DIY window & door rescreening – “Screenplay”

Window screen repair, and screen door repair, AKA “rescreening” is a simple DIY project. Learn this quick & easy DIY and save hundreds…

I’ve decided to write a screenplay. A screenplay about rescreening. How to replace a window screen or a door screen, DIY style.

Riveting, right? I’m pretty sure this will be Emmy-winning material. And I want to test out the material on you guys before I ship this bad boy off to Hollywood and the mega-million offers start rollin’ in.

But first, you gotta sit through the previews. Here’s an overview/video tutorial of the process:

And you’ll likely be wanting to know what kind of supplies you’ll need to do this project:

And now, my screenplay…

FADE IN:

THE COUNTRYSIDE.

THE RAIN POURS DOWN HEAVILY ON A GRAY, GLOOMY DAY. ACROSS A CORNFIELD, A DEJECTED APPEARING MIDDLE-AGED, HAGGARD WOMAN IS VISIBLE BEHIND A DECREPIT, PATCHED, AND BATTERED SCREEN DOOR ON THE FRONT PORCH OF A FARMHOUSE.

HAGGARD WOMAN: Woe is me. So many chores, so little time. Churning butter, mopping floors, hanging the laundry…and now our door and window screens have fallen into disrepair and we haven’t got enough money to buy new ones from the mercantile store down yonder. If we don’t change these screens by summer, those wretched mosquitos will get in and we’ll all be catchin’ our death from yellow fever.

BRINGS BACK OF HAND TO FOREHEAD IN SIGN OF DESPERATION AND DESPAIR.

HAGGARD WOMAN: Well, like I always say, when the goin’ gets tough, the tough get’s to DIY’in. So that’s what I’ll do!

STATUE OF LIBERTY-ESQUE ARM HELD HIGH AND FINGER POINTED TRIUMPHANTLY TO THE STARS.

DIY window or door rescreening instructions

1. Remove window or door screen from frame.

The method for removing your particular screen will vary. For our window screens, there are small spring-loaded pins that hold the screen in the window frame. To remove the screen, the pins are pulled, and the screen is released from the frame. Takes about 15 seconds, once you find the pins.

2. Remove the old spline.

Use your flat head screwdriver to help grab an end of the old spline that is inside the screen’s channel, and then pull out the old spline along the perimeter of the screen.

**If the spline is in good shape, KEEP IT, and re-use it!!**

3. Remove the old screen.

4. Cut new rescreening material.

Using the old screen as a template, use scissors to cut the new rescreening material.

Give yourself about an inch of extra material around the entire perimeter of the old screen. It’s better to have a little too much material, than too little. The excess screen will be trimmed off at the end.

5. Use wheel screen tool to situate new screen material in frame.

The screening wheel tool has two wheels. For this task, use the side with the narrower wheel, not the side which has the wider wheel with the channel in it. Simply move the wheel around each side of the screen frame, pushing the screen down into the channel.

This step makes the next one, putting in the spline, easier. And it ensures your rescreening material will cover the frame appropriately before we move forward.

6. Install spline.

Now we will install the spline, which is the rubberized, rope-like material that will hold the new door or window screen into place in the frame.

If you are using the old spline, then you already know the length of your spline is correct.

If you are using new spline, you can either cut it to match the length of the old spline, OR, just wait til the spline is installed, and cut the excess at the end. This is probably the best option.

To install the spline, you will use the wheel tool, and more specifically, the wider wheel with the channel. Place the end of your spline into a corner of the frame, and use the wheel tool to push the screen down into the channel.

To wrap the spline around the corners, the method I find easiest is to use a flat head screwdriver to push the spline down into place. It works a little easier than the wheel tool in the tight corners.

You will continue in this fashion using the screwdriver in the corners, and the wheel tool to push the spline into place around all four sides of the frame.

You will want to go over each side a couple of times with the wheel tool to ensure that the spline is situated all the way into the channel. This will make the screen taut, and strong.

7. Use a utility knife to cut excess rescreening material.

With the screen now securely installed into the window or door frame, we can now cut the excess rescreening material from around the perimeter of the frame. Do this using a utility knife, preferably with a new blade.

Hold the knife parallel to the surface of the new screen and just above the spline. Cut along the frame, as shown above.

8. Did I mention cleaning?

Of course I didn’t. I loathe cleaning. But, if you can stomach the job, now is a good time to do it. 

Before you re-install your gorgeous new door or window screens, give those frames a good once-over.

My husband is the attention to detail person on our staff, so he even cleaned the door frames and window frames before we re-installed the screens. A for effort, I’d say.

I’ll even give him a big A+ and a smooch on the cheek because I sure as heck wasn’t going to tackle that job. Ick.

9. Re-install screens.

Put em back in the same way you got em out.

10. Enjoy your new, DIY window screens or DIY door screens!

That’s it! Wasn’t hard, right? This is a really quick DIY project that can save you a BUNDLE of $$. And that’s what this little DIY blog is all about! Quick (hopefully) and frugal (always) DIY projects that can help you have a house that you’re happy to come home to. Gotta run…I’ve got a screenplay to mail to Hollywood (cough, cough).

Pin this DIY window and door rescreening tutorial for later! And if you try it, leave a comment (or better yet, a photo) on the pin! That helps others know whether they want to try this project, too!

Pssst…before you go, I sure would love to hang out with you again really soon! Sign up now and get a no-cost copy of “Builder-Grade To Beautiful: 10 Totally Transformative Home Decorating Solutions, All Under $100!” Click here to enter your email or on the image below. Your copy will be emailed right away!