Both window screens and door screens are added to households in order to protect one’s house from dry leaves, insects, birds as well as debris which will enter the building through open doors and windows. In some countries in Asia, the screens are indispensable for houses to prevent the disease carrying dengue mosquitoes as well as house flies from entering the house. The most common screens which are used are typically made from either fiberglass or aluminum however; their exposure to different elements will cause undue wear. Replacement kits for door and window screens are available in most hardware stores. The replacement kit will also consist of rolls of screening materials and also a generous amount of screening spline.
The Importance of Having a Screening Spline
The screen mesh will be secured firmly in the window frame with the use of a screening spline. The spline refers to the rubber material which is inserted in the groove that will press the screen fabric in the frame. This particular material is manufactured with parallel ridges on its length in order to provide a better grip as well as compliance when it is pressed into the grove. Spline rollers are also used for a more efficient process of sliding the screening spline inside the groove without having to take damage or cut on the screen fabric. Driving the spline in the channel will cause tension on the screen since it will become a must to avoid pre-tensioning the screen excessively in order to avoid warping of the window frame.
Fundamental Steps in Window Screening
- First, you need to measure the actual screen needed. The screen size is not really the size of the window screen but it will be much smaller compared to your window. When measuring the screen, you need to start from tip to tip in both the height and width. Tip to tip measurements would mean from the outside corner of a particular side to the outside corner of the other side and then the outside corner of the top to the outside of the bottom of the window. There are plenty of homes which are built with the same sizes in the window and when you know this, you need not measure every window in your house.
- Choose the right kind of screen. Typically vinyl and fiberglass are the materials that are considered to be durable types of screen mesh and they are also available in variety of colors which will complement the paint in your house. The aluminum will allow for excellent visibility but it is not really too durable. Solar fiberglass is quite expensive but they can also be a source of protection for any harmful UV rays.
- Hardware choices. Hardware is what would really hold the screen in place. There are different window makers which have different hardware that are available for windows and the choice will typically depend on personal preferences.
- Screening spline. The screen should be held firmly in place by the spline.