Provided you live in an area that receives a cool breeze in the sweltering summer months, opening the windows is the best ‘trick’ to cool your home. By letting the air in and out of your abode, windows make the inner temperature and atmosphere comfortable.
However, as people who do use windows for this purpose may testify, an open window is the enemy of your privacy. That is especially true if one of your room’s windows is made of glass, as passersby on the street can easily peek inside even when the window is shut.
Hence the reason why window screens are becoming so popular of late. They erect a one-sided barrier in front of the glass using which you can see the happenings on the outer side, but no one on the road can be able to notice your presence behind the screen.
For this reason, window screens can rightly be dubbed as the guardians of privacy. Though these guardians won’t be of any good if they have broken down. In such a scenario, you’d normally want to avoid getting ripped off at the hands of the plumber by knowing their replacement cost in advance.
That’s where this article comes into play.
Window Screen Replacement Costs
To know about how much money you’d have to spend on its replacement, first check out the type of screen that you’ve in front of your window.
1. Aluminum Window Screens
One of the cheapest options on the market, aluminum screens are also one of the most popular. You can buy them in the form of roles before inserting them into the frame. Or you can just purchase frames with pre-installed aluminum screens.
Provided you choose to buy them, you should be aware of the plus and negative points of these screens. Despite being inexpensive, aluminum screens don’t sag and, therefore, last the longest. Also, their upper seals prevent these screens from catching rust.
On the flip side, these units are incredibly difficult to install. You might want to hire a helping hand if you’re planning to fit them into your window frame on your own. Though we always recommend that you leave the installation process of aluminum screens to an expert.
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Cons
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- Aluminum window screens: Similar to its initial asking price, the replacement cost of an aluminum window screen is also meager. You only have to fork out $0.35 per sq. Feet to replace this screen.
2. Fiberglass Window Screens
Although aluminum window screens are undoubtedly the more popular of the two, it is fiberglass screens that cost less upfront . These screens are available in a variety of roll shapes and sizes, and you can also order them in multiple colors, including black, white, and grey.
Similar to aluminum, fiberglass is very competitively priced. That allows screens made of this material to remain in the budget of the majority. Also, this material tends to keep wrinkling and sagging at bay. What’s more, unlike aluminum, fiberglass is a cinch to install.
Unfortunately, not everything is hunky-dory about fiberglass. We have seen multiple scenarios where overeager dogs or enthusiastic cats just ripped holes through the screens made of this material. So you shouldn’t expect fiberglass to be as sturdy as aluminum.
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- Fiberglass window screen: While fiberglass screens share many properties with that of aluminum, their replacement cost is pretty low. As long as the holes aren’t too big, you won’t have to pay more than $0.25/sq. Ft. to replace a fiberglass window screen.
3. Bronze Window Screens
In contrast to what their name implies, bronze window screens aren’t made of the metal with the same name. Instead, it is their color that earns them this title, as these screens are made of a combination of zinc and copper – two of the most rugged substances on the market.
Wouldn’t their brown design make them look out of place in a domestic setting? At first, that might happen. Though the exciting thing about these screens is their ability to fade over time. For this reason, once their color has darkened, they would complement your interior décor.
Just like aluminum and fiberglass window screens, those that are made of bronze have their pros and cons. Their upsides include these screen’s strength, durability, and resistance to denting. However, the astronomical asking price of these screens takes them away from the budget of the majority.
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- Bronze window screen: As stated earlier, bronze window screens are the most expensive of the three. Provided you or anyone in your home has ended up damaging them, it would require $1 per square feet to get a replacement.
4. Pet-resistant screen
Think bronze window screens are pricey? That means you haven’t been face to face with the pet-resistant screens. These units cost as much as $20 per DIY kit in lieu of replacement.
Factors Affecting Window Screen Replacement Costs
Following are the factors that affect the replacement costs of a window screen:
- Strength and thickness: You can check out the abovementioned comparison of aluminum, fiberglass, and bronze screens to understand this point. Since aluminum and fiberglass are relatively thin as compared to bronze, their replacement cost is low.
- Size of the mesh hole: This factor should be easy to understand. The more prominent the hole, the more patching the repairer would have to apply. Consequently, the bigger will be the replacement cost.
- Presence/absence of coating: At the buying phase, some people choose to pay extra for screens which come with a silver setting. They do that because silver, by not allowing the sun’s rays to pass through, would reduce heat in your house. Screens with silver coating are costly to replace.
- Size and material of the screen: Provided you’ve two screens of the same size, but one is made of aluminum whereas the other boosts bronze construction, the latter’s replacement cost will blow a bigger hole in your pocket.
