How to attach mosquito nets to plastic windows: tips, instructions

It's summer now, mosquitoes and flies are annoying. Plastic mosquito nets save you from pestering insects. But the thin mesh in the frame can be easily damaged - cats, birds, tree branches can make a hole. Sometimes the nets also suffer from debris from neighbors above or builders on the roof. On the other hand, the meshes are destroyed over time - not one has yet reached the age of 10 years. Sometimes residents simply need to change the usual mesh to “anti-dust” and “anti-cat”. Meanwhile, the mesh in the window mosquito shield is very easy to change.

Even More Solutions How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes

Do the work yourself or call a professional?

There are two ways to change the mosquito net in the frame. Option one - to repair the mosquito net, you can, for example, call a specialist. And the price of the issue as a result will increase by the cost of paying for his labor and payment for the call. The cost of work and materials will probably exceed one and a half thousand rubles.

Option two is to do the repairs yourself. As a result, the savings are obvious, and as a bonus - a good mood. Moreover, replacing the mesh in the frame is a fairly simple job. Even an inexperienced home craftsman (or craftswoman) can handle it.

What's on the market now

Mesh for plastic windows, although a relatively simple product, is far from primitive. Before installing such protection on your windows, it would be a good idea to find out what types of designs there are, think about the types of fastening and choosing a fabric for your “mosquito”, and also figure out how to properly install this or that mesh.

Types of structures

• The frame design is deservedly considered perhaps the most common in this niche . It is a frame made of plastic or aluminum profile on which the mesh itself is stretched. Such frames can be fixed both on the outside of the window frame and on the inside. In addition, manufacturers now offer frames that are inserted into the end of the window profile, this is the so-called plunger mount, I will talk about it in more detail a little later;

Finished frame with mosquito net.

• In the more expensive segment of the market, roll designs are popular . This is an independent stationary mechanism that is hung outside the frame. The anti-mosquito cloth, if necessary, is lowered and securely fixed using latches and a spring mechanism. For the winter, such a canvas is put back into the box in a couple of seconds. Here you don’t need to be afraid that the frame will fly off the top floor and fall on your foreign car. The metal box and all mechanisms guarantee reliability and durability. The color of such a box can be easily matched to any frame design;

Roll design.

• Sliding mechanisms can partly be classified as frame structures, since in them a frame with an anti-mosquito cloth stretched over it moves along specially installed guides . Since it is not necessary to remove the frame, these structures are widely used for glazing balconies and loggias. The advantage here is that, if necessary, the frame can be moved to the side or moved to another sector of the window;

Sliding structures.

• The so-called pleated grids are to some extent reminiscent of vertical blinds . They consist of narrow strips, sequentially overlapping each other. The pleats are easily assembled into an accordion near one of the frame posts. Most often, this variety is used on terraces or other large spaces, since they can be placed on openings with a height of up to 3 m and a length or width of up to 50 m;

Pleated mesh.

• The magnetic version of the mosquito fly is now very popular, since it can be put on and taken off in a matter of minutes . This fastening option can hardly even be called a mechanism. Simply, a magnetic strip is fixed from inside the frame, an anti-mosquito cloth is applied to this strip, along the perimeter of which a similar magnetic strip is attached. You understand that replacing such a mesh is more than simple.

Fabric with magnets.

To make my story more tangible, below I have placed a table indicating the estimated price for commercially produced window and door anti-mosquito structures.

Selecting the mesh fabric

Before you make your own or order a mosquito net from the appropriate company, it would be useful to decide what kind of fabric you need. There are 2 main selection criteria, these are the cell size and the type of material from which the mesh is actually woven.

The range of cell sizes in such fabrics ranges from 0.6 mm to 1.2 mm. But here it is important to maintain reasonable parity. On the one hand, the smaller the cell, the more reliable the protection against insects will be. On the other hand, dense mesh allows air to pass through much worse, which you will agree is very important in the summer.

Color range of anti-mosquito cloths.

As for the material used to make mosquitoes, the choice is quite wide. Cotton nets, in other words, gauze, have long been a thing of history. Often, the consumer now chooses between nylon, polyester and a new material called fiberglass.

