New Screens Give a Fresh Look to Your Louisiana Home

We all know that curb appeal brings buyers to your door. If your home looks good from the street - your yard is neat with beautiful trees and plantings, the outside of the home appears to good condition, the sidewalk is intact - people will stop. When they get to your door, will they see little indications that you have not kept up your home? Ripped screens are one example of a simple repair that if left undone can put potential buyer on alert.

Even if you have no plans to move, repairing damaged screens and replacing worn rusted ones is quick and relatively inexpensive way to perk up your home. Worn, ripped screens not only look unsightly, but are an open invitation to mosquitoes, flies, and other unwanted visitors to your home. If you are planning to upgrade your windows so you can take advantage of the new Stimulus Bill energy credits, you may get screens included with the windows. If not, here are a few tips.

Needless to say, you can always take your screens to your local hardware store or home improvement center. If the screen frame is in good condition, the pros there can replace the screen fabric or sell you a new one if the frame is too rusted or damaged to fix. They can even make you a custom screen for an odd-sized window. If you have many screens to fix, taking them to be repaired can be costly. If you don't have the time, tools, or inclination to repair them yourself, this is still the best option.

Screen repair can be a manageable do-it-yourself project. As with any project, first assess the damage. Small holes can be quickly repaired with a drop of epoxy to close the hole. Rips up to a couple inches wide can be fixed with a screen patch kit. Using a patch an inch larger than the hole, you can weave the patch into your screen with the open stands of metal that protrude from the patch. The results are functional but may not win any beauty contest; this is a better technique for back or side windows than for front doors and windows.

When the damage is more extensive, you will have to replace the screen fabric, which is a more involved task for wood frames than for vinyl frames. For vinyl frames, the new fabric is forced into a groove with a flexible bead once old fabric has been removed. It is important to stretch the fabric so it is taut enough that a penny would bounce off it.

You can replace screening in wood frames with either the wedge-and-cleat or bow method of installation. The first method works best for small and medium sized windows. With this, you lay the screen frame on a work table and nail the fabric to the top of the frame and to a cleat that is nailed to the table at the bottom of the frame. To stretch the screen, opposing wedge are the driven against each other to push out the cleats. After the fabric is stretched, it stapled to the frame.

Larger windows and doors call for the bow method. Clamps and spacers slightly bow the frame. The screen fabric is stapled to the opposite ends; when the clamps are released, the frame straightens and stretches the screen. You also do this on the other sides.

Thinking of moving? For new construction or great existing homes in the East Baton Rouge, Livingston Parish, and Ascension Parish area, give Sandy's Team a call at (225) 677-SOLD or email info@sandyco.com.