How to change the handles on a mosquito net without the help of specialists?

If the handles on the mosquito net are broken, they can be replaced with new ones, bought in a store or made by yourself.

Why do handles break?

The handles, or “ears,” on the mosquito net are used to, if necessary, remove the structure from the window opening and put it back. Usually this element is made of thin plastic, which within two to three years is destroyed by exposure to sunlight, rain, and frost in winter.

To avoid having to repair mosquito nets every year, they should be removed in the fall and stored in a utility room.

In addition, the holders may break due to mechanical stress. If you pull too hard or bend the fragile plastic to the limit, the handle will certainly crack and break.

How to remove the mesh if the handles are broken?

Every housewife who has to wash plastic windows is faced with the need to remove the mosquito net. For residents of the first floors, this is not particularly relevant, since they can wash the window from the street. But for those living on high floors, cleaning the outside of the window is a whole problem, and you can’t do it without dismantling the mesh screen.

If both holders are broken, removing the mesh becomes not only very difficult, but also dangerous. At the slightest awkward movement, the structure will fly down and, at best, break, and at worst, injure one of the passers-by.

You can deal with the problem in the following way: take a piece of thin metal wire, bend it into a hook and pass it through the canvas so that both ends are inside the room. Improvised holders should be placed approximately in the places where the ears were located. If you connect the ends of the wire, you will get a loop, by pulling which you can remove the mesh from the window opening.

Please remember that this “disposable” holder option is only suitable for emergency use. If the wire passed through the mesh is constantly used as handles, the structure will quickly become unusable - and then the fabric itself will have to be changed.

How to install new “ears”?

Repairing a window mosquito net whose holders have come off will not be difficult. You just need to stock up on the necessary tools and materials and change the holders.

You will need the following:

• new pens - they can be purchased at a hardware store or ordered online;
• a roller for threading the sealing gum (it can be replaced with scissors with rounded arms);
• a dull knife or screwdriver.

Having prepared everything you need, lay out the grid on the floor or table and get to work:

1. Carefully, using a screwdriver or knife, you need to pull out the seal exactly in those places where the broken handles stood, and remove the remaining plastic. You should not remove the entire rubber seal from the mesh - without special tools it will be very difficult to put it back in place.
2. Replace the holders.
3. Use a screwdriver or scissors to push the seal back into the grooves.

If you follow these instructions, replacing the “ears” with your own hands will not be difficult.Those who often encounter the problem of broken holders should stock up on a repair kit for mosquito nets in advance, which necessarily includes several spare handles. You can also ask for spare parts from the specialist who installs the plastic window.

How to make holders with your own hands?

Craftsmen offer many ways to make holders yourself and attach them to a mosquito net. For the work, various available materials are used: plastic lids, carbonated drink bottles, thin metal staples for fastening drywall and others. The Internet is replete with all sorts of “recipes” for repairing protective nets, and they are all so simple that any housewife can do the job.

Plastic bottle loops

The handles on the mosquito net should be strong and elastic. The plastic from which bottles for selling mineral water and other drinks are made fully meets these requirements, so it makes high-quality holders. The main thing is to choose a container with not too thin walls.

Holders made using the method described below have an unusual shape, but do not spoil the appearance of the window and perform their function perfectly.

Method of making holders:

1. The middle is cut out of a plastic bottle. The neck and bottom will not be useful - to make handles you will only need an even, flat part of the dish.
2. Now you need to mark and cut two identical strips 1 cm wide and 12 cm long. The dimensions are approximate, and there are no restrictions here. However, when choosing the length of the loop, you need to focus on the thickness of your index finger.
3. To install new holders, you need to choose a place 2-3 cm above or below the old one, where the cord has already become thin. Otherwise, the handles will constantly fall out.
4. Pull off the seal and insert a plastic strip folded in half.
5. Roll the cord into the groove using a special roller or a thin shaped screwdriver.

Perhaps this design will not last too long, but as a temporary option it will do just fine. Now, by pulling the two loops, you can easily remove the mosquito net and install it back.

"Ears" from a plastic cover

In this method, a regular plastic cover is used to repair the mosquito screen. The parts cut from it are almost no different in appearance from purchased ones, and even surpass them in the strength of the material and fastening.

1. The destroyed holders are pulled out of the mosquito net and, applying them to the surface of the lid, a stencil is made. To make it easier to attach the new handles, they are lengthened a little.
2. Using scissors or a stationery knife, cut out the holders according to the pattern.
3. Using a self-tapping screw passing through both walls of the plank on which the mosquito net is stretched, new handles are secured.

This type of fastening is more reliable than the traditional one (using a rubber seal). Now you don’t have to worry that the elastic band will break and weaken, causing the homemade handles to fall out of the profile.

The handles of the mosquito net are the weakest point of the structure. They often break, and sometimes for no apparent reason. Therefore, you need to have a repair kit with spare parts on hand to quickly fix the problem, or be able to make holders from available materials.