Over the past three years I replaced every window in my house with Andersen 400 series, low e etc.. They were, for the money the good windows and leaps and bounds ahead of the existing 1950’s single pane. I cant complain about the windows themselves they do the job; they keep the house comfortable and have cut my heating gas usage by half.
The only complaint I had is the window screens allow gnats to pass threw into the house, with house full of skiddish young daughters (all under 9), I spend a good deal of my spring and summer evenings assassinating gnats. I generally give up an put on the a/c. So much for my savings.
I recently read that Andersen came up with a new screen that would keep out “small insects” so I gave them a call figuring I could buy the screening material and retro fit each screen. No so. Andersen says they don’t sell the material separate, but i could buy new screens. Gee Thanks. I think its kind of stupid to replace new screens with newer screens. Anyway I found “small insect screening” at a BB store and went to replace the screen, low and behold, Andersen does not use a rubber spline, they use an aluminum tube to hold the screen in. What A PIA but I got that Screen replaced (reusing the aluminum tube) Tonight is the test, if the screen works I only have about 25 more to do. Has anyone ever repair an Andersen screen? Any tips or tricks to make the job faster or easier? Is there a rubber spline that could replace the aluminum tube?
PS the tread should have been named “Andersen Window Screens”
Edited 5/15/2007 7:43 pm ET by bobo66
Replies
Check with a local window shop -- they may be set up to do this cheaper than you can.
You don't have to reuse the aluminum strips, you can replace them with regular rubber spline material.
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I've replaced screens of various types, including metal screens on the kitchen porch screen door to make it a bit more kid and cat proof.
It takes a bit of practice placing the screen properly before rolling in the splines but fairly easy to get the hang of it.
Maybe you can chip away at them systematically, starting with the ones in windows that are most useful for ventilating the house.
25 sounds like a lot for turning over to a shop but I have no idea what they would charge for such a job.
I think hardware stores such as Ace or True Value offer screen replacement service in-store for small jobs.
I don't mind doing the job, even all 25, I wasn't looking forward to replace the screens reusing the aluminum tube. As I removed the tube, it curled into a semi circle. Putting it back into the channel was a bit of a challenge. I use the rounded wooded handle from a pizza cutter to initially insert it into the channel, then I fully inserted the tube using the spline roller. The roller dented the tubing a bit, but not terribly and certainly nothing that you would notice from a distance. The reason I reused the tubing was the channel appeared much wider than any spline I have seen. I guess I will take a run to the local Ace and see if they carry spline that wide, and if they don't maybe I could find it on line. Thanks
Like I said, check a local window shop. Most will sell you the stuff (splines, etc) you need.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
I found a local window screen shop. The guy there was great, he had the spline I needed, but instead of selling the spline to me, he grabbed an Andersen he was about re screen and gave me a lesson how to do them quickly and by reusing the aluminum strip. I went home and knocked off about 20 screens in about 5 hours.The key was to reinsert the aluminum strip and roughly seat it by whacking it down with a rubber mallet; then place a strip of wood on top of the aluminum strip and and tap the wood to firmly seat the aluminum strip.New screens and no gnats.