BROWSE HOW TOs

How to Patch a Broken Screen

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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If you enjoy opening your screened windows on balmy summer evenings but suddenly see a moth circling the room, it may be time to examine your window screens for holes and tears. It shouldn't be necessary to replace the screen when simple repairs are possible, often with materials you already have on hand.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Glue
Nail polish
Needle and thread
Screen patches

Step1

Fill in a small hole quickly with clear nail polish or clear household glue. Simply dab the polish or glue over the spot and hold the edges together until it dries.

Step2

Sew up a larger rip with needle and thread. Find a thread color similar to the color of the screen. Tie a small knot at one end of the thread. Hold the ripped edges together, insert the needle at one end of the rip and continue sewing the torn edges. Once the tear is sewn shut, trim the thread close to the screen.

Step3

For larger holes it may be necessary to buy the inexpensive patching kits that are available at most hardware and home center stores. Match the color as well as the material–-metal, vinyl or fiberglass–-of your screen. Measure the size of the hole before you go shopping; the patch should be at least a one-half-inch larger than the hole on all sides.

Step4

Apply the adhesive and place the patch over the screen. The patch may come with pre-bent edges. If not, bend the edges of the patch forward. Place the patch flat against the screen over the hole and press it into place with the bent strands sticking through the screen. Then bend the edges of the patch inward until they are flat against the screen.

Tips & Warnings

It's a good idea to examine screens once or twice a year, either before removing and re-installing them or seasonally if the screens are left in place year around.