I've been rescreeing my old windows with the plastic /fiberglass screen. Two questions:

1. What's the best way to end up with a taut screen without ripping the material. I've been using clamps. I find it some what of a pain because I find myself trying to stop the screen from bunching/wrinkling & sometimes I finish a screen only to see it tear at the spline point a few days later. Of about 16 screens I've done I'll probably have to redo about 4. Any hints to make it easier?

2. The screen frames are pretty beat up with grime & some pitting. Structural intact. I've been using steel wool & a hose to try to clean them up before rescreening but it works so-so at best & requires a fair amount of time & elbow grease. On a few I tried sanding them or even using my grinder but neither does a great job. Any tricks or recommendations?

Thanks

 

Steel wool & elbow grease is all you can do. For step by step instructions on re-screening go to: http://www.phifer.com/rescreen.htm

 

Is it better to use several pieces of spline when rescreening - one for each side. Or should I try to use one continuous piece? Seperate pieces for top/ bottom, side/side would probably make for a tighter, neater screen but the books seem to show using one piece of spline all the way around.

 

I use a single piece of spline - always a new one - don't re-use....

Getting the screens smooth and tight takes practice... Don't overstretch the wire when running your spline into the grooves...

 

thezster is right- one piece of spline. If you use short pieces for each side, they will eventually shrink back and be short at the corners, will come loose, and you'll be replaceing the screen again soon. Fiberglass screen can't be stretched tight like a rubber band. Aluminum screens can be rolled tight because it's stronger and provides more structural strength at the corners of the screen frame. Fiberglass screen can only be streched so tight before it rips, as you've discovered. Fiberglass screens will get stretched by the wind eventually, so all you can do is get them as tight as possible. The only trick I know of is to put the screen on a bench, and bow the 4 sides of the frame in toward the middle slightly- 1/8" or so (like an hourglass). You can do this by screwing 4 small pieces of wood onto your bench to hold the screen in this "hourglass" shape. Roll the screen as best as you can, and when you remove it from the bench, it will spring back to straight (unless you bowed it too much!) and help hold the screen tight.

 

Thanks for the info. I tried using a small piece of extra spline to stablize "one" side as I use the long single spline and pulled the opposite side snug. This seemed to help - It gave me the advantage of seperate pieces while only using one for the final screening.