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First, decide: patch or re-screen?
Patch it if: the tear is smaller than your palm, the surrounding mesh is tight, and the spline (the rubber cord holding mesh to frame) is still seated. Re-screen it if: the mesh sags when you press it, there are multiple tears, the mesh has gone brittle and powdery in the sun, or the spline is cracked.
Honest math: our bench re-screens a standard window for $18, and the screen comes back drum-tight. If your screen fails two of the checks above, the patch is a bandage on a retiring screen — skip to the end of this guide.
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Square up the tear
Lay the screen flat on a table. With scissors, trim the tear into a neat square or rectangle — ragged edges make lumpy patches. Don't be precious; you're making the hole slightly bigger to make the repair much better.
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Cut the patch with margin
Cut your patch at least one inch bigger than the hole on every side. For fiberglass kits, the patch is adhesive-backed: peel, center it over the hole, and press from the middle outward so it beds into the mesh without wrinkles.
For aluminum mesh, cut the patch, unravel two or three strands from each edge, bend those wire ends 90 degrees through the surrounding mesh, and fold them flat on the far side. It's fiddlier — take your time on the corners.
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Seal the edges
On fiberglass, run a thin bead of clear household glue or clear nail polish around the patch edge. It keeps the adhesive from lifting in the rain and stops insects from finding the seam. Let it cure an hour before re-hanging the screen.
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When you're past patching
Bring the frame to the Main Street bench. Re-screen is $18 for a standard window ($28 patio doors), turnaround 2–3 days, and we'll check the spline and corners while it's apart. If the frame itself is bent, a full rebuild is $32 — still cheaper than a new window insert, and we'll tell you straight which one you need.
Counter wisdom
Buy charcoal-colored mesh, not silver. It disappears against the window from the street — silver mesh is what your eye catches on. Grace has fought this battle for two decades and she is right.
Screen mesh, spline, patch kits, and the bench that fixes it for you are all in Windows, Doors & Screens. Visit Windows, Doors & Screens