How to Replace Flyscreen
Flyscreen is a common term used in Australia and the United Kingdom for window screen and door screen. There are different types of screening material and some ingenious ways to remove and replace them. The most common in the United States is cloth screening. The material is more flexible than wire mesh. You can buy screen replacement kits for each window or you can buy rolls of the replacement screening and other materials at most hardware stores. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Window/door screen replacement kit (or)
- Roll of window and door screening
- Rubber spline replacement
- Window spline roller
- Flathead screwdriver
- Small pick or awl
- Scissors or utility knife
Instructions
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How to Replace Flyscreen
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1
Remove the screen window or door panel and lay it on a wide flat surface to work on. Make sure the screen spline is facing up. The screen spline is packed tightly into a channel of the window or door screen frame and holds the screen secure.
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2
Inspect each corner of the spline channel of the screen frame to find the end of the spline. Dig it out with a small pick or awl. Once enough is exposed to grip firmly between your fingers, pull the old rubber spline from the screen frame channel.
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3
Remove the old screen.
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4
Remove the screen from the screen kit or unroll the screen from the roll and center enough to fit the screen frame. Screen kits fit most common-sized window and door frames with a few inches left over on each side. If you're using a roll of screening, cut the screen also allowing a few inches on each side of the frame. You can cut excess screen once you have it installed into the frame. Center the screen over the frame.
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5
Insert the end of the replacement rubber spline (do not cut to size yet) into one corner of the frame. Carefully poke the spline into the channel of the frame using the screwdriver. Be careful not to slip and poke a hole in the new screen. Once the end of the spline is tucked into the channel, you're ready to begin with the spline roller.
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6
Use the spline roller to press the spline into the channel along one side of the frame. Stop once you've neared the corner. You will not be able to use the rollers to press the spline into the corners of the channel. Use the screwdriver to poke the spline into the corners of the channel. When you're ready to start a new side, pull the screening (or get someone to help) so that it is taught. Otherwise the screen will be flimsy in the frame. Continue until you've covered the frame channel with the rubber spline.
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7
Cut the edge of the spline at the last corner--the same corner that you started with. Pack the end of the spline into the channel with the screwdriver.
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8
Run the roller over and over on the spline to ensure it is firmly pressed into the channel. If you're unsatisfied with the tightness of the screen, remove the spline and try again. The more you practice, the tighter you will be able to get the screens. Do not go too tightly on flimsy metal frames or the tightness of the screen will compromise the shape of the frame and it will buckle or be hard to reinstall in the window or door.
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