I have never been the type to rush to the phone to contact a handyman. I was raised to tackle home improvement issues head on, and when an issue occurs to treat it like a challenge, rather than a catastrophe. When my German Shepard puppy decided he had a taste for my screen door, I did not run to the yellow pages to find someone willing to re-screen the door; I did it myself. Here is a look at how I re-screened my patio door for less than $20.
Supplies I Bought
The first stop I made was to my local hardware store where I purchased a screening tool and pet safe mesh screening. Other supplies I used that I had on hand at home included a Phillips screwdriver and durable wire cutters. All of this came out to less than $20. A new screen door would have cost me at least $100.
Removing the Damaged Screen
The first step to replacing a screen on a patio door is to take apart the frame. I removed the screws with my Phillips screwdriver and placed them to the side, where they could easily be reached. Once the frame was unfastened, I was able to easily remove the damaged screen with wire cutters. I discarded the damaged screen immediately to give myself ample working room to install the new screen.
Installing the New Screen
I rolled the mesh screening over the patio door frame, allowing an extra inch to fall over the edge of the frame. While pulling the screen taut, I reassembled the patio door frame with my Phillips screwdriver. Now I needed to handle the excess screening on the ends. This is where my wire cutters come into play. I cut off all the excess screening as cleanly and accurately as possible.
The end result was a newly screened door with no evidence of my puppy’s sudden appetite for mesh screening. I am happy I went with my gut decision to fix the screen door myself, rather than hiring someone to fix it for me or purchasing a new screen door altogether. The screen door lasted through the summer and surprisingly, through my puppy’s destructive chewing phase. I can proudly say that that is $20 well spent.
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