How to Replace a Storm Door Screen Insert So You Can Let the Breeze in and Keep the Bugs Out

Get back to enjoying the breeze—sans bugs

A victorian style house with a red screen door
Photo: pbk-pg / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images
A victorian style house with a red screen door
Photo: pbk-pg / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images
Emily Batdorf
Written by Emily Batdorf
Contributing Writer
Updated Aug 17, 2023
SKILL LEVEL
Simple
COMPLETION TIME
1 hour
COST
$25–$50
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What you'll need:
TOOLS
  • Phillips-head screwdriver
  • Flathead screwdriver
  • Spline roller
  • Scissors
  • Sharp utility knife
SUPPLIES
  • Fiberglass screen fabric roll
  • Screen spline

If you live in a storm-prone area, your storm doors provide important wind mitigation measures. But when the weather’s nice, there’s nothing better than swapping out the glass for a screen insert and letting the breeze in. With frequent summer use, your storm door insert will inevitably need replacement if it’s going to do its job of keeping the bugs out. Luckily, learning how to replace storm door screen inserts is easy. It only requires a couple of tools and an hour of your time, but it’ll go far in upgrading your home’s breezy summer vibe.

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Prepping to Replace Storm Door Screen Inserts

A man installing new screen door
Photo: Piman Khrutmuang / Adobe Stock

Before tackling your storm door screen insert replacement, you need to buy new screen fabric to replace what’s broken. Keep in mind the amount of screen you’ll need will depend on the size and style of your door. You’ll need a piece of screen large enough to overhang the grooves (where the screen attaches to the door) by a couple of inches. 

Depending on the size of your door and where you shop, you may find a screen replacement kit that includes the screen, spline, and spline roller all sold together. If you don’t already have a spline roller in your home toolbox, buying a screen replacement kit can make your shopping trip even quicker and easier (and it might even save you money). 

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  1. Remove the Screen Door

    If you’re working with a screen-only door, start by removing it from the door frame. To do this, disconnect the door closer, if present, by pushing up on the pins that attach it to both the door and the jamb. With the closer out of the way, remove the screws that connect the door to the door jamb. If there’s someone around who can help you, that’ll make things quicker. With the screws out and the door loose, carefully move the door to your flat work surface. 

    If your door has a screen insert, just remove the insert—no need to waste time and energy taking the entire door off the frame.

  2. Remove the Old Screen

    Use a flathead screwdriver to pry up the spline—the black vinyl tubing—along the edges of the screen. The spline is what holds the screen in place, so removing it will help you pull the screen loose.

  3. Clean the Door

    With the old spline and screen out of the way, use a damp rag to clean the grooves of the door. (You might even want to wipe down the whole door while you’re at it!). Dirt, dust, and debris all collect in the nooks and crannies of your storm door, and it’s not often that you have access to these tough-to-reach places. 

    Cleaning out these grooves will also make installing the new screen and spline easier. Just make sure everything is dry before moving on and installing the new screen.

  4. Measure the New Screen

    Unroll your new screen over your door. If necessary, use scissors to cut the screen so it overhangs the door’s grooves by a couple of inches in each direction. Having some excess screen on each side will make installing the screen—and pulling it flat and taut—much easier. 

  5. Install the New Screen

    A house with a screen door
    Photo: Skeezer / E+ / Getty Images

    Use the spline roller to gently push the new spline over the screen and into the groove along a long edge of your door, working from bottom to top. Don’t push the spline fully into place yet—you want to be able to easily remove it and adjust the screen later on if needed. 

    Repeat this process along the top of the door, the other long edge, and the bottom of the door. Make sure you pull the screen taut before gently pushing the spline into the grooves. When you get to the final corner of the door, cut the excess spline with a utility knife. Make sure the screen lays flat and taut across the door, then use the spline roller to push the spline fully into place.

  6. Cut Away Excess Screen

    With the new screen installed, you can use a sharp utility knife to cut the excess screen from the perimeter of the grooves. It should look nice and neat after this step.

  7. Reattach the Door or Insert

    Lastly, you can install your storm door by screwing it back into the frame. Again, if you have a friend or family member present, this step will be a little easier and quicker with an extra set of hands. Don’t forget to reinstall the storm door closer so your door closes securely but doesn’t slam.

DIY vs. Hiring a Pro 

Replacing your storm door screen insert is a relatively quick and simple DIY project. It’s inexpensive, too—you’ll likely only spend around $50. But if you have a trickier insert to replace—like a retractable screen, for example—and you’re having a hard time, you can always call a local storm door installer to help. 

Hiring a pro can be a great way to save time and headaches, but it’ll take a bigger toll on your wallet. Typically, having a contractor handle your screen door repair costs around $50 to $75 per hour, plus the cost of materials. 

Frequently Asked Questions

If your door has interchangeable inserts, you’ll likely want to swap the glass out for a screen during the summer months. The process to do so will vary by door, but you’ll follow these general steps: First, use a flathead screwdriver to pop out the retainer strips—the plastic strips running down both long (and sometimes all four) sides of the door. Then gently pull them out by hand. Carefully remove the glass insert from the door and replace it with the screen. Finally, push the plastic retainer strips back into place, working from top to bottom.

The screen on many screen doors is held in place by screen spline. Screen spline is typically a thin vinyl tubing that fits into the groove of the door’s frame and holds the screen in place. To install the spline on a screen door, you’ll need a spline roller—a tool that presses the spline and screen into the door’s narrow groove. Note that old spline can crack and break, so replacing your screens is a good time to replace the spline, too.

The steps to replace a retractable screen can vary, but these are the general steps: First, remove the screen cover to expose the screen mechanism and remove the clip that holds the screen in place. Next, depress the end of the screen mechanism so it releases from the door frame. Take your new screen and fit one end into the frame. You may need to rotate the mechanism to engage the spring before inserting the other end into the frame. Finally, pull the screen down the length of the door’s opening and lock it in place with the clip.

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Learn more about our contributor
Emily Batdorf
Written by Emily Batdorf
Contributing Writer
Emily is a contributing writer who works with home and finance brands like LendU and Forbes Advisor. She specializes in how to budget, save for, and finance home improvement projects like big remodels and renovations.

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