Window Screen Repair

I remember growing up without benefit of air conditioning. When it was hot outside, it was hot inside. We'd open the doors and windows, and prevent flying insects from getting inside by using screened doors and framed screens at the windows. During the cooler months, we'd store the screens inside of the detached garage, or in an attic or basement, and then place them inside of the window frames when the weather turned warm. Invariably, we'd find holes in some of the screens when we retrieved them from winter storage. Dad sometimes would do some window screen repair, and other times he'd replace the entire screen. But replacing screens was expensive back then, so most times he'd patch them.

Things haven't changed too much since then. People still open their windows when the weather gets warm, and they still use screens to keep the insects out. It only makes sense that the art of window screen repair, or at least learning how to replace a window screen, is still a valuable tool. If you find that your screens are torn, and you need to repair them, here are some great suggestions and tips for doing so:

• Screen tears. If the screen has a rip or tear, you can simply sew the screen back together. Using high test fishing line, thread a large needle with an eye large enough to accommodate the fishing line. Take the fishing line into the first hole of screen, and then go across the tear to its opposite hole and take the line through that hole. Go back across the tear, going through the next highest hole along the tear. Zigzag your way up the tear until you've closed the gap. By tying off the ends, and reinstalling your window, you have finished your window screen repair.
• Small screen holes. If your screen has a hole in it, then you can patch it. Cut two identical square pieces of screen at least 1/4-inch larger than the hole. Sew one square over the hole, using an over-and-under stitch, and then turn the screen over and sew the other square over the hole.
• Large screen holes. If you have a large hole, or several close to each other, then cut the existing screen, making one large square cutout. Measure and cut one piece of screen exactly the same size as the large square cutout in the existing screen. Using fishing line or twine and a needle with a large eye, whipstitch the four corners of the square into the four corners of the cutout. Finally, whipstitch all four sides of the square into the cutout, pulling the screen taut as you go.

Keep in mind that window screen repair doesn't have to be boring. If you have tiny holes in your screens, just large enough to allow gnats or fruit flies to enter, you can creatively stop up the holes with trinkets, nail polish, colored glue, or glitter glue. Simply use glue to glue faux gems in place to both sides of the screen, or fill tiny holes with colored or glitter glue. Use fingernail polish and glue to decorate tiny sun catcher's and glue them over holes in your screen. No one will ever be able to tell that there are holes in your screen. They will simply think that you are creative enough to decorate your screens!