Screen Repair Kits and Rescreening
What is in the kit, how to match spline, and how to lay in new mesh.
Pick Your MeshA screen repair kit is a small bundle of exactly what most DIY jobs need. Knowing what is in it — and what isn’t — saves a second trip to the store.
What a Screen Repair Kit Usually Includes
- Patches for small holes, often adhesive fiberglass or woven metal.
- Mesh, either a small roll or precut pieces, in standard fiberglass or aluminum.
- Spline, the rubbery cord that locks the mesh into the frame groove.
- A spline roller, a handle with two wheels: one convex for pressing mesh into the groove, one concave for rolling the spline in.
Some kits leave out the roller or include only one spline size, so compare the package with your frame before you buy. You will also want a utility knife with a fresh blade, a flat-blade screwdriver or pick for removing old spline, and a few clamps or weights.
How to Rescreen a Frame, Step by Step
- Lay the frame flat. Pry up one end of the old spline and pull it out all the way round; remove the old mesh.
- Clean the groove of grit and broken spline.
- Cut new mesh a couple of inches larger than the opening on every side.
- Clamp or weight the frame so the long sides can’t bow inward.
- Starting on one long side, press the mesh into the groove with the convex wheel, then roll the spline in over it with the concave wheel.
- Do the opposite side next, pulling the mesh just snug — not drum-tight. Then do the two short sides.
- At corners, push the spline in with a screwdriver tip so it turns cleanly.
- Trim excess mesh along the outside edge of the spline with the blade angled away from the screen.
Matching Spline and Mesh
Spline size is the most common mistake in DIY rescreening. Too thin and the mesh pulls out; too thick and you can’t roll it into the groove without tearing the mesh. Bring a sample of the old spline, and remember that heavier mesh takes up space in the groove. If you are switching mesh types, read our mesh comparison first.
Screen Repair Kit FAQ
What size spline do I need?
Spline comes in many diameters, and the right one depends on the groove in your frame and the thickness of your mesh. The surest way is to pull out a short piece of the old spline and take it with you, or measure the groove width. Thicker mesh, such as pet-resistant screen, often needs a slightly thinner spline than standard fiberglass in the same groove.
Why does my new screen wrinkle or bow the frame?
Either the mesh was stretched too hard, which pulls the long sides of the frame inward, or it was laid in loose. Clamp or weight the frame so it can’t bow, roll one side at a time, and let the spline roller do the tensioning.
Can I reuse the old spline?
It is possible if the spline is still soft and unbroken, but old spline is often hard, shrunken or cracked. Replacing it with the mesh is the usual practice.
Working on a Door Instead?
Screen doors use the same rescreening method, plus rollers, tracks, hinges and latches that wear out.
Screen Door Repair