broken screens

[RayV]

My house has replacement vynil windows with the screens that ride in a groove on the outside of the windows. During move in, cleaning, etc. two of them got broken, one by me and one by her (thank goodness).

The spring catches work fine and nothing is bent, just the little plastic inserts at the corners are broken. Any idea where I can get these things? They are about 1/4" x 3/8" L-shaped brackets that get inserted into the aluminum track. The track then gets 'peened' to hold the brackets in. I should be able to get the borken pieces out with a little persuasion or just shove them in further.

So, where can I get these things? All I was able to get at the Borgs were blank stares...

[Goedjn]

Make your own out of the kind of epoxy that you mix by kneading two sticks together. Works just like playdough, only stiffer.

[tom]

If they're mitred corners, sorry, but if they're the other type, those corner pieces are available at most non-borg hardware stores. Tom

[RayV]

Just my luck, they are the ones with the mitered corners.

[buffalobill]

sometimes it's just quicker to have the local old fashioned hardware store do this, since there are so many parts varieties, but if you want to do the homework lots of choices at:

virtual catalog "screen"

[ameijers]

Does any local store still have the hardware aisle with the pull-out cardboard trays of odd hardware? Or have they all gone to the baggies and blister packs where you are, too? IIRC, 'Sharon' was the company that provided these setups to Tractor Supply- type places, and Ma'n'Pa hardware stores. They usually had a few trays of window and door parts like that.

Failing that, take the screens into a local glass company. They will have parts that work, since that is the business they are in. If nothing else, a bent metal rod potted in place with epoxy might work. In any case, you'll probably have to rescreen the frames, since there won't be enough edge to grab and retension the fabric while pushing the gasket stuff back in the slot, once you put the corner back together.

aem sends...

[RayV]

Thanks. If I can't identify it here I'll try the bent rod and epoxy ameijers suggested. I'd much rather try and fix it myself than pay $20 to the screen guy for a part that costs less than $1.

[Rudy]

From a place that makes custom window screens. Look in the Yellow pages