We moved into a new house this past spring and have been working hard on sevaral different projects. One that was SO much easier that I had anticipated was repairing the window screens. This house was built in 1969 and I'm pretty sure these screens were original to the house. There were several with holes and tears and they were just dirty and oxidized and though we tried to clean them, they were still not very nice. I looked online (thank you This Old House!) and found it is pretty easy to do!
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| Here's a pic of the before and after on one set--a definite difference! |
Step 1 was to remove the old screen--very easy, as the old spline just peeled out and the aluminum screen popped out/was pulled out.
Next, I put the new screen material on top of the frame (the new material was lighter weight and a fiberglass material) and cut it so that there was one inch overhang on all sides.
I put the spline in place and pushed it in with the special tool.
Moving around the frame, I basically pulled it taut on every side as I pushed the spline into the groove...it might have been easier if I had used a clamp or something, but it worked just fine. :)
I again used the tool to push it even further into the groove (I used a screwdriver at the corners to make sure it was securely inserted there). I forgot to say that I cut the spline to size, but you probably figured that out already :)
Once the spline was all in place and I was happy with the tautness and alignment of the screening, I used a utility knife to cut off the excess.
The final step was to pop them back into the windows and ooh and aah about the difference it made! (in this picture the upper window is where the screens are--what a difference, right?!)
And there you have it! An easy project with a large impact! If your screens are a little less-than-desirable, give it a try! :)
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