Things You'll Need:
- Screen
- Rubber spline
- Spline wheel (or putty knife)
- Utility knife (or scissors)
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Step 1
Ask your lumberyard or do it yourself center to cut a piece of screen four inches wider and four inches longer than the opening where it will fit. Aluminum screen will be the sturdiest, but fiberglass screen is by far the easiest to install. Purchase a length of rubber spline that will fit the entire distance around your screen opening.
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Step 2
Lay the sliding screen door on a flat surface; a clean driveway is a good choice. Remove all traces of the old screen and the rubber spline that held it in place. Check the spline groove for stuck-on debris and remove.
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Step 3
Place your new screen on top of the opening; it will overlap two inches on each side and at the top and bottom. Line it up straight with the hole, using the vertical and horizontal screen pattern.
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Step 4
Begin at the top corner; press the new rubber spline through the screen into the spline groove, working slowly and straightening the screen as you go. The spline will hold the new screen firmly in place.
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Step 5
Straighten the screen again when you come to the other top corner. It will bunch a little along the top where you already installed the spline. Use gentle tension to hold the screen in place as you begin inserting the spline down the side. Keep straightening the screen as you go.
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Step 6
Pull the screen tightly as you proceed along the bottom, but not so forcefully that you pull the spline out of the top and side. The rest of the way, you will pull the screen and fit it in snugly. Continue along the other side until you reach your beginning point.
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Step 7
Finish by cutting the excess screen off, but leaving at least an 1/8-inch overhang to keep it from slipping out from under the spline. Reinstall your sliding door.
