How to Put a Mesh Screen on an Attic Vent
Most attic vents have a mesh screen already attached to them, but sometimes the screen comes loose and you need to repair it. In other instances, you need to attach a mesh screen that has smaller holes than the original mesh to keep small insects out of your attic. Mesh for attic vents is available at home improvement and hardware stores. Before you begin the project, determine if you can fix the screen by removing the vent from the outside or if you must crawl into the attic to attach the screen.
Interior Attic Vent Screen
Open the Attic Access Door
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If the attic floor doesn’t have a solid surface for you to walk on, put enough 2-by-12 boards into the attic opening to create a walkway to use to get to the gable vents. If possible, leave the boards in the attic when you finish so they will be there the next time you need to make repairs.
Take Proper Safety Measures
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Load your tool belt with a roll of 1/8-inch screen mesh, as advised by FIREsafe MARIN, as well as tin snips, staple gun, staples and a hammer. Put on a safety helmet and gloves. Attach a flashlight to the helmet.
Climb into the Attic
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Carefully arrange the boards at right angles across the ceiling joists so you can walk from the attic access to the vents. Hold on to the rafters as you make your way to one of the vents.
Hold the Screen Over the Vent
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Rough cut the screen mesh with tin snips so it is approximately 2 inches wider and longer than the vent. There should be at least 1 inch extra all the way around when you finish cutting the screen to size.
Attach the Mesh to the Wood
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Use a staple gun to attach the top of the mesh to the wood framing surrounding the vent. Place these staples horizontally to the top of the vent. Space all staples 1 inch apart. Staple the sides in place on the wood framing, placing these staples vertically. Finish that vent by stapling the bottom of the mesh horizontally to the bottom of the vent frame. Continue to cover the remaining attic vents in a similar manner.
Exterior Vent Screen Mesh
Set Up Your Ladder
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Set a ladder near an attic vent. Turn up the feet of the ladder so the ladder's spurs can hold the ladder firmly on the ground. Stand with your toes touching the base of the ladder. The ladder is at the proper angle if your palms rest on a ladder rung when you reach straight ahead.
Remove the Screws
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Climb the ladder and remove the screws holding the vent in place. Save the screws. You might need to break a caulking seal with a putty knife to get the vent loose from the house. Take the vent to the ground to work on it.
Remove the Vents
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Remove the other vents from the house. If they are different sizes, mark their location.
Measure Your Mesh
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Measure a piece of mesh slightly larger than the vent opening as you did in on the interior of the attic. You can use a metal wire mesh for roof vents, or a fiberglass mesh, which is easy to install, says Home Depot. Cut the mesh with tin snips.
Install the Mesh
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Place the mesh inside the vent against the existing screen. Since the mesh is slightly larger than the opening, it should be a tight fit. Bend the outside edges to fit, if necessary. Run a bead of carpenter’s adhesive around the perimeter of the mesh to hold it to the vent. Let the glue dry for at least an hour. Repeat this process for all the vents.
Reinstall the Vents
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Replace each vent back into its opening and attach it with the screws you removed earlier. Run a bead of paintable caulking around the perimeter of each vent to seal its outside edges.
2-by-12 inch boards
Toolbelt
1/8-inch screen mesh
Tin snips
Staple gun
Staples
Hammer
Safety helmet
Gloves
Flashlight
Ladder
Screwdriver
Putty knife
Carpenter’s adhesive
Paintable caulking
Caulk gun
Things You Will Need
Tip
Perform this task on a sunny day if you must climb into the attic. The ambient light that comes in the vents supplements the light from the flashlight.
Most vents have 1/4-inch mesh, but 1/8-inch mesh is better for stopping smaller insects.
Warning
Use extreme caution when working in the attic and when climbing on a ladder.
References
Tips
- Perform this task on a sunny day if you must climb into the attic. The ambient light that comes in the vents supplements the light from the flashlight.
- Most vents have 1/4-inch mesh, but 1/8-inch mesh is better for stopping smaller insects.
Warnings
- Use extreme caution when working in the attic and when climbing on a ladder.