Personally, I prefer high-quality nylon, where the thread is thinner. Polyester and fiberglass are of course much stronger, since they contain fiberglass. But this same fiberglass, under the influence of external factors, begins to crumble over time, and fiberglass dust is not the healthiest thing.

Although perhaps this is only prejudice, because by and large the square size of the mosquito is tiny and we cannot talk about any serious impact on health here. If we talk specifically about the types of canvases, there are now 4 of them, these are ordinary canvas, anti-dust, anti-pollen and anti-cat.

Anti-dust and regular cloth in comparison.

1. An ordinary fabric is a mesh with a cell size of about 1 mm. It works great in a city apartment, but only in areas where regular mosquitoes predominate. Mosquitoes and, naturally, insects larger than them are not able to overcome such a barrier. The undoubted advantage here is the free, almost unobstructed passage of air;
2. The anti-dust mesh has a cell of about 0.7 mm. The advertisement promises that this canvas is capable of retaining almost 70% of fine dust in a big city. Although to be honest, these assurances do not convince me very much. But near bodies of water and in areas with a warm and humid climate, such nets do a good job of trapping small midges, and you will agree that this is no less;
3. Antipollen, as the name suggests, is capable of trapping plant pollen. The cell size in it does not exceed 0.25 mm. To improve the effect, some models can be treated with special reagents. According to people suffering from seasonal allergies, such protection works well, but again, this canvas is effective in areas where there are no strong multidirectional winds;

Anti-pollen cloth.

If the cost of an ordinary synthetic mesh with a cell of about 1 mm rarely exceeds 150 rubles/m², then the price per square of anti-dust or anti-pollen fabric often starts at 3,500 rubles.

1. The anti-cat mesh is designed for homes with pets. The title does not need to be taken literally. Of course, the cat family loves to inhabit window sills most of all. But such a barrier will also be a good barrier for a beloved hamster or guinea pig, which some owners allow to roam freely around the apartment.

Ensuring the safety of pets.

Often from cat owners you can hear questions like how to fix or how to repair a mesh torn by the claws of pets. Let me just say, no way. There is no use in sewing or gluing a mosquito net; you just need to change it. I'll talk a little about the replacement process below.

There is no need to blindly trust advertising that promises that a synthetic anti-cat mosquito net is too tough for your pet. I can tell you from experience that once you install it, your cat will drop all the claw sharpeners and start testing the mesh's strength. Usually such a “battle” ends with the cat winning, within a week at most.

The most reliable option for anti-cat mesh.

Personally, I solved the issue of the safety of the cat and the nylon mesh quite simply. To do this, I took a thin metal mesh with a mesh size of about 10 - 15 mm and a wire thickness of about 0.5 mm. And I screwed it on from the inside with self-tapping screws, on top of a standard aluminum frame with nylon fabric. The cat immediately lost all interest in her.

Types of fastenings

There is no point in talking about expensive roll-up, sliding and other structures now. Theoretically, you can, of course, install them with your own hands, but the instructions there are replete with a lot of professional subtleties, and as far as I have encountered, the installation of such mechanisms is always trusted to professionals.

Types of fastenings.

If you do not take homemade products, which we will talk about later, an ordinary person living in a standard city apartment or a medium-sized private house can only be content with fastenings for frame-type structures. And there are only 3 types of such clamps.

Through Z-shaped brackets.

The most common are staples and angles. In the specialized literature they are called Z-type fasteners. To put it simply, they are a small shelf about 10 - 15 mm deep.

There are four of these shelves in total, 2 on top and 2 on the bottom. The frame is alternately inserted first into the upper brackets, and then into the lower ones. How to install the frame correctly will be shown in the diagram below. In this case, the frame itself is initially made slightly larger than the size of the window opening.

How to properly hang a net on a frame, side view.

This type of fastening is made exclusively of plastic, so they cannot boast of particular durability. The difference between brackets and corners is that the brackets do not have a limiter on the side and can be mounted at any distance, as long as the horizon is respected.

Plastic corners for external fastening.

Installing the corner is a little more complicated; everything needs to be measured more accurately. The fact is that the corners are placed clearly at the corners of the frame and fix it in both vertical and horizontal positions. Personally, I like these mounts better, because no matter what the wind is, the frame will not be torn out of the grooves.

