What we do
- Fiberglass, aluminum, solar and pet-resistant mesh rolled in with new spline
- Wood screen frames re-meshed and the molding reset
- Bent aluminum frames straightened or rebuilt with new corners
- Missing screens measured and built to fit the opening
- Springs, pull tabs, hangers and turn buttons replaced
- Hinged and sliding screen doors: closers, rollers, hinges and latches
In Alhambra homes
About 77 percent of Alhambra’s homes were built before 1980, according to a city housing report, and many still have original wood casement or double-hung windows beside later aluminum sliders. Each type uses a different screen. Wood screens hang from hooks or fit inside the casing, and aluminum screens snap into a channel; both can be rebuilt to fit tight again.
Get a quote in one text
Send a photo of each screen in its window, rough measurements, and whether the frames are wood or aluminum. Our number for photos is (626) 684-3505, and the price comes back before any work is booked.
What the vector district asks
The San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District, which serves Alhambra, tells residents to make sure “your screens are in good repair and fit properly over your windows.” That means the mesh and the fit. A perfect mesh in a frame that leaves a gap at the sill lets mosquitoes through just as easily.
Rescreening aluminum frames
We take the screen out, pull the old spline and mesh, and check the corners. New mesh is laid over with margin to spare and the spline is rolled in on opposite sides in turn so the tension is even and the frame does not bow. Excess is trimmed close and the screen goes back into its own window.
Rescreening wood frames
Wood screen frames are re-meshed by lifting the trim molding, removing old staples, stretching new mesh and stapling it, then nailing the molding back. Loose corners are reglued while the frame is apart. Wood frames last for decades when they are kept painted.
Choosing mesh
Standard fiberglass suits most windows and does not dent. Aluminum mesh is crisp and holds up in sun. Solar mesh cuts glare and heat on west windows. Pet-resistant mesh is thicker and handles claws on low windows and screen doors.
Screen doors
Screen doors fail at the hardware: closers that slam or will not shut, rollers that drop the door off its track, latches that no longer catch. We replace those parts and adjust the door so it closes and latches every time.
Making screens for empty windows
Many houses have lost screens over the years, especially on windows that were painted shut and later freed. We measure the opening, build a frame from new aluminum stock with corner keys, mesh it and fit the right springs or clips, so the new screen seats like the originals.
Whole-house rescreens
If most of the screens are tired, it often makes sense to do them together. We label each screen by window, rescreen them in one batch so the mesh color and tension match, and refit them all, checking each for gaps before we leave.
Where our work stops
Window replacement, glass repair, wood sash restoration, and retractable or motorized screens go to a window or screen specialist.
Sources: City of Alhambra, housing needs report (age of housing stock); San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District, Why Not Spray Away Mosquitoes?.
Repair guides for this job
- Why original wood doors stick, and how we free them upWhy solid wood and arched-top doors in Alhambra's older homes stick or drift open, the simple hinge fixes, and how we adjust them without harming the wood.
- Keeping original built-in cabinets and hutches workingHow we repair original built-in hutches, linen cabinets and cupboards in Alhambra's 1920s homes: sagging doors, sticky drawers, worn catches and glass.
- Getting the house ready for Santa Ana windsHow to get ready for Santa Ana winds in Alhambra: doors and gates, loose screens, outdoor items, power outages and the small repairs that keep dust and drafts out.
Looking for a handyman in Alhambra for more than one job? Send the whole list and we’ll price it together.
We serve Alhambra first, plus Monterey Park, San Gabriel and other nearby cities. Have a question? See the handyman FAQ.