Back To The Family Handyman
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About This Project
Balls hit them, kids push on them and pets try to run through them. Whether your screens are aluminum or fiberglass, they’ll get punctured or torn. But don’t go ballistic. Repairing a damaged screen is easy and takes only a few minutes.
If the screen’s aluminum frame is in good shape, you’ll need only the following: a roll of new screen material, a package of spline (the thin rubber strip that holds the screen material on the frame) and a screen rolling tool. You’ll find all these items at home centers and hardware stores.
Selecting Screen Material
The most popular replacement screen material is fiberglass, the type we’re installing. Its flexibility makes it the easiest to use—if you make a mistake, you can take it out of the frame and try again. Aluminum screen is sturdier, but you only get one chance. The grooves you’ve made with the screen rolling tool are there to stay.
A third type of screen material that’s popular is sun-shading fabric. It blocks more sun, which means less load on your air-conditioning system and less fading of your carpet, draperies and furniture. It’s also stronger than fiberglass and aluminum screening, so it’s great for pet owners.
All three materials come in gray or black to match your other window screens. You can also get shiny aluminum as well as sun-shading fabrics in bronze and brown tones. Know the size of your window when you go to the home center. It will sell premeasured rolls to fit nearly any opening size. If your screen frame is taller than 36 in., it should have a center support to keep it from bowing in once the material is in place. Newer screens usually come with this support.
Tip: If your long screens don’t have a support, you can make one out of aluminum frame stock. It’s located near the screening supplies in most stores. The aluminum stock can be cut with a tin snips and trimmed to fit.
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