Layout diagrams of through Z-shaped hooks and angles.

Sometimes companies offer to manufacture factory frame mesh with additional valves. The grid is inserted, the checkboxes are lowered and everything seems to be in order. I don't recommend agreeing to this. Firstly, it costs more, and secondly, the flags will scratch the frame. And then, moving these flags from the outside with a wire is not difficult.

Latches on the frame.

The next type of fasteners are metal hooks. Unlike external plastic shelves, they are screwed with self-tapping screws directly onto the frame itself and, due to the elasticity of the steel, tightly press the mosquito net to the window frame.

The question of how to put on a net with metal hooks is solved in much the same way as in the case of Z-shaped fastenings, with the only difference being that here the hooks are inserted inside the frame and cling directly to the frame.

Plungers and Z-shaped fasteners in comparison.

On the one hand, fixation with metal hooks is much more reliable, because they do not break and such a mesh, if it is properly adjusted, cannot even be moved. On the other hand, metal hooks from the inside will constantly scratch and damage the frame itself.

To prevent the steel brackets from scratching the frame, you can put on pieces of polymer heat-shrinkable pipe with a wall thickness of 1 mm (designated HERE) and heat it over gas or a household hairdryer at maximum. The polymer will cover the bracket and the frame will not be scratched.

Fastening with plungers certainly looks quite elegant. The plunger is a metal rod with a built-in spring. These rods penetrate the sides of the frame profile.

The outer, pointed part of the rods fits into grooves located along the perimeter of the window opening. To install, you need to pull out the holder and insert the frame into the window opening.

Scheme of fixing the frame with a plunger.

No matter how hard you try to accurately fit the frame to the window opening, a small gap will remain around the perimeter in any case. In order to cover it, a tape with a brush is glued to the frame. It keeps insects out and decorates the gap.

Everything would seem solid and beautiful. But I don’t recommend this option to you. There are a number of objective reasons for this.

Appearance of the plunger.

• The mesh with plungers holds quite weakly and a strong gust of wind can squeeze it out. It’s good if it falls inside, nothing bad will happen, but if it falls from the top floor, there may be trouble;
• Sharp spring-loaded plunger rods will gradually break the mounting holes under constant gusts of wind. Plus, such holes themselves reduce the strength of the frame structure;
• And finally, it is impossible to equip a plunger mount with your own hands, and ordering such a frame will cost at least 2 times more than the frame mounts described above.

Where to get materials for repairing mosquito nets

Any construction hypermarket or large market sells a kit for making or repairing a mosquito net. It is included in the kit:

• net. The size is usually 1600x700 mm. This mesh is sufficient to repair the mosquito net for most standard windows. If the size is not enough, you will have to buy the mesh separately;
• sealing fastening cord;
• two handles.

Moreover, the set may include other elements.

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A very bad habit! / Photo: yandex.ru

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How to replace the mesh with your own hands - step-by-step instructions

Before changing the mesh in the mosquito net, you need to remove the frame from the window. It is more convenient to work on a table, but you can put the mosquito net frame on the floor.

Procedure:

1. Find the tip of the fastening cord and slowly pull it out of the groove on the mesh frame. If necessary, pry it out with a screwdriver. Remove the old mesh cloth. Wipe the frame and groove from dust.

2. Place a new canvas on the frame. It must be cut with a margin of at least 10 mm on each side. If the cord is well preserved, you can use it. Start pressing the cord into the groove, starting from one corner. It is convenient to press the cord with a blunt object of small thickness - a screwdriver, a metal plate, or a handle without a rod. There are rollers for pressing in the cord, but their cost starts at 500 rubles (the entire repair kit costs about the same).

3. If the canvas warps or sags, you need to pull out the section of the cord from the groove and re-thread it.
4. Handles are inserted in the center of the frame. Once the cord is pressed in, the handles are held securely in the frame.
5. At the end of the work, cut the tip of the cord and tuck it into the groove. Then use a sharp knife to trim the allowance on the mesh fabric.

