Window screens
DIY rescreening vs hiring a pro
Rescreening one or two standard window screens yourself is a reasonable weekend job with a kit, a spline roller and a utility knife, as long as the frame is sound. For many screens, sliding doors, heavier pet mesh, bent frames or second-story windows, a screen shop or an on-site screen company is usually faster and gives a tighter result.
Updated · A-Affordable Screen, Sparks
What the DIY job involves
Rescreening means taking the old mesh out of a sound frame and rolling new mesh into the groove, held in with new spline or the same spline reused if it is still good. Phifer, a large screen maker, publishes the method, and the steps below follow it. HomeGuide puts a DIY screen repair kit at about $10 to $20. Kits usually include mesh, a spline roller, a spline hook and spline.
- Set up. Lay the frame on a flat surface big enough to hold all of it.
- Strip it. Pull out the old spline with a hook or screwdriver and lift away the torn mesh. Keep the spline if it is still flexible; it can be reused, or you can use new.
- Prepare the frame. Tape the frame edges away from the groove and clean any grit or old spline out of the channel.
- Lay the new mesh. Place it over the frame with about 1/2 inch of overlap on every side, square to the frame.
- Roll the first side. Use the convex wheel to press the mesh into the groove, then the concave wheel to roll the spline in over it, keeping the weave straight.
- Work around the frame. Do the opposite side next, then the other two, easing the corners in with a screwdriver or the tip of a utility knife.
- Trim. Cut the excess mesh, angling the blade toward the outside edge of the groove so you do not nick the new mesh.
Where DIY rescreens go wrong
- Wrong spline size. Spline comes in several diameters. Too thin and the mesh pulls out; too thick and it will not seat or it splits the groove. Take a piece of the old spline to the store.
- Too much tension. Pulling the mesh drum-tight bows the long sides of a thin frame inward, and then the screen will not stay in the channel.
- Too little tension. The mesh ripples and flaps in the wind.
- Wavy mesh. If the first side is not rolled in straight, the weave runs crooked across the screen.
- Cut mesh. One slip of the knife along the groove leaves a slit you have to start over for.
- Heavier mesh. Pet mesh is thicker and stiffer to roll in, and usually need a different spline than the one in a fiberglass kit.
Your three options compared
| Do it yourself | Drop off at a store or shop | On-site screen company | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash cost | Lowest (HomeGuide: kit about $10 to $20) | Varies; call the store | Highest per screen; ask for a quote |
| Your time | Most: removal, rescreen, reinstall | Removal, two trips, reinstall | Least: they take screens out and put them back |
| Heavier pet mesh | Harder; needs matching spline | Ask whether they stock it | Usually offered |
| Bent or cracked frames | No; needs a new frame | Sometimes | Yes, new frames built to size |
| Sliding screen doors | Two-person job | Only if you can transport the door | Yes, rescreened or a custom new door |
| Upper-story screens | Ladder work | Ladder work | Handled by the company |
| Missing screens | No | Sometimes, with measurements | Yes, measured on site |
Drop-off service varies by store; call to ask what they rescreen and how long it takes. Some screen companies also take drop-offs.
When DIY makes sense
- One or two small screens, not a whole house.
- Standard fiberglass mesh.
- Frames that are straight, square and have good corners.
- Screens you can take out from inside without a ladder.
- You have a flat work surface and an hour or so for the first one.
When to hand it off
- Sliding screen doors. They are large, and a door screen has to be stretched tight enough not to flap while the frame stays straight enough to roll. Phifer's door steps call for securing the door and stretching the screen tightly for exactly this reason. Our sliding screen doors page covers a custom new door, and rescreening covers new mesh in the frame you have.
- A whole house of screens, where time adds up.
- Pet-resistant mesh.
- Bent, bowed or cracked frames, which need new custom screens rather than new mesh.
- Upper-story windows where the screen has to come out from outside on a ladder.
- Screens that also need new springs, tabs, corner keys.
Heavier meshes are a different job
Most kits are built around standard fiberglass. Pet mesh is vinyl-coated polyester; Phifer lists its PetScreen at 0.036 inch thick and 11.2 ounces per square yard, far heavier than insect fiberglass. It can need a thinner spline to fit the same groove, more force to roll in, and a frame stiff enough not to bow under the pull.
