Window screens
How to measure a window screen (printable sheet)
Measure width first and height second, to the nearest 1/16 inch, at three points each way (top, middle and bottom for width; left, center and right for height), and write down the smallest figure. Then record the frame depth, the frame type and how the screen is held in (springs, pull tabs, pull rings or latches), because a screen of the right size with the wrong hardware still will not fit.
Updated · A-Affordable Screen, Sparks
What you need
- A metal tape measure. RiteScreen's measuring guide warns against cloth tapes and bent or kinked metal ones.
- A pencil and the printable sheet below, or a notepad.
- A step stool, and a putty knife or flat screwdriver if a screen has to come out from outside.
- Painter's tape to label each screen as you go.
- A phone camera, for a photo of each screen's hardware and each window's channel.
Step by step: measuring an existing screen
This is the most reliable method, because the old screen frame already fits. Work on one screen at a time and finish its line on the sheet before moving on.
- Take the screen out. From inside, open the window fully, pull the tabs or rings toward you and tilt the screen out. If there are no tabs, look for pins, latches or turn clips holding it.
- Lay it flat and label it. Put painter's tape on the frame with the room, which window, and which way is up and out.
- Measure the width in three places. Measure from the outside edge of the frame to the outside edge, across the top, the middle and the bottom. Write down all three.
- Measure the height in three places. Measure the same way, outside edge to outside edge, at the left side, the center and the right side.
- Measure the frame depth. Measure the thickness across the edge of the frame. It will be by far the smallest number.
- Check the diagonals. Measure both diagonals, corner to opposite corner. If they differ by more than about 1/8 inch, the frame is out of square and the three-point numbers matter even more.
- Record the hardware and take photos. Note the springs, tabs, rings or latches and which edge they sit on, then photograph the screen and the window.
Step by step: measuring when the screen is missing
- Find where the screen sits. Look for a channel or track on a metal or vinyl window, or the stop on a wood window.
- Measure the channel. RiteScreen's method is to measure from inside the channel on one side to the outer edge of the channel on the other, then subtract 1/8 inch from both width and height so the screen seats without binding.
- Take three readings each way. Measure width at the top, middle and bottom and height at the left, center and right, and keep the smallest of each.
- Measure the channel depth. This keeps the new frame from being too thick for the channel.
- No channel? Decide where the screen edges will rest on the frame and measure between those points, keeping the tape parallel to the sill.
Which method fits your window
| Situation | What you measure | Adjustment | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old screen in hand, fits well | Screen frame, outside edge to outside edge | None | Most reliable; copy the hardware positions too |
| Old screen in hand, bent or bowed | Screen frame, but check against the channel | Use the smallest reading | A bowed frame reads short in the middle; see rescreen or replace |
| Screen missing, window has a channel | Inside of one channel to the outer edge of the other | Subtract 1/8 inch from width and height | Also measure channel depth |
| Screen missing, no channel | Between the points where the screen edges will rest | Keep the tape parallel to the sill | Clips or turn buttons usually hold it |
| Spring-loaded screen | The screen frame itself, not the channel | None | Note which edge the springs are on |
| Sliding screen door | Track height at both ends and the middle, plus the opening width | See the door guide | Covered in sliding screen door sizes |
| Solar screen over the outside of the glass | Depends on how it mounts to the window frame | Measured on site | See solar screens |
Methods follow RiteScreen's published measuring guide. When in doubt, write down what you see and we confirm it on site.
Frame type and hardware to record
- Frame: roll-formed aluminum (the common thin frame), extruded aluminum (heavier), or wood.
- Springs: tension springs along one edge, usually the top or a side. Note which edge and how many. The spring compresses to let the screen in, so measure the screen frame itself, not the channel.
- Pull tabs or pull rings: note which edge the pull tabs are on and how far in from the corners.
- Latches, plungers or pins: note the side and position.
- Turn buttons or clips on the house: note whether the retainer clips will be reused.
- Crossbar: note if the screen has a middle bar and where it sits.
Where the screen sits on common windows
Knowing the window type tells you where to look for the channel and which side the screen comes out from.
Horizontal sliders, common in Reno-Sparks tract homes, usually have a screen over the fixed half, held in a channel on the outside with springs or tabs. They come out from inside when the sliding pane is open.
