Window Screen Replacement in Lowell, MA

Fiberglass and aluminum are the two common mesh types; both are light and don't rust. Fiberglass costs less but stretches over time, so it needs replacing more often than aluminum. National installed prices per window:

• Fiberglass: about $50 to $250.
• Aluminum: about $65 to $350.
• Stainless steel: about $60 to $450, the strongest mesh, and it keeps its color.
• Copper or brass: about $105 to $950, and they weather to a patina.

When the frame is straight and only the mesh is torn, rescreening is the cheaper fix. A frame that's bent, dented or faded is worth replacing with the mesh. Look for a loose spline, sagging mesh or holes that let insects in.

Pet screen is a heavier PVC-coated polyester mesh made to stand up to claws. National cost data puts it at $100 to $500 per window installed. It makes the most sense on the low windows a dog or cat can reach, not on every window in the house.

A double-hung opens only one sash at a time, so it can take a half screen that covers just the half that opens. Massachusetts housing rules accept a half screen on a double-hung (see the rental section below). Where a two- or triple-track exterior storm is installed, the screen comes with the storm; a triple-track keeps its half screen in a track of its own. An odd-size opening takes a custom screen at about $150 to $500. For the window itself, see double-hung windows and storm windows.

A casement swings out on hinges, so its screen has to sit on the inside of the frame. A screen on the outside would block the sash. That means the screen is what you see from the room. Window makers build their screens to fit their own frames, so a replacement casement screen often comes from the maker or is made to size. See casement windows for the window types.