Screen Porch Trim & Rescreening — Frames, Trim and Wood Repair
The screens are torn, the bottom rails are soft, and the trim strips holding the screen are splitting every time somebody tries to pull a staple. We rebuild the frames and rescreen it so it lasts another run of summers.
Screen porch trim and frames rot at the bottom rail, where the screen stop holds water against the wood. JMB Builders replaces the rotted trim and frame pieces in PVC or cedar, rebuilds knee-wall caps and sills, splines in new fiberglass or pet screen, and puts back a screen stop that can be removed for the next rescreen. Done across the Twin Cities metro, priced per project by the bays involved, quoted from your photos within one business day.
- Priced per project, by the number of bays
- PVC or cedar frames, removable screen stop
- Fiberglass, aluminum or pet-resistant screen
- Quote from photos in 1 business day
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
A screen porch is a wood frame with screen stapled to it and a strip of trim over the staples. It works until the bottom rail, the sill under it and the trim strip take enough rain. The wood at the bottom of every bay is the wettest wood on the house that is not in the ground: rain blows through the screen, sits on the rail, and the trim strip nailed over the staples keeps it there. The screen tears, somebody pulls the strip to restaple, and the strip splits.
We fix it in the order the water goes: sill and bottom rail first, then the frame members that are soft, then new screen, then a stop that comes off without splitting. Rotted rails and sills go back in cellular PVC or cedar. The screen goes in as spline-in fiberglass or aluminum in a screen-track base, or restapled with a removable PVC stop, so the next rescreen is a morning and not a rebuild.
Knee walls and their caps rot the same way, from the top edge in. We replace the cap in PVC with a drip edge and reflash the top of the wall. If the porch also has a screen door, we rehang or replace it in the same trip so the whole enclosure closes tight.
What you supply
- Photos: the porch from outside showing all the bays, a close-up of the worst bottom rail, and the trim strip where the screen is held
- A count of the bays and their rough size, or we work it from the photos
- Screen type: standard fiberglass, aluminum, pet-resistant, or a fine mesh for gnats
- PVC or cedar for the replacement frame pieces
- Your paint or stain color if you want the new wood finished on the same visit
What JMB supplies
- Removal of the old screen, split trim strips and rotted rails, sills or frame members
- New bottom rails, sills and frame pieces in cellular PVC or cedar, sized to match the existing frames
- Screen track and spline base, or removable PVC screen stop, so screens can be replaced without splitting trim
- Fiberglass, aluminum or pet screen, stretched and splined or stapled drum-tight
- Knee-wall caps in PVC with a drip edge, and flashing tape on the top of the wall
- Screen door rehung, adjusted, or replaced with a new one
- Photos of the finished porch in your job folder
- Painting or staining the new frames and trim when you want it, quoted as its own line
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Number and size of screen bays
- Rescreen only vs. bottom rails and sills replaced vs. full frame rebuild
- PVC vs. cedar for the replacement pieces
- Knee walls and caps that need to be rebuilt
- Screen type: standard fiberglass, aluminum, pet or fine mesh
- A screen door repaired or replaced in the same trip
- Deck framing under the porch that is soft once the sill comes off
Press a screwdriver into the bottom rail of two or three bays and tell us where it goes in. That sorts a rescreen job from a frame rebuild before we quote.
How long it takes
Rescreen with new stop on a typical porch: a day. Bottom rails, sills and rescreen: two days. A full frame rebuild with knee walls: three to four days.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Rescreen with removable stop
The frames are sound and only the screen and the split trim strips are the problem. New screen goes in, held by a spline track or a PVC stop screwed on, so the next rescreen does not damage the frame.
Bottom rails and sills in PVC
The most common rot is the bottom foot of each bay. We cut out the rails and sills, replace them in cellular PVC that sheds water, tie them to the posts, and rescreen.
Full frame rebuild
Posts, rails and mullions are soft through. We rebuild the bays in cedar or PVC to the same layout, set the screen track in the new frame, and rescreen. The roof and deck stay; the walls are new.
Knee wall and cap
The half wall under the screens has a soft cap and stained siding. We reflash the top of the wall, put on a PVC cap with a drip edge, and replace the siding or panel on the wall face where it is damaged.
Screen Porch Trim & Rescreening — Frames, Trim and Wood Repair: questions, answered
Why does screen porch trim rot at the bottom?
Rain blows through the screen and lands on the bottom rail, which is flat. The trim strip nailed over the screen staples holds that water against the rail and the end grain of the mullions. Sun on the outside dries the face but the joint stays wet. The rail and the strip go first, then the sill under them. Any porch with wood rails and stapled screen gets there; PVC rails and a spline track do not.
Can you rescreen a porch without replacing the frames?
Yes, when the frames are sound. We pull the old screen and the split stops, clean the frame, and put in new screen with a removable PVC stop or a spline track screwed to the frame. The screen is stretched tight, the stop is screwed rather than nailed, and the next rescreen is a morning's work. We tell you before we start if a rail is too soft to hold the new screen.
What is the best screen for a Minnesota porch?
Standard fiberglass for most porches: it does not dent, it is easy to spline, and it is the cheapest to replace when a branch goes through it. Aluminum is stiffer and holds up better to a dog leaning on it but shows creases. Pet-resistant vinyl-coated screen is the answer for dogs and cats and costs more per bay. Fine mesh keeps gnats out at some cost to airflow. All of them go in the same track.
Should replacement screen porch frames be PVC or cedar?
PVC for the bottom rails, sills and knee-wall caps, which is where the water sits. It does not rot and takes paint. Cedar for posts and mullions when you want the porch to stay a wood porch, stained or painted. Mixing them is normal: PVC where it is wet, cedar where it is seen. Pressure-treated lumber works for hidden sills but not for anything you want to look at.
Do you fix the screen door on the porch too?
Yes, in the same trip. Most porch screen doors sag because the hinge screws pulled out of a soft jamb or the door frame racked. We rehang it on the repaired jamb with longer screws, square the door with a turnbuckle if it has racked, replace the screen and closer, or hang a new wood or aluminum screen door if the old one is past saving.
Can the porch be rescreened in the same color trim I have now?
Yes. PVC stops and rails come white and take exterior paint. Cedar takes stain or paint. Painting or staining the new pieces to match is quoted as a separate line on the same quote, or leave them primed and caulked and finish them yourself. Charcoal or black screen looks less visible from inside than gray; we bring both for you to hold up.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 24, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All exterior trim pages
Where we work
Exterior trim near you
Based in Zimmerman, scheduling across the Twin Cities metro. Closest first: