What’s the secret to a good bond between an aluminum frame and mesh?

Aluminum screen frames are not porous, and you want to ensure a complete mesh-to-frame bond. To do this, the frame needs to have a rough exterior. Once you roughen the frame’s surface with sandpaper, wipe the surface area clean with acetone to remove any loose debris to help ensure a perfect surface for the adhesive to “grab” onto.

Next, apply the adhesive to the raw frame and let it dry. Once dry, stretch the mesh and add weights to the center of the frame, if necessary. The pressure will help to ensure intimate contact between the mesh and frame.

Finally, apply a bead of adhesive on top of the mesh around the perimeter of the frame. Use a plastic squeegee to spread the adhesive evenly over the surface. Once dry, release the tension on the stretcher and trim off the extra mesh from the sides of the frame.

—RhinoTech