I've been re-screening and have run into a problem. The screen frames are aluminum, about 1/4" thick by maybe 5/8" wide, screen is secured with a spline. If I stretch the fiberglass screen enough so that it is flat and smooth the tension deflects the frame in the middle so that anything even slightly smaller than a mongoose could walk through the gap between screen frame and window frame. Even trying to stretch not at all - leaving the screen sloppy loose - the frame will deflect about 3/16" in the middle of a
45" length.
Is there a secret to this? Is it impossible? Would I be better off with aluminum screen material?
I used to repair screens every day after school in a basement of a hardware store. There are a few trickts to the large screens, especially full height door frames. A temporary or permanenet brace in the middle can help but will not fulluy overcome bad technique.
I will answer your questions in reverse order...
Yes possibly but its not forgiving if you make a mistake but easier because you do the spline after you roll the screen into the groove.
No, not at all. I used to be able to knock out a re-screen in just a few minutes.
No secret just technique...
1 First thing I do is lay the frame flat and make sure its square.
2 I then lay out the screen and use spring clamps in the corners to hold it square to the frame.
3 I clip the corners of the screen to opposeing 45degree mitres. (I will try and illustrate in and ASCII drawing, view with courriour font)
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The purpose of the cut is to eliminate screen bunching in the corner of the spline grove.
4 If using firberglass you roll the spline and the screen together, if using aluminum you roll the screen in the groove first then the spline.
5 roll the first edge, I start with the longest side. Key to the first edge is to keep it straight.
6 next roll and adjacent side. Now here is the trick. You need to 'feed' screen from the waste side into the groove. Feed just enough to keep the screen where it needs to be. (You clamped it in step 2 above) You don't want the screen filling the spline groove to be taken from the finished material in the middle. Just the proper ammount must come from the waste side.
7 continue this technique arround the screen. trim the spline, trim the screen with a razor blade and you are done.
this is what i did when putting up some solar screen.. i have these metal chairs in the back yard.. i tested it with a small piece of alum. screen frame... (the new frame pieces are bowed outward when you buy them new.....when putting the new solar screen(fiberglass cloth) onto the frames you pull a little to tighten it up.. with the slightly bowed frames pulling back then you have a straight line on the sides of the frames.... is this what you talking about???? i had the same problem... if the new frame parts are not bowed.. i would grab the frame material with two pieces of cloth and slightly push down with both hands, gently sliding the frames material over the back of one of the metal chairs.. this gave it a slightly (more) bow, which worked out fine.....i also would measure in the center of the screen to make sure i did not pull too much when putting in the screen... usually left a few inches on each side and measured the width from top to bottom a few times to make sure then did not have the hour glass figure on them... (the first one did)... also did you use a brace in the middle of the screen( a piece of frame material horizonal to support the center area... thats what i had to do with the 36 wide by 48. inch high windows..... ....... I I I I I-----I I I I I I.....I the center horizonal line is the center brace for the screen frame.... it does not have the screen attached to it, it only supports the frame center... they sell small metal clips that you get at hardware store in a little bag that you use.... hope this helps.
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