Window Screens: What do you have? How to remove them

In North American we have window screens, so we can throw open our windows and enjoy the fresh air. Where we live in central Texas however, we do have screen but never really open our windows as it is either to hot or to cold! Personally, we have removed ours to give a cleaner look to the exterior of our home but if you do use your screens and want to identify what you have and how to remove / install them then this is for you.
So! let us look at what type of screen you have first. There are a few different types of screen and a few different ways on how they are fitted. Let us look at the most common.

• Bug Screens these are the most common screens you will see. The bug screen covers the bottom half of a single hung window (window that opens from the bottom up) allowing you to open the window and have the exposed area covered. You can also have a bug screen covering the entire window, these are usually found on double hung windows where the bottom and the top can be opened. These are usually Found on the outside of the window.

• Solar Screens. A solar screen covers the entire window top to bottom. The purpose of a solar screen is to stop the harmful UV rays from the sun from entering the house. This is beneficial in several ways. First it can help to keep your house cooler resulting in lower cooling bills. Secondly it greatly reduces the glare from the sun and lastly it can avoid costly damage to things like TV’s or from bleaching carpets flooring and furniture. Solar screens can come in many different varieties, the fabric is a lot thicker than the bug screens and comes in different strengths. The most common are 70’ 80 and 90. We use 80 when building solar screens but again it is personal preference. Sometimes we find 90 can be a little dark and leave the room looking cave like, great if you are batman but not all of us are superheroes! These are generally screwed into the window frame to hold them in place. Couple of points to remember, if you are building these yourself or having someone build them for you it is best to go with a one-inch frame for greater strength. A bug screen frame at those sizes can get very flimsy. Also, before mounting and screwing into the frame check your warranty. Drilling into frames will void that warranty so best to check first.

So, let us take a closer look at the bug screens, these are the three most typical ways for these to be installed. The way to tell if they come out from the inside of the house or the outside of the house is simple. If you look at the bottom of the window screen and see black tabs it gives you a strong indication that the screen will be removed from the outside. For second story screens rather than using a ladder you can remove these screens from the inside as well. Now depending on the age of the window they will either have springs on the top or on the side of the window or they will have clips and be clipped onto the frame. Let us look at each of these in turn.

If the frame is covering the screen from the exterior these are going to come out from the side. We have found the best way to get these out is Dynamite!! (only kidding slightly) Being careful not to bend the screen push either to the left or to the right (usually right if they have been installed currently) This will then expose the edge of the screen allowing you to get your finger into the gap and pull it towards you slightly then pull out in the opposite direction. If you cannot get your finger in, make sure you have a paint can opener handy the small lip will hook onto the screen giving you leverage to pull towards you.

If the frame is not covering the screen, push upwards with your thumb on the top of the screen, it should feel springy and when pushed expose the bottom of the screen allowing you to get either a finger or paint can opener under the screen allowing you to pull towards you then down to get it out of the well it is sitting in. These are generally the easiest screens to remove and replace. If you are dealing with an upstairs window and do not want to climb on ladders, simply open the window from inside, pull up on the two tabs, push out from the window and then pull down. Please be careful not to overextend! We do not want any accidents!
The last bug screen we will discuss here is perhaps the biggest pain in the ass the one than can be taken out from the inside only. Now! If you have a full screen internally this is not a half screen and will be discussed next. These half screens must be removed internally, step one, if you look at the top of the bottom window you will see two sliding tabs.

• Step one open the latches so you can lift the window up and pull up about 2 inches.
• Next remember those tabs? Using both hands push the tabs inwards and gently pull the window towards yourself. I usually rest the window on my chest. This will now expose the screen.
• As you look at the top of the screen on either side you will see two clips. Turn these clips to release the screen and gently pull it towards you. Lift the screen out by pulling up towards you push the window back in until it clips into place and is flush with the frame slide down and redo the latches. Sounds simple enough! WOW hold on remember the dynamite? You may need this! Sometimes these screens are fitted way to tight and are incredibly difficult to remove. The screen frames do have some give but it is simple to bend these or snap the tabs if this is your first rodeo! Couple of things you can do here, if the window is accessible from the ground floor have a partner go outside and push on the corners towards you as you are holding the window open, you may have to use a fair amount of force! Secondly the screen may be held in by a side tab, if so slide the screen to one side then get your finger or paint can opener into the gap get one side out then the other. Have a swear jar handy and lots of change! There is a trick to getting these back in as it will I promise you give you the same amount of frustration! Once removed if they survived the blast! You will see some small nobbles on the top bottom and side, get a box cutter and shave these off the tabs will hold the screen firmly in place, but they will go in and come back out a lot easier.

Replacing screens is simple just reverse the instructions for taking them out!
(Note no window screens were harmed during the writing of this blog!)
Lastly if you have a full screen on the inside of your window then you will probably have a double hung window. To remove these screens loo to the side and you will see clips around four two on either side, just unlatch then using the two at the bottom pull out towards you and the screen should come away easily.


Remember with A+ window cleaning, we remove, inspect, clean and replace all screens with any window cleaning we undertake. Please feel free to call with any questions. Keep an eye open for our next blog on screen maintenance.