Warning: My 'quick' window screen fix in Albuquerque took all weekend

I thought replacing a torn screen on my back porch door would take maybe an hour. I bought a new roll of screen mesh and a spline tool from the hardware store on Friday afternoon. The old spline was so brittle and stuck in the frame that it just crumbled when I tried to pull it out. I spent three hours just picking out tiny bits of the old rubber with needle-nose pliers. Then, when I finally got the new screen in, I cut it too short and had to start over with my last piece of mesh. What should have been a simple job ended up taking me two full days of messing with it. Has anyone else in the area had this much trouble with old, dried-out screen splines?

2 comments

2 Comments

nina_butler20d ago

Ugh, that old spline is the worst. Have you tried a utility knife to cut it out in one piece? (Way less crumbling that way).

seth_martinez2120d agoMost Upvoted

Seriously? It's just a piece of rubber... A knife seems like overkill for something you're throwing away anyway.