Single-hung and double-hung windows usually carry a half or full screen on the outside, often with springs along the top or side and tabs along the bottom.
Casement windows, which crank outward, carry their screen on the inside of the window, usually held by clips or turn buttons. Measure the opening on the room side.
Older aluminum windows, common in homes built before 1980, sometimes use pins or latches instead of springs. Photograph them, because matching the hardware is what makes a new screen drop straight in.
Printable measuring sheet
Print this page and fill in one line per screen. Measure to the nearest 1/16 inch. Width always comes first.
- Screen number and room (for example: 3, front bedroom, left window).
- Width at top / middle / bottom, and the smallest of the three.
- Height at left / center / right, and the smallest of the three.
- Frame depth.
- Diagonal 1 and diagonal 2.
- Frame type: roll-formed, extruded or wood.
- Hardware: springs (which edge), tabs or rings (which edge), latches or pins, clips.
- Mesh wanted: standard insect mesh or pet mesh. Our screen mesh guide explains each.
- Notes: crossbar, damage, hard to reach, second story.
Reading 1/16 of an inch
Most tape measures mark sixteenths as the shortest lines between the eighth-inch marks. Count the short lines past the last whole inch: 36 and 5/16, for example, is five of the shortest ticks past 36. If a reading falls between two sixteenths, write the smaller one.
Write each number as whole inches plus a fraction, not decimals, and always in the same order: width, then height, then depth. RiteScreen suggests labeling every figure so nobody has to guess later.
Common measuring mistakes
- Writing height before width, or mixing up which number is which. RiteScreen suggests labeling each figure, and notes depth will be the smallest number by far.
- Rounding to the nearest quarter or half inch instead of 1/16.
- Measuring the channel on a spring-loaded screen instead of the screen frame.
- Assuming matching windows are identical. Measure each one.
- Measuring a bowed frame once in the middle. Three readings show the bow; the smallest one is the one that fits.
- Forgetting the hardware. A screen of the right size with springs on the wrong edge will not go in.
Second-story and hard-to-reach windows
Upper-floor screens often have to come out from outside, on a ladder, in the afternoon wind that NOAA's normals show averaging about 13 mph from April through July in Reno. A screen is a sail on a ladder. If you cannot remove it safely from inside, leave it in place, note the window on the sheet, and let us measure it.
The same goes for large picture windows, odd shapes and arched tops. Those are better measured on site by someone who builds custom screens, because the frame has to follow the shape.
What happens with your numbers
If you are ordering replacements, your sheet goes a long way. If you would rather we handle it, A-Affordable Screen does a free on-site measure and quote anywhere in our area, from Sparks and Reno to the North Valleys. A filled-in sheet still helps: it tells us how many screens there are, which need rescreening and which need new frames, and which mesh you are leaning toward. Several windows at once may qualify for the multi-window discount on our discounts page.
Printable
Measuring sheet
| # | Room / window | Width top | Width mid | Width bottom | Height left | Height center | Height right | Depth | Frame type | Hardware and side | Mesh wanted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||||||||||
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| 10 |
A-Affordable Screen · (775) 240-0418 · free on-site measure and quote
Questions
Straight answers
Do I measure the screen or the window?
If you have the old screen, measure the screen frame, outside edge to outside edge. If the screen is missing, measure the channel or opening and subtract 1/8 inch from width and height.
Which number goes first, width or height?
Width first, then height. Label both on your sheet so nobody has to guess.
Why measure in three places?
Frames and openings are rarely perfectly square. Measuring three times each way shows any taper or bow, and the smallest figure is the one that fits.
What if my screen has springs?
Measure the screen frame itself and note which edge the springs are on. The springs compress to let the screen into the channel.
Should I round up or down?
Neither. Write the measurement to the nearest 1/16 inch. For an opening with no screen, use the smallest of your three readings and subtract 1/8 inch.
Is a sliding door screen measured the same way?
Similar, but you measure the track height at both ends and the middle as well as the width of the panel opening. Our sliding screen door sizes guide walks through it.
Do solar screens measure the same way?
Not always. Many solar screens mount over the outside of the window frame rather than in the insect-screen channel, so the size depends on the mounting. We measure those on site.
Related
Keep reading
Sources: RiteScreen: How to Measure Windows for Screen Replacement (white paper, PDF) (opens in a new tab) · Phifer: how to replace a window, door or patio screen (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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