Because prevention is better than repair, knowing the common causes for needing fly screen repairs can help you to avoid having to replace your mesh more often than you have to. Or, at the very least, you might be able to put off the inevitable repairs caused by regular wear & tear for a good while longer.
1. Pets
This should come as no surprise, as pet owners know how their furry friends can’t help poking, tearing & climbing screen doors. Cats are more likely to cause damage than dogs.
2. Loose Screens
There may be a gap between the mesh & the door frame, so that the screen is not taut & even all across the door. This may cause it to come away from the frame to leave unprotected corners, or to snag on anything coming through the door, thus causing tears. Loose screens might also be caused over time when people habitually push against the screen itself instead of the frame.
3. Weak Frame Joints
Ill-fitting screens may be caused by the frame itself being unable to hold the screen firmly in place. This is usually due to the joints of the frame being poorly attached. If the frame is made out of wood, it could also be that the wood has warped in some places causing the screen to come loose.
4. Wrong Mesh Type
Certain types of mesh are better suited to certain areas or circumstances. Households with pets, for instance, should have Pet Mesh™ installed in their screen doors. There are also mesh types that are better suited to homes in coastal or bushfire-prone areas, or areas with particularly tiny insects.
5. Birds
Small birds like sparrows can damage window screens when they peck at them. Some sources say it could be because these birds see the mesh as potential nesting material, while others say it’s not really the mesh that attracts birds, but the reflections in window glass.
There are many ways to discourage birds from damaging your screens such as putting up plants, decoys (i.e. plastic owls & hawks) or applying non-toxic gel to the frames of the screens.
6. Rodents
It sometimes happens that it’s not the pests from outside that bring on the need for fly screen repairs. Rats have been known to chew through fly screens to get in or out of a house, particularly toward the onset of winter when they’re looking for warmth as well as food.
7. Lack of Cleaning or Maintenance
Knowing how to maintain or care for your fly screens can help them last longer & help you to save on the cost of fly screen repairs. Buildup on your screens can wear the mesh down, particularly the acidic kind coming from birds or rodents, making it essential to keep your screens clean.
It’s also a good idea to inspect your screens regularly for any small holes or tears & loose-fitting areas so that you can address them before bigger damage is caused.
On the other hand, using the wrong cleaning materials such as abrasive cleaning fluids & steel wool might also damage your fly screens, so clean them regularly, but with caution.
8. Direct Sunlight
Under normal conditions, it would take around 10 years for UV light exposure to cause a screen to become brittle & more prone to tears, or to become discoloured at the very least.
9. Rust
This common cause of fly screen damage usually happens in coastal or high-humidity areas, & particularly in the corners of the screen door where moisture tends to accumulate. Rust can also be caused when the screen is not regularly cleaned.
Small, shiny patches on the screen, especially near the door’s edges could be places where the paint is coming off & which could become rust spots over time. Aluminium, stainless steel or fibreglass mesh is recommended because they are rust-proof & do not need painting.
10. Slamming
Believe it or not, slamming the screen door frequently is a common reason people need fly screen repairs. It damages the door by loosening the hinges & possibly the screen.
Keeping an eye out for these damage-causers can help keep your screen doors & windows in shape, but we’re always ready in case you need a quick fix. Visit our flyscreen repairs page to find out how our repair process works, or to get a free quote online, today.
EHi supplies & installs flyscreens, along with a wide range of home improvement products: Blinds, awnings, security screens, shutters, & grilles. These products form the focus of our government – backed apprenticeship, which we’ve recently named the Cert iii in BASS G™.