Most kits and budget screens cut corners on the small parts — literally. Plastic corners and tabs dry out, get brittle, and break in as little as five years. These longer-lasting swaps are worth considering.

Instead of plastic corners

Metal frame corners

Plastic corners dry out, get brittle, and can snap in as little as five years — especially in hot, sunny climates. Metal corner inserts are a longer-lasting replacement.

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Instead of cheap corner springs

Flat leaf springs

Flat collapsing springs hold tension evenly and don't pop out of the channel the way bargain corner springs do.

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Instead of standard bargain mesh

Heavier fiberglass mesh

A mesh that's roughly 25% stronger than the common stuff holds up far better in dry, sunny weather. Charcoal or gray.

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Instead of plastic pull tabs

Metal pull tabs

Plastic tabs crack after a few seasons of sun. Metal tabs survive years of removals.

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Instead of the plastic roller in the kit

Metal spline roller

Kits often ship with a thin plastic roller that skips, pinches the spline, and leaves the mesh loose. A metal roller with a concave wheel drives the spline in evenly and makes the last step of the job the easy one.

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Instead of standard fiberglass mesh

Pet-resistant mesh

If a cat or dog leans on the screen, pet mesh resists claws up to 7x better than standard fiberglass.

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