Screen Woes

Last year in April, we bought new windows and a sliding door for our living room. The door was installed during Memorial Day weekend, but then Craig got busy with the bathroom remodel and the windows sat untouched until September (possibly October?), when Craig finally found time to install them, too. It was then that we noticed that we hadn't gotten the screens for these new windows! We had assumed they were in the box, but they were in fact patiently waiting somewhere in the back rooms of Lowe's. Fortunately, despite how long we took to ask for them, they were still there, just a little dusty. So in December Craig finally got around to putting in one screen, and it was then that he discovered that the other one was broken! (I guess that's what happens when it sits around in the back rooms of Lowes for too long...)

So Craig took it back and ordered another one. Screen #2 arrived and sat around forgotten in the rec room until we began construction there. Then we decided the screen would be safest if we went ahead and installed it. And that's when we realized that it didn't fit the window. It was about half an inch too wide. D'oh.

So Craig went back to Lowe's. Again. This time, rather than measuring the window, we just gave them the serial number on the window and let Pella figure out. Screen #3 arrived via FedEx today. Craig was worried the minute he saw the box, which was suspiciously large. Unlike the window right next to it, which is a half-screen, Screen #3 is a full screen. And it also. doesn't. fit. The width is correct, but it's too tall by about an inch. This is why it takes us so long to get anything done around the house.

Okay, okay. So I can admit that the fact that it's the wrong size is probably for the best, because in all honesty we'd rather order a fourth screen than have mismatched screens. But it's still all kinds of ridiculous.

Craig called Pella and explained the problem. Pella told us to go ahead and keep the screen we currently have and they'll have a fourth one made and shipped to us soon. Apparently it's more cost-effective for us to just throw it away than to bother FedExing it back to Pella. (Since it was packed in a huge wooden crate, this doesn't surprise me very much.) So now we're wondering what to do with a huge, very nice screen that doesn't fit any of our windows.

Bentley had the best suggestion. "Let's put it outside and forget about it."

Amen, brother.