How to Replace the Mesh in an Aluminium Flyscreen
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Flyscreens are one of those things nobody thinks about until the mesh has a hole in it, and then you notice it every single day. The good news is that rescreening an aluminium frame is a genuinely doable job, and the mesh itself is the cheap part. It is mostly patience and getting the tension right.
What you need
- Replacement mesh. Fibreglass is the cheapest and it is fine for most windows. Aluminium lasts longer. Pet mesh is the heavy duty one, and if you have a dog or a cat that leans on the screen it is the only one worth putting in.
- A spline roller. A flat-head screwdriver will do at a pinch and it will not do it as well.
- A utility knife for trimming.
- New spline, which is the rubber cord that holds the mesh in the groove.
- A tape measure.
1. Get the old screen out
Take the screen out of the window frame first, then prise the old spline out with the screwdriver and lift the damaged mesh away. Go gently, because the frame bends more easily than you would think and a bent frame will not sit right afterwards.
If the old spline is still soft rather than brittle, you can reuse it. If it has gone hard, replace it, because brittle spline will not hold tension.
2. Cut the new mesh
Measure the frame and cut the mesh with 50 to 100mm spare on every side. That overhang is what you hold onto while you are working, so do not trim it close to save mesh.
3. Roll the spline in
Lay the mesh over the frame and start in one corner. Press the spline and the mesh down into the groove with the roller and work your way around, keeping the mesh taut and even as you go.
Before you go any further, measure the two diagonals of the frame. They should match. If they do not, the frame has pulled out of square and you want to know that now rather than after you have trimmed everything.
Aluminium and fibreglass mesh do not usually pull hard enough to distort a frame. Pet mesh will. It is much stronger, and on a big frame it can pull the sides inwards as you tension it. Brace the frame with a piece of thin timber cut to length while you work and that stops it happening.
4. Trim the excess
Once the spline is fully seated, trim the overhang off with the utility knife. Watch the angle of the blade. Too steep and you will nick the mesh you have just spent twenty minutes tensioning, which is a special kind of annoying.
5. Put it back
Screen back into the window, and that is the job.
Or bring it to us
Doing it yourself is cheaper and it is satisfying, and it is not always the right call. If you have got eight screens, or the frames themselves are damaged, or you want pet mesh in something big, the maths changes.
We rescreen onsite at the shop with a range of mesh options, so you can drop the frames in and pick them up done. Have a look at the flyscreen replacement service for how it works.
Work out the cost first
If you want a number before you decide either way, our flyscreen quoter will give you one. Put in your sizes and the mesh you are after and it will price it up. Have a go here.
Shop related products
- Supercraft Turbo Knife. For trimming the mesh back once the spline is in.
- Supercraft 9mm Snap-Off Knife. A fresh blade every time, which is what stops you tearing the mesh.
- Supercraft Hi-Vis Tape Measure, 8m. For the frame and for checking the diagonals.
The mesh, the spline and the rollers live at the shop rather than online, so come in and we will match the mesh to what you are trying to keep out.
Read next
The diagonal check is the step I would skip if I were in a hurry, and it is the one that decides whether the screen fits back in the window.
Cheers,
Candeece
