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How To Rescreen
Kids Poke a Hole in the Screen? You Can Fix it Yourself
When I was a kid, the local hardware store had a big roll of screen, and every time the cat scratched a hole in the screen door, my dad would take out the frame and walk down to the hardware store and they’d fix it for a few dollars. Those were better days though, and you probably won’t find this kind of inexpensive service anymore.
Once you have learned how to do this project on your own, you will be the marvel of the neighborhood and you might even impress your own kids with your sudden aptitude for handy man work. It really isn’t too difficult, and with a few basic tools that every one should have around the house anyway, you can re-screen a damaged window in no time.
The only expense that is involved is to buy a roll of screen and some spline, both of which are fairly inexpensive. The screening material obviously needs to be big enough to cover the entire opening of the frame with about three inches extra on each side. The spline is the rubber material that snaps into the groove and holds the screen into place. Add together the length of all four sides of the window to determine how much spline you will need.
The first step is to remove the old torn screen. Use a flat-headed screwdriver to pry the old spline loose and then pull it out. Once you have removed the entire strip, the old screen should just lift right out of the frame.
Proceed by laying the new screen over the frame. Starting in one corner, use the screwdriver to carefully push the spline all the way down into the groove, capturing the screening material underneath it. Be extra careful not to slip, as the screwdriver will poke a hole in your new screen if you are clumsy. Slowly make your way around the frame, securing the screen underneath the spline. Once you get all the way around, you will have a perfectly screened window, but there will be excess screen hanging over the edges. Using a razor blade or a utility knife, start in the same corner where you began with the spline and very carefully begin cutting away the excess screen. Be very careful with the sharp blade. Watch out for your fingers and your newly screened surface.
If you find that you have very rambunctious pets or kids and broken screens are a constant problem, you may want to consider spending a little extra and buying a big roll of screening material to keep in the garage. Though the initial investment is a little bigger, it is actually cheaper in the long run to buy it in bulk. You may also want to invest a few dollars in a spline roller. This is used in place of the screw driver to push the new spline into place. It is faster than the screwdriver and eliminates the possibility that you could slip and punch a hole into your new screen.
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