How to Repair Screens

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Hinged Screen Doors

When you’re ready for a more permanent repair, it’s always best and easiest to take the door off. It’s much safer than working in a narrow, awkward space between two freely swinging doors where it’s surprisingly easy to pinch fingers. Slowly and carefully, place the door flat on two sawhorses. Make sure your work area has enough room to walk completely around the door. A large covered porch is ideal, offering shade on a hot day and protection in all weather.

Unscrew the hinges from the jamb, leaving the hinges on the screen door. Fold them flat so they’re out of the way. The spring or automatic closer should be removed from the door and left attached at the jamb. Keep screw-pulous track of all screws, or you’ll regret it later.

Examine the damaged area of the screen. A small rip can be sewn shut with a needle and thread. To fix a gaping hole, cut a circle around the damage and remove that portion of the screen. Then, with a needle and thread, sew in a round patch of screen about 2 inches larger than the hole. Put it on the side that faces outside. (See Image Gallery.)

If the entire screen must be replaced, carefully remove the old rubber or vinyl spline from the groove, starting at a corner. If the spline is crumbly or broken, you’ll need to replace it. Remove the damaged screen and measure it, as well as the spline if you intend to replace it.

To do a taut, wrinkle-free and professional installation, try a pro’s trick: Bend the door slightly at the center before you install the replacement screen. An easy way is to attach clamps to both long sides of the frame and suspend weights from them, enough to bend the door downward about  a half inch in the middle. This will bring the edges of the door closer together. When you release the weights after installing the screen, the edges will move to their original shape, making the screen tighter.

Lay the replacement screen over the entire door, with at least 2 inches of overlap along the entire perimeter of the spline groove. Starting at a corner, use the convex wheel of the roller to push the new screen into the groove, working out the wrinkles as you go. (If you use the concave wheel, you could rip the screen.) Push the spline down into the groove with the roller’s concave wheel until it’s flush with the frame.

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