Replacing window screen

Q: Is it practical to replace damaged window mesh myself? The ones at my house have holes and I’d like to save some money doing my own work if possible. The screens have aluminum frames.

A: The mesh you have now is held within the frame by a flexible strip of vinyl or foam called a ‘spline’. The spline is a tight fit within a groove around the perimeter of the aluminium frame, and this is how insect mesh is secured. Find the end of the spline, lift the end with a small screwdriver tip, then pull it all out of the frame with your fingers before removing the old mesh. Next, lay down a new piece of over-sized screen on top of the frame so there’s several inches of excess on all sides. Securing this screen is easy when you know what to do and have an inexpensive specialty tool called a ‘spline roller’ to help. You’ll find them at hardware stores. All models have one wheel on each end. Use the plain wheel to push the screen down into the frame slot, followed by the grooved wheel to push the spline in afterwards. With a bit of practice you’ll learn how to ‘steer’ the screen one way or the other to maintain tension as you push the spline into position. Use a sharp utility knife to trim away excess mesh and you’re done.