With age, a screen on
a door or window becomes damaged with tears or holes
that need to be repaired or replaced.
Inspect the screen for small punctures. Holes about
1/4 in diameter or less can be repaired by applying
a dab of house hold cement or quick setting epoxy.
Holes or tears up to about 1 inch can be repaired
with screen patches available at your home center.
These are small squares of screening that have
hooked ends that lock into the screen when pressed
against it.
For larger damage, you must replace the entire
screen. You will need an inexpensive screen
installation tool which is available at the home
improvement center. It comes with a two ended
roller; one end has a convex edge profile for
pressing the screen into the groove of the frame,
and other end one with a concave profile for
installing the retaining spline. This tool comes in
various roller thicknesses, so make sure you get the
one that corresponds to the grove size in your door
or window.
Remove the screen by prying out the old retaining
spline which is pressed in the frame grove. If the
old spline is still flexible, you can reuse it.
Otherwise, purchase new plastic spline of the same
size. Lay the new screening over the frame and trim
it about 2 inches longer and wider than its finished
size. Then, temporarily fasten the screen to the
frame with masking tape at a few points along each
edge to keep it from shifting. To avoid bunching up
at the corners when forming the screen groove, make
a diagonal cut across the corner of the screen up to
the groove corner.
Next, remove the tape along one long edge and use
the convex roller on the screen tool to press the
screening into the grove. Use moderate pressure and
make several passes until reaching the required
depth. Remove the tape from the opposite side as you
go to prevent over-stretching the screen. Then, move
to the other side, do the same thing, and finish up
with the shorter ends.
After the screen is in place, install the retaining
spline. Using the concave roller, firmly press the
spline over the screen and into the groove. Use a
screwdriver to push the spline in at the corners.
Complete the job by trimming the excess screen with
a sharp utility knife. Using moderate pressure, run
the blade along the top of the spline so the screen
is trimmed neatly to the groove edge.
Contact our Home Improvement Specialist today to help you with your home improvement needs.