Window and door screens are extremely useful to have if you live in areas where there are lots of insects. They keep the insects out of your home while still allowing fresh air inside. If you have these screens around your house you’ll know that they sometimes get damaged and need to be repaired. If at first you think this sounds like a hassle, don’t fret, we found out that it’s actually quite easy to do!
We’ll take you through the process of patching a tear of less than 5 centimetres in this article. Patching can look a bit messy so if the screen is in a highly visible area, or if the tear is longer than 5 centimetres or along the frame of the screen, rather read our article on replacing the entire screen [
link to article].
1. Assess the damage
Have a look at the damage and decide whether you want to patch a tear or replace the entire screen. If the tear is less than 5 centimetres and you don’t mind having a patched screen, patching is a quicker option rather than replacing the entire screen.
2. Determine what material your screen is made of
Screens are generally made of fibreglass, aluminium, or sun-shading fabric (also known as heavy-duty screening). You will want to patch the screen with the same type of material the screen is made of, otherwise the patch will be more noticeable. If you’re not sure what your screen is made of, take the cutting you’ll make in step 5 along to the hardware store.
3. Visit the hardware store
The hardware store will sell screen patching kits. Have a look on the packaging for any special instructions or suggested tools. If they don’t sell patching kits, ask if they have some offcuts or buy about 15 centimetres of whichever material you need for your screen. You’ll also need some rubber-based glue, some wax paper, a speed square, a utility knife, and scissors.
4. Set up your workspace
If you don’t have a workbench, lay some old newspaper or rags on a table to protect it. Then get your tools and the damaged screen together. Also find an old piece of flat wood you can use to spread the glue in step 8.
5. Cut out the tear
Using your utility knife, cut a square hole around the tear in your screen, making sure there is at least 1.5 centimetres of old screen left along the edge of the frame.
6. Cut out some patching material
Cut out a piece of the material you bought that you’ll use as the patch. Make sure the patch is big enough that it will overlap the existing material by about 1.5 centimetres.
7. Place the wax paper under your screen
Lay the wax paper between your table and the screen so the glue doesn’t get stuck to your table in the next step.
8. Glue your patch
Centre the patch you cut in step 6 over the hole you cut in your screen. Squeeze some glue around the hole and spread it through the patch and your screen using the old piece of wood. Make sure you spread the glue all around the edges of the patch to minimise any loose edges.
9. Let the glue set
Some glues take longer to dry than others. If you have the time, leave the screen to dry for a few hours before putting it back in the window. Otherwise you can use a hairdryer to speed up the process. It’s important that the glue is set before putting the screen back, or some bugs could get stuck to it, making the patch look worse.
10. Put the screen back
When the glue has set, you can put the screen back and enjoy bug-free summers again.
Patching a screen is a very easy job, and if you can get a patching kit, it’s even easier and can avoid the need for
professional pest control services if patched before a large number of insects make their home in your home.