How to measure window screens was the project that taught me that 1/16 of an inch is the difference between a screen that sits in the slot and one that doesn't. I learned this the hard way — twice. The first screen I ordered was 1/4 inch too big. The second was 1/8 inch too small. Both went back. The third one fit because I measured the slot instead of the screen. The first time I measured, in my second apartment, I measured the outside of the frame, ordered a screen to those dimensions, and the screen was 1/4 inch too big to fit in the slot. I had to send it back and wait 2 weeks for the replacement. The second time, I measured the inside of the slot, ordered a screen to those dimensions, and the screen was 1/8 inch too small. The third time, I learned the 5-step measure that actually produces a screen that fits the first time. What follows is the 5-step measure, the 4 mistakes, the 1 tape you don't need, and the one measurement mistake that costs $40.
Why Measuring Window Screens Is Harder Than It Looks (And the 3 Numbers That Matter)
How to measure window screens properly is not the same as measuring a picture frame. A picture frame has 2 numbers — width and height — and the inside dimensions are the dimensions of the picture. How to measure window screens accurately requires 3 numbers that matter, and the order you measure them in determines whether the screen fits. The 3 numbers are the inside width of the frame slot, the inside height of the frame slot, and the depth of the slot. The depth is the dimension that most people skip, and it's the dimension that determines whether the screen sits in the slot at all. A screen that's the right width and height but too thick for the depth will sit above the slot and pop out the first time the window is opened. A screen that's the right width and height but too thin for the depth will sit in the slot but the spring clips won't have anything to grip.
The reason the depth matters is that window screen frames are made of different materials — wood, aluminum, vinyl, and composite — and the depth varies by material. The depth varies by frame material and by manufacturer. A wooden screen frame might be anywhere from 1/4 inch to 3/8 inch deep. An aluminum frame is usually around 3/8 inch. A vinyl frame can be 7/16 inch or more. Don't rely on a standard number. Measure the slot on your window, and use that number. The depth is stamped on the back of the frame, or you can measure it with a ruler. The depth is the dimension that gets the new screen to sit in the slot at the right height.
The reason this matters for a renter is that the previous tenant may have replaced the screens with screens that fit a different material, and the screen you measure may not be the screen the window was designed to take. The window was designed to take a screen of a specific depth, and the screen you measure may be a replacement that fits a different depth. The fix is to measure the frame, not the screen, when the screen is in the window. If the screen is missing or broken, the frame measurement is the only measurement that gives you a screen that fits the slot. The same pattern shows up on water stains on the wall — small signs you ignore become big problems if you don't measure the right surface.
The 5-Step Renter Measure (With the 1 Tape You Don't Need)
Step one is to remove the screen from the window. Lift the screen up out of the bottom slot, then pull the bottom of the screen toward you. The top of the screen has two spring clips that hold it in the top slot. Press the spring clips toward the center of the screen with your fingers, and the screen lifts out of the top slot. The whole screen comes free in 30 seconds. If the screen is stuck, don't force it — the screen may be glued or painted in place, and forcing it will break the frame.
Step two is to measure the width of the slot, not the screen. The slot is the channel on the inside of the window frame where the screen sits. Use a metal tape measure (not a cloth tape) to measure from the inside edge of the left side of the slot to the inside edge of the right side of the slot. Measure at the top, the middle, and the bottom of the slot. The width may vary by 1/16 inch or more between the three measurements, and the smallest measurement is the width you use for the screen order. The largest measurement is irrelevant — the screen has to fit the smallest part of the slot, not the largest.
Step three is to measure the height of the slot. The slot is the channel on the top and bottom of the window frame where the screen sits. Measure from the inside edge of the top of the slot to the inside edge of the bottom of the slot. Measure at the left, the middle, and the right of the slot. The height may vary by 1/16 inch or more between the three measurements, and the smallest measurement is the height you use. The largest measurement is irrelevant.
Step four is to measure the depth of the slot. The depth is the distance from the front of the slot to the back of the slot, where the screen rests when it's seated. Measure at the top, the middle, and the bottom of the slot. The depth may vary between the three measurements. Use the largest measurement, because the screen has to clear the deepest part of the slot. But if the smallest and largest measurements differ by more than 1/8 inch, the slot itself is uneven, and the screen may not sit flat no matter what depth you order. In that case, the slot may need to be shimmed or the frame may need to be replaced — the screen has to clear the deepest part of the slot to sit in the slot at all.
Step five is to write down the three numbers in a specific format. The format is "width x height x depth," with all three numbers in inches, rounded down to the nearest 1/16 inch for width and height, and rounded up to the nearest 1/16 inch for depth. The format matters because the screen manufacturer uses the format to determine the screen dimensions, and the manufacturer will round the numbers anyway. If you give the manufacturer a width of 23 and 7/16 inches, the manufacturer will make a screen that's 23 and 7/16 inches wide. If you give the manufacturer a width of 23.5 inches, the manufacturer will make a screen that's 23 and 1/2 inches wide. The screen has to fit the smallest part of the slot, so the width has to be the smallest measurement, rounded down.
The one tape you don't need is a cloth tape measure. Cloth tapes stretch, and the stretch adds 1/16 inch to 1/8 inch to every measurement. A 1/8 inch stretch on a 24 inch screen makes the screen 1/8 inch too big to fit the slot. A metal tape measure doesn't stretch, and the metal stays accurate for years. A cloth tape is fine for measuring rooms or furniture, but not for measuring a screen that has to fit a slot to within 1/16 inch.
