Have some of the screens in your Michigan home developed rips and tears? You don’t want to open the window with the damaged screen still in place. Insects and other pests can come right in through the hole. Luckily, fixing a tear in the screen is not as hard as you may imagine.
Here are two methods for how to fix a window screen. One takes a bit longer but yields more attractive results. The other is super-quick and will work in a pinch.
How to Fix a Window Screen: The Lengthier, More Attractive Method
This method actually has you replace the entire mesh portion within the screen frame. When you’re done, the screen will look as good as new in your Michigan home.
Follow these steps.
- Use a screwdriver to pull out the spline, which is the metal piece that runs between the screen frame and the wire mesh. You can throw this away as you’ll be replacing it with a new spline. Once the spline is removed, the mesh should easily peel off the screen frame.
- Cut your new screen material to the size of the frame. Make sure it’s large enough to overlap the frame by about 1 inch on each side. Lay the new screen material down on top of the frame.
- Place the new spline along the crease where the old one was. It should rest on top of the mesh so that the mesh is between the spline and the frame.
- Use a screen rolling tool (this looks like a miniature pizza cutter) to roll along the spline, pushing it and the mesh into the empty crevice.
- Trim away the excess mesh that is overhanging the spline. The easiest way to do this is with a pocket knife.
- Admire your work, and hang your screen back up in its place.
How to Fix a Window Screen: The Lightning Fast,
Make-Do Method
If you don’t have time to pull out all of the old mesh and replace it, but you really need to keep your Michigan home protected with a hole-free screen, this method will do the trick. You’ll be sewing a patch onto the ripped part of the screen, so it will be obvious that you’ve made some repairs. However, the screen will function just fine until you get around to replacing it completely.
Follow these steps:
- Cut a piece of mesh that is a bit larger than the area of the screen that is ripped.
- Place the mesh on top of the ripped segment of the screen.
- Thread a needle with elastic gray or brown thread. Look for the toughest thread you can find, but make sure it is also thin enough that it won’t look too obvious.
- Starting in one corner of the patch, sew the patch into the main screen. Pass the needle back and forth through the two layers of mesh in a standard stitch. Make your stitches as small as you can, so they’re not overly obvious.
- Continue sewing all of the way around the edge of the patch. Then, tie off your thread and admire your good work.
During your screen inspection, you may find that one or more windows may need replacement. If you see rotted wood, foggy glass or condensation inside the window pane, it may be time to replace a window. Our windows also come with the option to upgrade to our TruScene® insect screens that are nearly invisible, providing 50% more clarity than ordinary screens. Contact the team at Renewal by Andersen in Greater Michiganto schedule a free in-home consultation.
