If you're watching this video you've likely got a screen with a
window screen plunger latches like this one that have broken. These "little pins,"
as I may also refer to them, hold the screen in the window and there's usually
a hole in the window sill that the plunger locks into. Over time because these
latches are plastic, and or cheaply made, the cap typically breaks off first,
followed by the spring wearing out, or the plunger wearing down. As a quick
aside I want to mention that whoever invented the screen held into a
window with a plunger latch is not my favorite person. If you've ever had to
install screens with these mechanisms you know that you have to stick the
entire screen out the window, then bring it back to the sill while holding in two of
these latches and once you get it into the window frame, your release the latches and
the plungers are supposed to lock the screen in place. However, what typically
happens is you stick the screen out the window. You're bringing it back in while
grasping the tension latches. You bobble the screen and, in what feels like slow-motion,
you watch it tumble three floors down under your shrubs. In which
case you find yourself in the basement repairing the screen.
Let's replace this plunger latch. Now that the morning coffee has worn off...
The tools we're going to be using today are a drill, drill bits, and the window screen
latches, which I may also refer to as window screen pins. The 16 pound sledge
hammer definitely not required for installation, but I always like to have
it on hand in case things wan't to be broken. These windows screen latches came
from the local Home Depot, but you can get them from your local hardware store.
Your pins may look slightly different but functionality and installation will be
very similar if not the same. The instructions are on the back of the
package but you may not need to read them since I'm showing you how to do this.
The window screen latch itself consists of the plunger here on the end, the
spring, which goes on the shaft of the plunger, and the cap or top hat.
Let's get started.
The back of the package will tell you this screen frame size the
latches fit into and also the size of the interior and exterior holes
required to fit the latches. If you've been fortunate enough to find the exact
match of your latch, you won't need to do any drilling to resize the holes.
However, if you have older screens like I do you'll likely have to use a similar
latch that requires you to resize the holes.
In choosing a latch, make sure you get the proper length and more importantly make
sure the plunger will fit into the hole of the window sill so the screen properly
locks in. If you get a plunger that's too large, the screen will not properly lock in
and you'll find it down in the yard at some point.
For the pins that I'm using
the interior hole needs to be 1/8 of an inch and the exterior hole needs to be 7 3/4".
On the package, the manufacturer typically tries to sell you a drill bit
that can do stepped holes. A bit that does stepped holes would have 7/32 on the back end,
and 1/8 on the front. So when you drill the screen from the back, you would
have a 1/8 inch hole on the inside of the screen and a 7/32 inch on the outside.
Since I don't have a stepped bit, I'm going to use two separate drill bits to size the holes.
Starting with a smaller bit, which is 1/8, and beginning on the
outside of the screen, I'm going to drill all the way through as straight as
possible, which is important. I'm drilling sideways which isn't quite so easy but it
should be all right.
So that's that 1/8 inch. Now I'm going to
change the bit to 7/32 and I'm going to drill starting on the
outside of the frame, but not push all the way through. You'll only want to
penetrate the outside of the frame. Again, don't go all the way through.
Just through the exterior side,
Now that we have the holes drilled, we're going to
insert the screen latch.
Take your plunger and you're going to
take a spring. Slide the spring onto the shaft of the plunger just like
this. Then you're going to insert it into the exterior side of the frame,
which is the larger hole.
Give that a push.
Make sure that the plunger
is straight and goes in and out smoothly. That's important!
Now we just need to
attach the top hat or the cap like this.
The top hat just clicks on.
Give it a push. Give it a good push.
Then make sure the plunger goes back and forth smoothly. When you put the screen in
the window, let go of the latch, and the plunger goes into the hole in
the windowsill. Then the screen is locked in.
I hope this has been helpful. Thanks for watching!