Window screen replacement and repairs are one of the most frequent things home owners have to tackle in the spring as the weather turns warmer. I for one tackled this job this past weekend. Keeping window screens in good repair helps allows you to keep bugs out, delay using the air conditioner until necessary and makes the overall appearance of the house look better.
After a few seasons without doing any work or repair on my window screens I finally took advantage of an unseasonably nice spring day to tackle replacing multipl damaged screens on my house. There are several things you should do in preperation for this type of job.
- evaluate the condition of all your window screens
- take measurements of the windows screens needing repairs or replacement
- examine the screen frames for damage.
Taking the time to do these simple tasks will allow you to head off to your local hardware store like lowes or menards with all the information you need to buy all the necessary components required to replace or repair your window screens.
There are several components that make up the screens on your windows and you should consider what type of each you should use for your home. In my case I had multiple damaged frames, torn screens and some that were just outright missing. Below is a list of the main window screen components but you can get window screen kits as well.
The main components you will need are
1. replacement screen window frames. These come in several types of materials and styles but typically they are aluminum or vinly. Your store may offer a wide selection of colors to choose from as well. the replacement window screen frames come in standard sizes to fit most windows but you might find you have to cut some of them to fit your needs. Typically this will require a hacksaw or similar tool to cut the frames to the necessary lenghts
2. next comes the window screen material itself. this will be available in multiple lenghts, widths, colors and types. Seeing that I have several large dogs and want to prevent my dogs from tearing holes in the screens I decided to go with a charcol colored aluminum screen material to make for a stronger window screen. You can also get screen material in nylon, or vinyl if you dont have pets to threaten your screens. Any material will definatley keep out bugs so choose the one that is right for you.
3. you will need ribbing and ribbing tool to instert the screen into the frames. This is where doing your home work can save you a second trip to the hardware store. The rib come in several differnt widths and if your not replacing the entire frame on your screen you will want to make sure you get the right size rib for your existing screen frames. If you are replaceing the entire window screen and frame just make sure to compare the rib size to the frames you buy. You dont have to use a ribbing tool but it does make life easier and will prevent your from ripping your new screen when doing the installation.
It took me most of the day on to replace all the window screens on my house. I bought the screening material in bulk since all my windows were the same width. This saved a bit as buying individual sections can be a bit more expensive. All in all the job was quite easy. I even got my kids involved in removing the old window screesn, removing the damaged material and installing the new window screens back on the house. If you choose to use aluminum be careful and wear gloves as the wires can get quite sharp and will easily poke holes in your fingers. 
Anyway Window screen replacement and repair is an easy weekend home improvement project most average homeowners can do and should not be affraid to tackle.