If the point of the rescreen is to stop a dog or cat from shredding the screen, it is worth getting that one done with the right frame and spline. Our pet-proof screens guide and the screen mesh guide compare the options, and pet screens covers what we install.
Local conditions that test a DIY screen
A rescreen that looks fine on the table gets tested in the window. In Reno-Sparks the test is wind. NOAA's 1991-2020 normals for Reno-Tahoe International show afternoon winds averaging about 13 mph from April through July, mostly from the west, and the airport logged about 45 days a year with a gust of 40 mph or more between 2016 and 2025. Loose mesh flutters and wears at the spline; a bowed frame that barely stays in its channel can blow out. Our Washoe Zephyr guide explains the pattern.
Sun is the other test. The valley sits around 4,400 feet, and the EPA notes UV rises about 2% for every 1,000 feet of elevation. Fiberglass holds up well, but cheap mesh and old spline go brittle faster on south and west walls. When you buy materials, match the quality of what came off, not just the size.
Patch, rescreen or leave it
Not every hole needs a full rescreen. A small puncture away from the edges can take a stick-on patch from a hardware store. It works, but it shows. A tear that starts at the spline, a long slit, or mesh that is brittle all over calls for new mesh, because the damage keeps spreading.
Before mosquito season, which Northern Nevada Public Health defines as May through September, any hole is worth fixing one way or another. The mosquito season guide has the local advice.
Safety before you start
- Take screens out from inside wherever the window allows. A screen is a sail on a ladder in the afternoon wind.
- Use a fresh blade and cut away from your hand. Most DIY cuts happen on the last side, when the knife is dull.
- Keep children and pets away from open windows while screens are out, and never rely on any screen to stop a fall.
- Old wood frames on homes built before 1978 may carry lead paint. Do not sand or scrape them; leave that frame to a new-frame replacement.
DIY checklist
- Mesh cut about 1 inch longer and wider than the frame, which gives Phifer's recommended 1/2 inch overlap on each side, plus a little extra to hold.
- Spline matched to the old spline's diameter.
- A spline roller with a convex wheel and a concave wheel.
- A sharp utility knife with a fresh blade, and a flat screwdriver for corners.
- Masking tape or small clamps to hold the mesh square while you roll.
- A flat table, or two sawhorses and a board, big enough for the screen.
Doing some yourself and handing off the rest
Plenty of people rescreen the easy ground-floor screens themselves and hand off the patio door, the upper floor and anything with a bent frame. That works well. If you do, tell us what mesh and color you used so the rest can match. A-Affordable Screen measures on site for free anywhere from Sparks to Sun Valley, and the quote lists each screen as a rescreen or a new frame, with the mesh spelled out. Senior, military, referral and multi-window discounts apply where they fit.
Questions
Straight answers
Is rescreening a window screen hard?
A small standard screen is manageable with a kit and some patience. Large screens, sliding doors and heavy meshes are noticeably harder to get tight and straight.
What spline size do I need?
Match the old spline. Pull out a short piece and take it with you, because frames use several spline diameters and heavier mesh can need a thinner one.
Why does my new screen bow in the middle?
The mesh was pulled too tight for the frame. Rolling it in with less tension, or a sturdier frame, fixes it.
Can I rescreen a sliding screen door myself?
You can, but it is a larger two-person job. The mesh must be tight without racking the frame, or the door will drag and jump the track.
How much mesh should I buy?
Enough to overlap the frame by at least 1/2 inch on every side, so at least 1 inch larger than the frame each way. Buying a roll wider than your largest screen avoids seams.
Can I patch a small hole instead of rescreening?
Yes. A small hole can be covered with a screen patch or repair tape from a hardware store. It works, but it shows, and a tear near the spline usually keeps spreading, so larger damage is better handled with a full rescreen.
Can I measure and order new screens myself?
Yes. Our measuring guide has a printable sheet. Record the hardware as well as the size, or the new screen may not seat.
Related
Keep reading
Sources: Phifer: how to replace a window, door or patio screen (opens in a new tab) · HomeGuide: window screen replacement cost (viewed Sept. 30, 2026) (opens in a new tab) · Phifer: PetScreen specifications (opens in a new tab) · NOAA NCEI: U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Reno-Tahoe International Airport) (opens in a new tab)
Since 1997 · Sparks, Nevada
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