The screen door is torn, stuck or off
The screen door is the light one, and it takes the most abuse: dogs, kids, wind, and a track full of sand. Rollers, frames and mesh are all fixable, and a frame that is bent beyond saving can be made to size.
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Not sure this is what's wrong? Try the free diagnosis quiz — eight questions about what the door is doing, then the likely causes and what is safe to try.
While you wait — please don't
- Do not force a bent screen along its track. The corners break and the frame is then harder to save.
- A screen is not a barrier. Do not rely on it to keep a child or a pet in on a balcony or beside a pool.
What has probably happened
- The small screen rollers have worn or broken, so the frame drags or drops out of its track.
- The frame has been bent by wind, a push, or a corner that was forced.
- The mesh has torn, or has gone brittle in the sun and split along the spline.
- The spline that holds the mesh has shrunk and let it go.
- The screen's track is bent or full of debris.
What the technician does
- Screen rollers replaced and adjusted so the frame slides and latches.
- A bent frame straightened where it can be, or a new frame made to size where it cannot.
- Rescreening with standard fibreglass mesh, or pet-resistant or solar mesh where that suits the door.
- The screen track cleaned and straightened.
- The screen re-hung with tension set so it does not rattle or jump.
Why it happens where you live
Screen frames are light aluminum that bends in a gust and under a pushing dog, and the mesh goes brittle after years of sun and salt. In the sunbelt a screen door is open all year, so the small rollers wear out long before the big door's do.
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Questions people ask
- Is it worth repairing a screen door?
- Usually, yes. Rollers and mesh are small jobs, and even a bent frame can often be straightened. A frame that is crushed is replaced with one made to size, which still costs less than most people expect. The technician gives you the price first.
- What is pet-resistant mesh?
- A heavier, tighter mesh that stands up to claws and pushing. It costs a little more than standard mesh and it is the usual choice where a dog uses the door.
- Can you make a screen for a door that never had one?
- Often, yes, if the frame has a screen track. The technician measures the opening and makes the frame to fit.
Get a technician out
Free estimate. The price is agreed before the work starts.
Something else going on?
- Hard to open or close
- Rollers worn out
- Bent or worn track
- Lock won't catch, handle loose
- Door is off its track
- Broken or foggy glass
- Drafts, whistling or water coming in
One Call Sliding Door Repair arranges the visit; the technician does the work and gives you the price.