Bug, Insect & Window Screen Frequently Asked Questions

Yes and No. Yes, we can rescreen a sliding patio screen door if it’s one of our doors, but not the cheap, flimsy sliding screen door that came with the house. In addition, we do not reuse the frames from your old bug screens. We build entirely new window screens with a new frame. It’s simply not worth the labor costs to try to re-use and fight with old screen frames.

When window screen framing is new, it is not straight, but is curved outward (or cambered).
As a brand new window screen is being made, all 4 sides of the screen frame are cambered outward before the screen fabric is installed into the frame. This outward camber is important because once the bug screen fabric is installed, the screen frame is pulled straight under tension in order to keep the screen’s fabric taut and flat, thus avoiding sloppy looking wrinkles or waves in your screen.

Unfortunately, the window screen frame loses its outward camber or outward springiness after a short period of time in the straight position.

New screen frame is bowed outward (cambered) in order to keep the screen fabric tight and looking sharp!

This “Hourglassed” window screen has a gap on the side. Gaps like these are an “Open Door” policy for the mosquitoes and other pests!

Attempting to repair a used window screen is very difficult because once the old bug screen fabric is removed, the screen frame does not spring back outward, but remains straight. As new bug screen fabric is installed into the old window screen frame, the aluminum screen frame will not remain straight but will bow inward or “hourglass” as the fabric is pulled taut in the frame. A window screen that has “hourglassed” will no longer fit properly in your window’s tracks, and gaps around the edges will make a bug-tight seal impossible. As a general rule, the larger the screen, the more prevalent this problem will be.

In addition, most homes built in the last fifteen years have very cheap bug screens that came with the house. In an effort to reduce costs, most builders chose to cut corners….. literally! Most window screens on newer homes use plastic corners to hold the four pieces of frame together. This plastic becomes yellow and brittle over time, and often breaks at the slightest amount of strain or movement. Bug screens with plastic corners are definitely not good candidates for re-screening.

Bugscreens with cheap plastic corners aren’t worth re-screening because the corners are usually very brittle and at the end of their useful life.

For these reasons and more, A to Z does not reuse the existing window screen frames. We do the job right by professionally measuring, making, and installing new window screens from scratch, ensuring you a bug-free breeze and a hassle-free purchasing experience!

Because our 4500-sq-ft shop is jam-packed with a wide array of screening components, the answer is a resounding YES 99% of the time…. But there are window manufacturers out there who use proprietary components not available to independent dealers. Custom Color screen frames or factory-specific mounting hardware are sometimes not possible to match exactly, but rest assured, AtoZ will be able to come very close if we don’t have an exact match.

No. All of our bug screens are made using heavy-duty internal metal corners that won’t become brittle or delicate due to the outdoor elements. But beware…many of our competitors DO use plastic corners!!! As you’re well aware, the cheapest price usually doesn’t mean the best value! Most of our customers are wise enough to pay a little more up front in order to avoid having to pay twice for inferior quality!

A to Z REFUSES to use cheap plastic corners that will become brittle and break from exposure to the sun!

A to Z doesn’t “cut corners” when it comes to our window screen corners!

A to Z mitre cuts the framing and assembles your insect screens using DURABLE internal metal corners that will last indefinitely.

Yes, we can, but we discourage it. The reason is that we have had many customers who, while trying to save a buck have new screens using their measurements only to find out that their measuring skills aren’t quite as good as they thought! In the event you choose do your own measuring, we can’t be responsible if your screen doesn’t fit due to inaccurate measurements supplied to us. If it doesn’t fit, you’ll need to purchase a new screen altogether. Let our team of experts make your life easier by letting us do what we do best! Because measuring window screens correctly can be tricky, and must be done very precisely, we’ll visit your home and measure directly from the window the screen is intended to fit! And if we mess up on our measurements, we make another screen on our dime, not yours!

The screen business is highly seasonal and lead times can vary dramatically based upon the weather! Generally speaking, spring and summer lead times can be several weeks! If you don’t like waiting around, ordering your window screens in the off-season is often the wisest course of action. Wintertime turnaround is usually significantly faster than the spring and summer seasons.

You could make your own window screens if you like, but you need to ask yourself: What is your time worth?

We see it every summer: The customer who drove down to the hardware store purchased some screen-building materials, and then attempted to make their own screens……. Screens that didn’t match the other… screens that don’t fit right, and screens with loose and sloppy fabric….. And then, after several trips to the hardware store and an entire day wasted, they stand back looking at their handiwork, and have an epiphany: making your own window screens is a lot more work than it was worth, AND I still don’t have a window screen that will keep out the bugs! If you want to spend your weekend doing something you enjoy, call A to Z Window Screens! You’ll be able to breathe a bug-free sigh of relief with the knowledge that you’re money ahead letting our screen experts do what they’re good at…. making your life easy!!

Just because your household specializes in DESTROYING your bugscreens doesn’t mean you should also specialize in FIXING them! Let AtoZ make your screen repair experience a breeze!

Absolutely! AtoZ knows it can be difficult to try and stuff your old window screens into your garbage cans! Therefore, we are happy to give your old bug screens a dignified retirement! Just be sure to tell the installer you’d like us to put your old screens “out to pasture”, and we’ll be happy to oblige at no charge to you! If you don’t specifically tell our installers you want them to take the old ones away, however, they’ll leave them at your home with you. In addition, old screens are destroyed daily, so once you instruct our installer to dispose of your old screens, we will not be able to return them. In addition, if you do not ask our technician while he is at your home, we will not be able to return for them without an additional trip charge.

AtoZ LOVES your pets…. but for different reasons than most! GOOD KITTY!

Replacing crummy old sliding screen doors that don’t slide, lock, or stay on the tracks is one of the most common jobs that we do! Sliding patio screen doors are often subject to lots of use and abuse and commonly need to be repaired or replaced. Fortunately for you, AtoZ can custom make these doors out of quality materials and to the exact size needed for years of care-free use and enjoyment. Just like window screens, there are no such thing as a “standard sized” sliding screen doors, and each door must be made to within ⅛” in order to slide and function properly. This is why the cheap “one size fits none” sliding screen doors found in hardware stores constantly fall off the tracks or get jammed up and don’t slide properly. In fact, our local hardware stores often send their customers to AtoZ whenever they come in and inquire after a new sliding screen door! And unlike the cheap hardware store doors or the screen door that came with your house, our sliding screen doors have NO PLASTIC PARTS, thus ensuring years of hassle free use.

We would love to talk with you about our custom-made sliding screen doors today. Click here to learn how a new, custom made sliding patio screen door can instantly lower your blood pressure and make your home a happier place ;-).