How to Replace a Window Screen?
Window screen replacement is an easy, inexpensive project that even novice DIYers can do. Here’s how to keep bugs and debris from coming through the holes in your screens.
Window screening is there for a purpose. If it gets a snag, a tear, or a hole, it is much less effective at keeping insects and debris out of your home than it is if it is intact. Should your screens fail, however, understand that it’s easy to change them out—and with little cost for materials and tools—by following these basic instructions for window screen replacement?
How to Replace a Window Screen
STEP 1: Remove the old screen from the frame.
Remove the old in-window screen from the window frame or other mounting point.
STEP 2: Measure and cut new screens.
Measure and cut the screens for the new ones.
STEP 3: Install new screens.
Connect one end of each screen to a mounting clip on the frame, with its long edge against the wall. Use a small drill to bolt it on place, using as few holes as possible, so that there is no visible screw-ends showing from outside your home. Using a pliers, bend any leftover corner pieces over so that they lie flat against the wall.
STEP 4. Install the new spline.
Install the new spline using a spline tool.
STEP 5. Install the screen in the window.
Install the screen into the window frame. Remove any excess spline from around the edges of the screen with a utility knife or razor knife, and then press its long edge tight against the wall with your fingers, leaving only an inch or two of space between it and the wall for air circulation. Finally, staple any edges that are still loose to your window frame (you may have to adjust them once it is installed in place).
Once your new screens are installed, take advantage of them by adding a shade to cover them during summer months.
STEP 6: Position the new window screen in the frame.
This is the easy part.
Measure your window and cut the screen.
Measure the window’s maximum outside width and height, which will give you the screen’s inside measurements. Mark a point on the screen at this location with a pencil, so that when you cut it to fit, you will know where to start hanging it in your window. Also mark off-set points on both vertical sides on a line with the outside edge of your window frame, so that when you hang the new screen, it will not be crooked or bent out of shape even if only one side is cut to fit snugly against the frame.
How to Care for Replacement Screens?
A large part of ensuring that patio door screen or window screen replacements last a long time involves properly maintaining them. It’s a good practice to remove your screens in winter and store them in a dry place, such as an attic or basement, to prevent snow and ice from damaging them.
Once you are ready to hang up your screens in the spring, make sure that you use a soft brush to gently remove any dirt or debris from their surface. A wire or nylon brush can scratch the screen’s surface and cause it to tear or rip more easily.
In addition, be sure that you don’t leave your screens up year-round. They will eventually deteriorate and become brittle if left in place for too long. If you don’t plan on using them for several months after installing them, consider putting them away to store until next spring.
Final Thoughts
When shopping for a roll of replacement window screen material, be sure to buy screens made of a material that’s appropriate for your household. Most window screening is made of fiberglass, but households with dogs or cats might want to consider heavy-duty, pet resistant screens that are less prone to snagging. Solar screens are useful on patios, or in sunny areas of your home, because they reduce the amount of heat and sunlight indoors (and thus, the amount it costs to cool your home).
The different types of patio door screens are very easy to install. You just need to follow the steps below.
Measure and mark the area on your screen that you want it to cover and cut it out with a knife or scissors. Next, remove the remaining material from the screen frame and frame in your new screen.
Attach the bottom part of the new patio door screen using four mounting clips that have been pre-installed at each corner until you have them all in place and secured properly.
The bottom of your screen should be a little longer than the frame. You can then remove all the clips that are there and replace them with the ones that you have ordered online. Last but not least, attach the top part of your patio door screen by using four mounting clips at each corner on your frame until you have them securely in place.
Summary:
In this article, you learned the 7 Steps required to replace a patio door screen.
Step 1: Measure and mark the area on your screen that you want it to cover and cut it out with a knife or scissors.
The next step is to remove the remaining material from the screen frame and frame in your new screen. This will leave enough space for mounting your new patio door screen properly.
Step 2: Attach the bottom part of the new patio door screen using four mounting clips that have been pre-installed at each corner until you have them all in place and secured properly.
