I'm at my parents' house this week, clearing fences, doing repairs and
stuff. The last thing on my list is fixing the torn screen door.

The old screen is aluminum (probably purchased a long time ago), and
appears to be installed with 0.160" spline. I am going to be using
fiberglass screening because it is more tear resistant.

Will I need .160 spline, or .175 since the fiberglass material is
thinner? Or does it even matter?

How tight do I stretch the screen before I spline it? (I assume I just
lay it flat with no wrinkles, and no tension until I do the 3rd and 4th
sides)

Thanks,
Bob

On Mon, 15 Sep 2014 20:32:31 -0500, zxcvbob
wrote:

I'm at my parents' house this week, clearing fences, doing repairs and
stuff. The last thing on my list is fixing the torn screen door.

The old screen is aluminum (probably purchased a long time ago), and
appears to be installed with 0.160" spline. I am going to be using
fiberglass screening because it is more tear resistant.

Will I need .160 spline, or .175 since the fiberglass material is
thinner? Or does it even matter?

How tight do I stretch the screen before I spline it? (I assume I just
lay it flat with no wrinkles, and no tension until I do the 3rd and 4th
sides)

Thanks,
Bob
Should use the same spline - and you've basically got the procedure
right.

On Monday, September 15, 2014 8:32:31 PM UTC-5, zxcvbob wrote:
I'm at my parents' house this week, clearing fences, doing repairs and stuff. The last thing on my list is fixing the torn screen door. The old screen is aluminum (probably purchased a long time ago), and appears to be installed with 0.160" spline. I am going to be using fiberglass screening because it is more tear resistant. Will I need .160 spline, or .175 since the fiberglass material is thinner? Or does it even matter? How tight do I stretch the screen before I spline it? (I assume I just lay it flat with no wrinkles, and no tension until I do the 3rd and 4th sides) Thanks, Bob

If you already have the .16 spine material try it and see how it feels. If the new screening is truly thinner, then the .175 material should be the winner. All three sides after the first need to be stretched tight, even the second one. If you do not tension it, you may have a sag at the corner where the first two spines are installed.

On 9/15/2014 9:13 PM, wrote:
On Monday, September 15, 2014 8:32:31 PM UTC-5, zxcvbob wrote:
I'm at my parents' house this week, clearing fences, doing repairs
and stuff. The last thing on my list is fixing the torn screen
door. The old screen is aluminum (probably purchased a long time
ago), and appears to be installed with 0.160" spline. I am going to
be using fiberglass screening because it is more tear resistant.
Will I need .160 spline, or .175 since the fiberglass material is
thinner? Or does it even matter? How tight do I stretch the screen
before I spline it? (I assume I just lay it flat with no wrinkles,
and no tension until I do the 3rd and 4th sides) Thanks, Bob

If you already have the .16 spine material try it and see how it
feels. If the new screening is truly thinner, then the .175 material
should be the winner. All three sides after the first need to be
stretched tight, even the second one. If you do not tension it, you
may have a sag at the corner where the first two spines are
installed.


Right. Pull it taut while doing 2nd side...

I'll stop by HD tomorrow and buy a bag of .175" just in case I need it.
I can try a piece of the old spline with the new material to get a
better idea which size I really need, and take one of the unopened bags
back. Even if I screw up and open the wrong package I'll be prepared.

I'm planning to screen it while it's still hung -- Go down one side and
then cut the spline. Start again in the same corner with a new spline
and go across the top, down the side, and finish up with the bottom.
That seems to be the order where gravity will fight me the least.

Thanks again,
Bob

wrote in message ...
On Monday, September 15, 2014 8:32:31 PM UTC-5, zxcvbob wrote:
I'm at my parents' house this week, clearing fences, doing repairs and stuff. The last thing on my list is fixing the torn screen door. The old screen is aluminum (probably purchased a long time ago), and appears to be installed with 0.160" spline. I am going to be using fiberglass screening because it is more tear resistant. Will I need .160 spline, or ..175 since the fiberglass material is thinner? Or does it even matter? How tight do I stretch the screen before I spline it? (I assume I just lay it flat with no wrinkles, and no tension until I do the 3rd and 4th sides) Thanks, Bob

When I bought this house 20 years ago, the aluminum screen door was basically OK but stained. It also had some holes, and one of those pet guards at the bottom, and the closer wasn't working properly.

I took it off, removed the old screen and pet guard (no pets or little kids here), sanded it down and painted it the same color as the house trim. Replaced with fiberglass and new spline (matched the size with the old one). I didn't see the need for a closer, so just hung it back without one.

Stretched the screen just enough to get the wrinkles out and not super tight.

Has been great - no sagging. No problem closing the screen door by hand instead of a spring, etc.

"zxcvbob" wrote in message

I'm planning to screen it while it's still hung -- Go down one side and
then cut the spline. Start again in the same corner with a new spline
and go across the top, down the side, and finish up with the bottom.
That seems to be the order where gravity will fight me the least.

You can...

1. use small (1") pieces of spline to hold it up

2. use masking tape to do the same thing


--

dadiOH
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