Services
Window screen repair and rescreening
A-Affordable Screen repairs window screens in the Reno-Sparks area by putting new mesh in your old frame when the frame is sound, or building a new frame when it is not. We look at each screen, tell you which fix makes sense and give you a free quote.
Updated · A-Affordable Screen, Sparks
Rescreen the old frame, or start fresh
Most screen damage is in the mesh, not the frame. A hole from a pet, a cut from a rake, a tear where someone pushed the screen out, or mesh that has simply faded and gone brittle in the sun. If the frame is straight, the corners are tight and it still fits the window, rescreening is the practical fix: the frame gets new mesh rolled into its groove, held with new spline or the same spline reused if it is still good, and goes back in the window.
When the frame itself is the problem, new mesh will not help. A bent frame bows the mesh and leaves gaps, cracked corners let the frame twist, and a frame that was cut down years ago will never fit snugly again. In those cases we build a new frame to the size of the window. Our guide to rescreen or replace walks through how to tell the difference.
Symptoms, causes and fixes
Most screen problems fall into a handful of patterns. The table shows what we usually find behind each one and the fix that lasts.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Usual fix |
|---|---|---|
| Small hole or cut | Pets, yard tools or a push from inside | Rescreen the frame with new mesh |
| Faded, chalky or brittle mesh | Years of UV on the sunny side | Rescreen with new mesh |
| Mesh pulling out along one edge | Spline has hardened or shrunk | New mesh, with new spline or the same spline reused if it is still good |
| Screen rattles or falls out | Missing springs or clips, or an undersized frame | New hardware, or a new frame if the size is wrong |
| Frame bowed or twisted | Bent in a move, by wind or by over-tight mesh | A new frame built to the opening |
| Corners cracked or separating | Broken corner keys | New corners where the frame allows, otherwise a new frame |
| Mesh sags or ripples | Uneven tension or stretched old mesh | Rescreen at even tension |
Typical patterns only. We check each screen before recommending a fix.
What rescreening involves
The torn mesh comes out of the frame, along with the spline, the rubber cord that locks the mesh into a channel around the frame. New mesh is laid over the frame and pressed into the channel with new spline, or the same spline reused if it is still good, using a spline roller, keeping even tension so the mesh is tight without bowing the frame. The excess is trimmed, and any worn hardware is replaced before the screen goes back in.
It sounds simple, and on one small screen it can be a weekend project. On a whole house, getting consistent tension on every screen and picking the right spline size for each frame is where a professional job pays off. Our guide to DIY vs pro rescreening lays out both paths.
Spline comes in several diameters, and the right one depends on the channel in the frame and the thickness of the mesh. Pet mesh is thicker than standard fiberglass, so it can need a thinner spline than the one that came out. Using the wrong size is a common reason new mesh pops loose after a few windy weeks.
Your choice of mesh
Rescreening is also a chance to upgrade. You can keep the standard fiberglass insect mesh or switch a window to pet-resistant mesh. We bring samples so you can see the difference.
Many homes end up with a mix. Standard mesh on most windows keeps the view clear and the air moving, while pet mesh goes only where it is needed. There is no rule that every screen in the house has to match, though screens on the same side of the house usually look best in the same mesh.
Patches, tape and quick fixes
Stick-on patches and screen tape can close a small hole for a season. They tend to show from inside, they can loosen in summer heat, and they do nothing for mesh that is already brittle around the hole. If one small hole is the only problem on an otherwise good screen, a patch is a fair stopgap.
When a screen has several holes, a tear longer than a few inches, or mesh that crumbles when pressed, full rescreening is the fix that lasts and looks right. It also resets the clock on the whole panel, rather than leaving new material next to old.
A torn screen in mosquito season
A hole in a screen matters most from late spring to early fall. Northern Nevada Public Health treats mosquito season as May through September, and in 2024 it found West Nile virus in mosquito samples from ZIP codes 89436 in Spanish Springs and north Sparks and 89521 in South Reno. Its advice included installing protective screens on doors and windows, and the CDC says to repair holes in screens to keep mosquitoes outdoors.
NNPH also notes that mosquitoes are most active in the morning and evening, which are exactly the cool hours when Reno-Sparks households open windows. Getting torn screens fixed in April or early May, before the season starts, means the windows are ready when the evenings warm up. Our mosquito season guide has more.
After a move, a paint job or a remodel
Screens often come out for painting, stucco, window cleaning or new flooring and then go back in bent, scratched or in the wrong windows. Moves are hard on them too. If you have a stack of screens that no longer seem to fit, we can sort them back to their openings, rescreen the damaged ones and build new frames where the old ones are beyond saving.
Solar screens and screen doors too
The same repair approach applies to solar screens, which can take new solar fabric in a sound frame, and to sliding screen doors, which can be rescreened with new mesh in the frame they have, or built new as a custom sliding screen door. If you have a mix of window screens and doors, one visit can cover them all, and multi-window discounts apply.