Our repair and replacement capabilities

Our extensive experience in the manufacture and installation of mosquito nets allows us to carry out almost any type of repair work.
From us you can order completely new and unique high-strength mosquito nets called “Anti-cat”. They can withstand enormous loads and can withstand a cat's jump.

We can also offer you ultra-fine Anti-Dust meshes, through which not only insects, but also large dust particles that can fly from the street on a hot day do not penetrate.

Our craftsmen perform the following types of work on the repair and restoration of mosquito tags:

• 1
  Complete replacement or restoration of torn fabric. The most common problem, because... The mesh is quite fragile. If you move carelessly while closing the window, you can break it. Most often, it is easier to completely replace the fabric, although if a very small hole has formed, our craftsmen can carefully sew up the fabric and return it to its original appearance.
• 2
  Repair of the profile is required when it is bent. The profile can be aluminum or plastic, in both cases it is possible to bend or break if handled carelessly.
• 3
  Replacing broken fasteners. Fastening elements are usually made of elastic and not very strong materials. If you leave the window closed during the day and constantly remove the screen at night (or vice versa), they can quickly fail. But this is not a reason to throw away the net.
• 4
  Repair or replacement of remote drive in roller shutter screens. These are more expensive types of mesh that can be controlled remotely and rolled up into a tube.
• 5
  Installation of a reinforced profile instead of a standard one. We can also repair and install a reinforced profile instead of a regular one. This will extend the life of your mesh and eliminate the need for frequent repairs.

Types of mesh fastening

You can find three types of fastening mosquito nets:

• Rolled. Such nets work on the principle of roller blinds, that is, at the top of the window there is a box with a mosquito net, which can be easily pulled down and fixed to the bottom of the frame. Yes, the device is very good, but the price, however, for such a grid is also not small.
• Frame mesh. These nets are considered the most common due to the optimal price-quality ratio: the degree of protection against insects is high and inexpensive. The frame mesh is an aluminum profile with a mosquito net stretched inside it.
• Swing mesh. In this case, there is a reinforced frame, and swing nets are often installed on entrance and balcony frames. This mesh is held on by hinges that are mounted to the door block. There are magnets on the free side of the frame that prevent the swing mesh from opening from gusts of wind. Some users do not rule out installing such nets on windows.

In addition to these methods, there are also homemade, homemade, cheap ways to secure the mesh. Learn more about the options for attaching mosquito nets.

Repairing window handles

If the handle on a plastic window has become unusable (for example, a lever has broken off), it must be replaced. Also, during the replacement process, it is easy to install a handle with a lock or a limiting comb. If a new handle is at hand, the replacement is very simple.

All manipulations are carried out in the open position:

1. First, the decorative trim is moved out of place, revealing access to the two screws that hold the handle in place. They are easy to unscrew using a Phillips screwdriver. To install a new handle, use the screws supplied, but you can also screw in old ones.
2. The pin of the new handle is inserted into the hole. If a comb is to be installed, it is placed on the pin before installation.
3. Then the handle is fixed with wines and the decorative trim is installed in place.

As you can see, there is nothing complicated about the replacement. The main thing is that the new fittings fit exactly in size.

What to do if the ears or handles break off?

Depending on the model, the mosquito frame is equipped with handles or ears that need to be pulled to remove the net from the hooks. Such ears are the most unreliable part of the structure. They can break off due to improper actions, drying out of the plastic or “aging” from temperature changes and solar ultraviolet radiation.

When choosing a mesh, pay special attention to what the handles are made of and how they are attached to the frame. It’s better to overpay a little for a model with aluminum handles and high-quality fasteners than to suffer from annual breakdowns later.

If, when trying to remove the mesh from the window, one (or both) tabs remain in your hand, the work becomes dramatically more difficult. Without this element there is simply nothing to grab the mesh by. But experienced installers know a few tricks that help them cope with this difficult situation:

• A key ring works best as a temporary handle. To hook it into the frame, you can pass the wire directly through the holes in the mesh, but it is better to slide the ring under the pulled out sealing cord, and then push the seal into place.
• If you don't have a key ring, thick wire or a large fish hook will do.
• To temporarily solve the problem, use a piece of polyethylene or thick fabric tape. By passing such a ribbon through the mesh and tying it with a ring, we get a temporary handle of quite acceptable strength.