Happy Hump Day, friends! I had a completely different post in mind today, but since we did this repair job the other day, I thought I’d share! Come see how to repair a screen door for less than $10!
Our house has a terrace off of the dining room and is accessed through a sliding glass door with a screen. Well, a few months ago, when the weather was nice, we had the glass door open and the screen door closed. At some point a squirrel made an appearance on the terrace, and our dog, Lacey gave chase. In her excitement to get the squirrel she didn’t see the screen and busted right through it. The screen didn’t tear, it just came loose. For months it sat in disrepair. We thought at first about having the screen door replaced altogether, but it was still in good shape otherwise, so we decided to fix it. You can see how the screen was separated from the door frame below.
In order to repair the door we ran to Lowe’s for a few items. First of all, this stuff is called Spline. It holds the screen in the frame of the door and costs around $4.98 for a 25 foot roll. This is the brand we purchased.
My husband, Brad, removed the screen door from the track and we put it on the dining table so we could work on it. Again, the screen was not torn so all we needed to do was put the screen back in place. (Brad removed the door handle so he could better work on the door.) Then he cut off the old spline.
You also need a spline tool. The spline tool is around $3.58 at Lowe’s. This is what it looks like. It’s just a plastic piece with a roller on each end.
You simply pull the screen back into position, then the spline tool rolls over the spline and pushes it into the groove of the screen door, thereby securing the screen into place.
Brad replaced the spline only around the bottom half of the door where the damage occurred. He used scissors to push the spline into the corners and the spline tool for the rest. Good as new!
Brad put the screen door back on the track and it’s good to go for another season. Unless the squirrel comes back. Meanwhile, Lacey is afraid of the screen door, so when we go outside on the terrace we have to go through the door opening first, to show her it’s safe. She is so confused~poor girl.
For less than $10 we were able to repair the screen door ourselves. You can also buy replacement screen, if your screen is actually torn. Be sure to measure the size of screen you need first, since it’s sold in various lengths and widths. Replacement screen is around $10. This was SO easy that I wish we had done it sooner. Now that we all know what the rubber stuff is called, you can ask for it by name when you go to your home improvement store! I bet they’ll be impressed by your knowledge!
Well, I hope you have a great day and stay safe out there. Thank you for stopping by! xoxo Dell
P.S. Lacey says hi from behind the scary screen.
2 comments
You two need a TV show!! So handy!
LOL Peggy! Thank you for the compliment! Still waiting for that call from HGTV. LOL! xoxo Dell