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Keep The Bugs Out: Basic Screen RepairBy Jim Sulski Summary: Sometimes, nothing is more bothersome than a household fly. Jim explains how to easily repair your home's screen. One thing that a homeowner takes for granted are screens - until a hole appears
in one and bugs start entering the house. A damaged screen, however, is something that need not be tolerated. Repairing screens is a fairly simple and inexpensive job, even for the inexperienced do-it-yourselfer. And a good time to mend screens is before the warm breezes of summer start wafting through your windows. SMALL HOLE OR TEAR REPAIR Screens are usually made from one of two materials - fiberglass or aluminum. Small holes or tears in either type of screening can be repaired in a number of ways. For example, if the hole is pea-sized, you can close it off by dabbing a clear-drying glue, such as an epoxy, over the hole. A clear nail polish may also do the job. Apply the sealer while the screen is in an upright position so it doesn't stick to a surface below. While a quick repair, the hole will still be noticeable. If the hole or tear is larger, you'll need to patch it. First, you'll need to purchase patching screen. There are patching kits available at most home improvement stores for around $2, and you can also buy replacement screen by the foot to make repairs. Holes in aluminum screens can be mended with a patch of a slightly large piece of screen, about an inch or so bigger than the hole. Unbraid and bend the end wires of the patch all at the same 90-degree angle. Then place the patch over the tear, inserting the loose wire ends through the holes around the tear. Holes in fiberglass screening can be repaired by taking a patch of fiberglass screen that overlaps the hole by about one-half inch on all sides, and welding it to the main screen with a hot iron. Start with a low heat, and be careful not to melt the patch or the screen. SCREEN REPLACEMENT A screen with numerous flaws is not worth patching. Instead, it's best to replace the entire screen in its frame. First, you'll need to buy enough replacement screen to fill the frames. Purchase screening that is slightly wider and longer than the openings you need to fill. When replacing screening, it's best to choose the material that matches the neighboring screens. Screens in wood frames are usually held in place with staples and wood trim strips. To remove the old screening, pry up the screen molding out of the face of the frame. Remove any nails with pliers as not to split the molding. Cut out the replacement screening so it is slightly larger than the opening by an inch or two. If you have several C-clamps and a few lengths of 1-by-3s, lock the screening in place and keep it taut against the frame while you adhere it. Next, staple the screening in place, adding only a staple or two to each of the four sides at a time. Keep the screening tight and straight, and place the staples about two inches from each other. Next, trim the excess screen with a utility knife. The screening in aluminum frames in held in place by flexible plastic or metal strips called splines. Start by finding the end of the spline in the groove or dado that runs along the perimeter of the frame. Gently pull up the spline using a putty knife or nail tip. Then, remove the entire spline from the channel. Be careful not to bend metal splines out of shape. Brittle plastic splines, meanwhile, should be replaced. They're available at hardware stores that sell replacement screening. Next, remove the old screening and clean out the dado. Then, place the new screening over the frame and place a spline over the screen above the dado on one of the shorter sides of the frame. If it's a metal spline, gently push it back into place. If it's a plastic spline, use a spline roller to reinsert the spline into the dado. The splining tool sells for about $4 at most hardware stores. Next, move on to the other short side of the frame and replace the spline there,
keeping the screening taut. Then, move on to one of the long sides and replace
those splines. © by Jim Sulski. All rights reserved. January 27, 2005. NOTE: This column is distributed by Real Estate Matters Syndicate, PO Box 366, Glencoe, Illinois, 60022. This column may not be resold, reprinted, resyndicated or redistributed without written permission from the publisher. © 2005 by Ilyce R. Glink. Distributed by Real Estate Matters Syndicate. |
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