Signs a screen needs attention
- Holes, cuts or tears of any size, since insects find small ones quickly
- Mesh that is faded, chalky or brittle to the touch
- Mesh pulling out of the frame at one edge, which usually means the spline has hardened or shrunk
- A frame that rattles, bows or will not stay in the opening
- Missing pull tabs, springs or clips that hold the screen in place
Before you call
- Sort the screens. Set aside the ones with holes, the ones that rattle and any that are bent.
- Check each frame. Lay it on the floor. If it sits flat and the corners are tight, it can usually be rescreened.
- Count the missing ones. Windows without screens need new frames, measured at the opening.
- Note the mesh you want. Pet-resistant mesh is the choice where cats climb or dogs push.
How a rescreening job goes
- Call or text. Tell us roughly how many screens and doors need work.
- Look and measure. We check each screen on site, sort the ones that can be rescreened from the ones that need new frames, and measure any missing ones.
- Quote. You get a price for each fix, with senior, military, referral or multi-window discounts applied. Installation carries a lifetime warranty and solar screen material a 20-year warranty, see our warranty page.
- Repair. Old mesh comes out, new mesh goes in at even tension with new spline or the same spline reused if it is still good, and worn hardware is replaced.
- Refit. Each screen goes back in its window and is checked for a snug fit.
Price
What affects the price
- Number of screens. Rescreening several at once can qualify for the multi-window discount.
- Rescreen or new frame. New mesh in a sound frame uses less material than a whole new screen.
- Size. Big screens and screen doors take more mesh and more care to tension.
- Mesh type. Pet-resistant mesh costs more than standard fiberglass.
- Hardware. Replacing springs, tabs, clips or corners adds parts.
- Access. Screens that install from outside on upper floors take more time.
Every price is quoted after we see the screens. Our cost guide covers published ranges and what drives them.
Reno-Sparks
Sun, wind and older screens
Housing age shapes repair work here. Census figures put the median build year for Sparks homes at 1993, and for central Sparks ZIP 89431 at 1973, with 69 percent of those homes built before 1980. Many of their screens have been through decades of high-desert summers.
At about 4,400 feet the valley gets roughly 9 percent more UV than sea level, by the EPA's rule of about 2 percent per 1,000 feet, and UV is what turns mesh brittle. NOAA's normals add about 65 days a year at 90 degrees or hotter and spring and summer afternoon winds near 13 miles per hour. That is why south- and west-facing screens usually go first.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-year; EPA 430-F-04-020; NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, Reno-Tahoe International Airport.
Making screens last longer
- Wash screens gently with a hose and a soft brush, never a pressure washer
- Take screens out before painting, stucco work or cleaning windows with strong chemicals
- Lift screens by the frame or tabs rather than pushing on the mesh
- Put pet mesh on the windows your pets favor so claws never meet standard mesh
- Look over the sunny-side screens each spring, since they tend to fail first
- Have small holes fixed before mosquito season, as the CDC advises repairing holes in screens
Reviews
What customers say
“We are super pleased with our repaired window screens and how fast and professional the whole process was. We simply dropped them off and picked them up 3 days later. Husband said 'what a great find'.”
“I would highly recommend this company. We have used them on multiple occasions and the prices are reasonable and we have always gotten our screens back in a very timely manner...great customer service.”
“Excellent service, easy to get a hold of and arrange to have Screen put in. Work is well done.”
Questions
Straight answers
Can a small hole be patched instead of rescreening?
Small patches exist, but they show and can loosen. On most screens full rescreening is the fix that lasts and looks right.
How do I know if my frame can be saved?
If the frame is straight, the corners are tight and it fits the window snugly, it can usually take new mesh. We check each one and tell you.
Is it worth rescreening a whole house at once?
If most screens are the same age, they tend to fail around the same time, so doing them together gives a matching look and qualifies for our multi-window discount. You can also start with the worst ones.
Can you rescreen a solar screen?
Yes. A solar screen with a sound frame can take new solar fabric, often in a different openness or color if you want a change.
Can I rescreen a window screen myself?
Yes. One small screen is a manageable project with a spline roller, mesh and the right spline size. On a whole house, even tension and matching spline sizes are where it gets harder.
Does rescreening change how the window looks?
New mesh is usually darker and clearer than faded old mesh, so rescreened windows often look sharper from inside and out. Doing all the screens on one side of the house at once keeps them matching.
What if some of my screens are missing?
We measure those openings during the same visit and build new screens for them, so the new ones and the rescreened ones can be quoted and fitted together.
Related
Related services
Window Screen Repair & Rescreening across Reno-Sparks
Sources: U.S. EPA, A Guide to the UV Index (EPA 430-F-04-020) (opens in a new tab) · NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Reno-Tahoe International Airport) (opens in a new tab) · U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Preventing Mosquito Bites (opens in a new tab) · Efficient Windows Collaborative, Window Glossary (opens in a new tab)
Since 1997 · Sparks, Nevada
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