Window and Door Screen Repair and Replacement

Tools and Materials

The tool list for screen work is short and everything is affordable. Once you own a spline roller and utility knife, you can rescreen every window and door in your house for the cost of materials alone.

• Spline roller (about $8 to $12) with a convex wheel on one side for pressing spline into the channel and a concave wheel on the other for seating it firmly. This is the one specialized tool you need. Brands like Phifer and Prime-Line make durable versions available at any hardware store.
• Utility knife for trimming excess screen material after the spline is installed.
• Flat-head screwdriver or awl for prying out old spline from the frame channel.
• Screen material (fiberglass or aluminum, sold by the roll or by the foot). A 36-inch by 84-inch piece of fiberglass screen costs about $4 to $6.
• Spline (rubber cord, sold in various diameters). A 25-foot roll costs about $3 to $5.
• Self-adhesive screen patches for quick repairs on small tears.
• Corner keys (small L-shaped inserts) if you need to repair separated frame corners.

Patching Small Tears

For tears smaller than about 2 inches, a self-adhesive screen patch is the fastest fix. Clean the area around the tear with a damp cloth to remove dust and pollen. Center the patch over the hole and press it down firmly, smoothing from the center outward to avoid air bubbles. Patches come in fiberglass and aluminum to match common screen materials. They are visible up close but unnoticeable from a normal viewing distance. A pack of assorted patch sizes from Phifer or Saint-Gobain runs about $3 to $5 and covers multiple repairs.

For slightly larger tears (2 to 4 inches) where the screen material is intact around the edges, you can close the hole by realigning the torn fibers with a toothpick or sewing needle and applying a thin bead of clear silicone adhesive over the repair. This works best on fiberglass screen, where the fibers are flexible enough to reposition. Aluminum screen tears are sharper and more rigid, making this technique less effective. If the torn area is larger than your fist, a full rescreen of that panel is faster and looks better than a large patch.

Full Rescreen: Choosing Materials

Fiberglass screen is the standard for most residential windows. It is inexpensive (about $0.15 to $0.30 per square foot), easy to work with, and does not crease or dent. It stretches slightly during installation, which makes achieving a flat, wrinkle-free result easier for beginners. Phifer and Saint-Gobain are the most widely available brands. The main downside is durability: fiberglass screen tears more easily than aluminum, especially from pet claws or accidental contact with sharp objects.

Aluminum screen is more durable and provides slightly better visibility (the thinner strands block less light). It is harder to work with because it creases permanently if you bend it during installation. It also costs more, roughly $0.30 to $0.50 per square foot. Aluminum is a good choice for screens that do not get removed and reinstalled seasonally, since the handling during removal and storage is where most creasing happens.

Specialty screens include pet-resistant screen (vinyl-coated polyester that resists claw damage, about $0.50 to $1.00 per square foot), solar screen (reduces heat gain by blocking 65 to 90 percent of sunlight, useful for south and west-facing windows), and fine-mesh no-see-um screen (blocks tiny insects like gnats and sand flies, common in coastal areas). All install the same way. They just use different materials and may require slightly larger spline to accommodate thicker mesh.

Full Rescreen: Step-by-Step Process

Remove the screen from the window or door frame. Most window screens have spring-loaded pins or pull tabs that release them from the window track. Lay the frame flat on a work surface (a table, workbench, or even the garage floor on a clean drop cloth).

Pull out the old spline from the channel around the perimeter. A flat-head screwdriver or an awl pried under the end of the spline starts the pull, then it comes out by hand in a long strip. Remove the old screen material. Clean any debris from the channel with a stiff brush.

Lay new screen over the frame, leaving at least an inch of excess on all sides. Starting on one long side, press new spline into the channel over the screen using the spline roller. Roll firmly and steadily. The spline pushes the screen into the channel and locks it in place. Do the opposite long side next, pulling the screen slightly taut before rolling the spline. The goal is a flat, wrinkle-free surface with moderate tension. Do not pull the screen drum-tight, which can bow the frame inward on aluminum frames.

Do both short sides last, again pulling the screen taut as you roll. Trim the excess screen outside the spline channel with a utility knife, cutting at a slight angle away from the frame. Check the screen for wrinkles or sags. If a section is wavy, pull the spline from that side, re-tension the screen, and re-roll. Reinstall the screen in the window frame.

Frame Repair

Bent aluminum screen frames straighten by hand for minor bends. For sharper bends, remove the screen and spline, clamp the frame flat to a workbench or straight board, and apply steady pressure to straighten it. Aluminum frames are relatively soft and respond well to careful bending. Avoid over-correcting, which can create a reverse bend.

If a corner joint has separated, push it back together and secure it with a corner key: a small L-shaped insert that fits inside the hollow frame extrusion. Most frames use these corner keys, and replacements are available at hardware stores for about $1 to $2 each. Bring the old corner key (or the frame itself) to match the profile, as there are several standard sizes.

Broken frame sections need replacement. Measure the broken piece, buy matching aluminum frame extrusion (sold by the foot, about $2 to $4 per foot), and cut it to length with a hacksaw. A miter box helps produce a clean, square cut. Assemble with corner keys. If you are replacing a full frame, bring the old one to the store to match the profile. There are several standard extrusion sizes, and the screen channel width and depth must match for the spline to seat properly.

Screen Door Adjustment

Sliding screen doors ride on rollers at the bottom. If the door drags or will not slide smoothly, adjust the roller height with a Phillips screwdriver through the access holes at the bottom edge of the door. Turning the adjustment screw clockwise raises the roller, lifting the door off the track. Raise it just enough to clear the track without lifting the door out of the top channel. You want about 1/16 inch of clearance between the bottom of the door and the track.

Clean the track with a stiff brush and vacuum. Debris in the track causes more sliding problems than roller wear. A toothbrush works well for the narrow channels. A light coat of silicone spray on the track reduces friction. Do not use petroleum-based lubricants, which attract dirt and gum up the track over time.

If the rollers are worn flat (you will see flat spots instead of round wheels when you remove the door and inspect them), replace them. Roller assemblies pop out of the door frame and replacements snap in. Bring the old assembly to the hardware store to match the style, as there are dozens of variations in roller size, housing shape, and mounting configuration. Replacement rollers run about $5 to $10 per pair.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Measure for Replacement Screen Material?

Measure the outer dimensions of the frame and add 2 inches to each dimension. You need at least an inch of excess on each side for pulling the screen taut and trimming after the spline is installed. Screen material is sold in standard widths (typically 36 and 48 inches) and by the foot off a roll. Buy a few extra feet. It is cheap, and having extra is better than coming up short on the last screen.

What Size Spline Do I Need?

The spline must match the channel in your frame. Most residential frames use .140 to .160 inch spline for fiberglass screen, and slightly larger (.180 to .220 inch) for thicker specialty screens. The easiest way to match it is to pull a piece of old spline from the frame and bring it to the hardware store. If you do not have old spline, measure the channel width with a tape measure or calipers and choose spline that is slightly larger than the channel. It compresses to fit and holds the screen more securely than undersized spline.

Is It Cheaper to Repair Screens or Buy New Ones?

Repair is almost always cheaper. A roll of fiberglass screen costs about $10 to $15 and covers 4 to 6 standard window screens. A package of spline costs about $5. A spline roller costs about $10 and lasts indefinitely. Total investment for the tools and materials to rescreen every window in the house is about $30 to $40. Buying pre-made replacement screens runs $15 to $30 each. If you have more than two damaged screens, DIY rescreening pays for itself on the first job.

Related Reading

• Window Replacement Tools
• Door Installation Guide