the severity is less dramatic, it’s still the same basic problem. A hole in the screen lets in irritating insects, causes your energy bills to go up, and can allow in water which can damage walls.

But there are more issues. If a torn screen is visible from your street, that affects the curb appeal of your house. Even if you’re not looking to put your house on the market, a ragged screen can affect its value, and transform a beautiful home into something messy.

So does this mean you should automatically buy a new screen? Not necessarily. Believe it or not, but swapping out your old screen for a new one is a task anyone can do, and it will take just a few minutes. Along with your new screen, you’ll need a flathead screwdriver, a good pair of scissors, a spline roller, new spline, and duct tape. Read on to learn how to swap out the damaged screen for a new one.

• Place the frame and the screen flat on a hard surface, like a table or the floor.
• Using duct tape, tape the 4 corners of the frame to the surface to keep it steady.
• With a flathead screwdriver, gently pry up a corner of the spline, which is the strip around the edge of the frame.
• Carefully pull out the entire spline, then take the old screen out of the frame.
• Remove any dirt or debris from inside the grooves of the frame with a utility knife.
• Lay down your new screen. Ideally, you want about 2 inches of extra screen around the outer edge of the frame.
• With a spline roller, place the convex side at one corner and begin rolling the new screen in.
• With your flathead screwdriver, carefully push the spline into the corners. After the spline is totally in, do one more pass with your spline roller to secure the screen.
• With a pair of scissors, cut of any excess spline. Also cut off any excess screen, and cut at a 45 degree angle.
• Install the new window screen into your window.

That’s it! While the process isn’t difficult, it can feel daunting if this is your first time. If you have questions, concerns, or you’d like to order new screening, contact us today!