Patio Screens That Actually Survive Cottage Life—Is That Even a Thing?
Let’s talk about your cottage. It’s your happy place—until your patio screen door quits halfway…
(Even if you’ve got zero tools, two left thumbs, and a squirrel problem)
Not just any raccoon. A full-on, beer-bellied, bandit-masked raccoon that looked like he’d been living off discarded poutines and had nothing to lose.
It was a peaceful Tuesday night in Oro-Medonte. The kind where the crickets are chirping, the stars are sparkling, and you think, “Ah, cottage life. Finally.”
Then—THWUMP.
I thought it was a branch. It was not.
This unhinged trash panda had body-slammed my kitchen window screen trying to reach a peach pie cooling on the sill. And just like that, the screen was bent like a pretzel at Oktoberfest.
Naturally, I did what any self-respecting adult would do:
I Googled, “how to fix a bent window screen frame” and fell into a YouTube hole of 15-minute tutorials shot in someone’s dimly lit garage.
So I tried it myself.
I used:
Result? The raccoon came back two nights later. This time, he brought friends.
If you’ve got a bent screen—and a deep desire not to host midnight wildlife orgies—here’s the actual way to fix it. No yoga props required.
Pop the frame out carefully. If it’s stuck, don’t pry like a maniac with a screwdriver (ask me how I know). Use a putty knife or flathead gently along the corners.
Lay it on a flat surface. Your deck table works. Your ex’s unfinished basement floor also works. Gently press the bent part down with your hand or a wood block. If it’s super bent? Time to upgrade—fibreglass mesh and aluminum frames are worth it (they’re what we use).
Use a framing square if you’re fancy. Or just measure corner-to-corner. If your screen’s shaped like a rhombus, it ain’t fitting back in.
This is where most DIYers scream into the void. Use spline that matches the old one’s diameter. Reinstall new mesh (fibreglass = easy, pet-resistant = tougher but tougher). If you get bubbles or wrinkles, no judgment. Just pretend you did it “intentionally rustic.”
Slide the screen back into place. Try not to curse if it doesn’t line up. Adjust as needed, or… call in the pros.
You could do this all yourself.
But if you’re already Googling “fix bent window screen,” chances are you’ve got better things to do—like enjoying that peach pie (indoors, screen intact).
👉 We do this every day. Fast. Neat. Raccoon-resistant.
Book your bug screen repair in Barrie or cottage country.
We don’t judge. We just fix.
And if you’re not sure yet, go binge our What Mosquitoes in Muskoka Are Saying About Your Screens.
