What the job actually involves.
Pull the old spline out of the groove with a pick. Lift out the old mesh. Lay new mesh over the opening with a few inches of overhang on every side. Roll new spline back into the groove with a spline roller, working opposite corners to keep tension even. Trim the excess flush with a hooked screen knife. Reusing old spline rarely holds a second time.
Where DIY stops making sense
- Roof and upper panels. Ladder or scaffold work over a concrete pool deck. Spring Lake Hills’ two-storey mansard cages are the concentrated case in this city.
- A worn spline groove. If standard spline will not seat, the groove itself needs attention — see splines popping out.
- Gated or association-controlled communities. Spring Valley, Spring Lake Hills, Country Creek, Oak Harbour, Sandy Cove, Escondido and Bona Vista all have mandatory associations, some of which may require notice even for like-for-like mesh.
Standard 18x14 fiberglass, 20x20 no-see-um, pet-resistant polyester and solar mesh are all available off the shelf, but they are not interchangeable — which belongs on which wall is covered on the mesh guide, and researched material pricing is on the mesh upgrade cost page.
Whether mesh-only work on an undamaged frame requires a permit is not published by either the city or the county for Altamonte Springs specifically. The full picture is on the permit guide.