The 4 Mistakes I Made (And the 1 That Cost Me $40)
Mistake one is measuring the screen instead of the slot. The screen is the panel that sits in the slot, and the screen dimensions are usually 1/16 inch to 1/8 inch smaller than the slot dimensions. If you measure the screen, you measure a screen that's 1/16 inch to 1/8 inch too small for the slot, and the new screen you order will be the same dimensions as the old screen, and the new screen will be 1/16 inch to 1/8 inch too small for the slot. The fix is to measure the slot, not the screen, and to measure the slot when the screen is removed.
Mistake two is measuring the outside of the frame instead of the inside. The outside of the frame is the wood or aluminum that's nailed to the window. The inside of the frame is the slot where the screen sits. The outside is 1/2 inch to 1 inch wider than the inside. If you measure the outside, the screen you order will be 1/2 inch to 1 inch too big to fit the slot. The fix is to put the tape measure inside the slot, against the inside edge, and read the measurement at the inside edge of the opposite side of the slot.
Mistake three is rounding to the nearest 1/4 inch instead of 1/16 inch. A screen that needs to be 23 and 7/16 inches wide, rounded to 23 and 1/2 inches, is 1/16 inch too wide for the slot. A screen that needs to be 23 and 7/16 inches wide, rounded to 23 and 1/4 inches, is 3/16 inch too narrow for the slot. The fix is to round to the nearest 1/16 inch, and to round down for width and height, and round up for depth. The screen manufacturer has the same rounding, and the manufacturer's rounding will be the same as your rounding if you use 1/16 inch. The 1/4 inch rounding is for rough framing, not for screens.
Mistake four is forgetting to measure the depth. The depth is the third number, and it's the number that most people skip. A screen that's the right width and height but too thick for the depth won't sit in the slot. A screen that's the right width and height but too thin for the depth won't sit at the right height. The fix is to always measure the depth, even if you think the screen will fit. The depth is the dimension that determines whether the screen sits in the slot at all.
The 1 mistake that cost me $40 was measuring the screen instead of the slot. The screen was a replacement that had been installed by the previous tenant, and the screen was 1/8 inch too small for the slot. I measured the screen, ordered a new screen to those dimensions, and the new screen was 1/8 inch too small. I had to reorder, and the reorder cost me $20 for the screen plus $20 for shipping. The total cost of the mistake was $40, and the fix was to measure the slot instead of the screen.
The 3 Screen Material Options (And Which to Pick)
Material one is fiberglass. Fiberglass is the standard screen material, and it's what comes with most builder-grade windows. Fiberglass is flexible, easy to install, and costs $8 to $15 per screen. The downside is that fiberglass tears if a pet claws it, and a single cat scratch can rip a hole in a fiberglass screen in seconds. For a renter with no pets, fiberglass is the right choice. For a renter with cats, the next material is the right choice.
Material two is aluminum. Aluminum is the upgrade choice for windows that get a lot of use, and it's the choice for windows that face weather. Aluminum doesn't tear, doesn't stretch, and lasts 15+ years. The cost is $15 to $25 per screen. The downside is that aluminum dents if hit, and a dent in an aluminum screen is permanent. For a renter who lives in a high-traffic area (a balcony door, a kitchen window that opens frequently), aluminum is the right choice.
Material three is pet-resistant. Pet-resistant screen is a heavy-duty fiberglass or polyester mesh that's designed to resist claws. Pet-resistant screen costs $20 to $35 per screen, and it's the choice for renters with cats or dogs. The downside is that pet-resistant screen reduces visibility and airflow by about 20 percent compared to standard fiberglass. For a renter with a cat, the trade-off is worth it. For a renter with a small dog, the trade-off may not be worth it — small dogs don't usually claw screens.
The same logic applies to spackle versus caulk — the right product depends on the surface, and the trade-off is between durability and visibility. The hardware store doesn't mark which material is best for which situation.
If You Measure Wrong (The 2-Minute Fix That Saves $40)
If you measure wrong and the new screen is too big to fit the slot, you have two options, and neither one is quick. The first is to return the screen and reorder at the correct size. The second is to sand or file the frame edge, but that only works on wood frames and it changes the look of the screen. Don't try to trim the spline — the spline holds the mesh in the frame groove, and trimming it just loosens the mesh. It doesn't change the frame dimensions. If the screen is too big, the only reliable fix is to reorder. The trim removes 1/8 inch from the overall screen dimension, which is usually enough to fix a 1/8 inch oversize.
If you measure wrong and the new screen is too small, there's no easy fix. The frame doesn't grow. You can try wedging a thin strip of foam weatherstripping into the slot before you seat the screen, but it usually falls out the first time the window opens. The reliable fix is to reorder at the correct size. If you can't reorder, ask the landlord to order the screen — the screen is part of the window, and the window is the landlord's responsibility in most leases. The shim adds 1/16 inch to the overall screen dimension, which is usually enough to fix a 1/16 inch undersize. For a 1/8 inch undersize, add two shims. The shims are removable, and the screen can be returned to its original size by removing the shims.
Discussion (0)
Sign in to join the discussion