Re-Screen or Replace Your Window Screens?
New mesh on your old frame is often all you need — but not always. Here’s how to tell the difference, plus what pet mesh, solar mesh, and sliding-door screens actually do.
Torn, sagging, or sun-rotted screens are one of the most common things we fix, and the question is always the same: do you need a brand-new screen, or just new mesh in the frame you already have? For most homeowners across Glendora and La Verne, the answer is the cheaper one — but a few signs tell us when it’s time to start over.
When a re-screen is all you need
A “re-screen” means we keep your existing frame and stretch fresh mesh into it. It’s faster and noticeably cheaper than a new screen, and it’s the right call when the frame itself is still doing its job:
- The aluminum frame is straight and the corners are tight
- The spline groove (where the mesh seats) isn’t cracked or crushed
- Only the mesh is torn, stretched, sun-faded, or pushed out
- The screen still fits its window opening snugly
If that describes your screens, a re-screen on your existing frames is the move. It’s the screen equivalent of the repair-first thinking we use on glass — the same philosophy behind repairing a foggy window instead of replacing it.
When to replace the whole screen
Sometimes the frame is the problem, and no amount of new mesh will fix a bent or broken one. We’ll recommend a new screen when:
- The frame is bent, corroded, or the corner keys have snapped
- The screen no longer fits — common after a window was replaced
- You’re upgrading to a heavier-duty mesh the old frame can’t tension
- There’s no screen at all and you need one built from scratch
New and rebuilt screens are part of our screens & re-screens service, and most are ready quickly because we build them in the shop.
“If the frame’s good, we re-mesh it. If it’s not, we build you one that fits right the first time.”
Choosing the right mesh
The mesh matters as much as the frame. The four we install most often:
Standard fiberglass
The default — affordable, good visibility, easy to work with. Perfect for most bedroom and living-room windows.
Solar / sun-screen mesh
A denser weave that blocks a large share of incoming heat and UV. On west- and south-facing windows in our climate, it can take real load off your AC and protect floors and furniture from fading.
Pet-resistant mesh
Heavy vinyl-coated polyester that shrugs off claws and a dog leaning on the slider. If your screens keep getting pushed out or shredded, this is the upgrade — see our pet screens & doors page.
Security screens
A different category entirely: stainless-steel mesh in a reinforced frame that looks like a normal screen but resists forced entry. Details on our security screens page.
A note on sliding-door screens
Sliding patio screens are their own animal. When they “stick,” the culprit is usually worn rollers or a bent bottom track, not the mesh — closely related to why a window sticks and drags. We can re-roller and re-mesh most slider screens in one visit.
Bring it in, or we’ll come to you
Screens are easy: pop them out, snap a photo, and text it to (626) 335-2900 with rough dimensions. You can also drop them at the shop on White Avenue and pick them up rescreened, often the same week. Want a sense of pricing first? Our cost guide covers how screen and glass pricing differ.
Get it handled before bug season
Screens always wait until the first warm evening with the windows open — then everyone needs them at once. Text us a photo now and we’ll quote a re-screen or replacement the same business day.