Building Screen Window Frames

Materials

• The simplest way to build a window screen is to affix screening of your choice to a wooden frame. You can use plastic or wire mesh for screening, and typically you can select among several colors. For metal screen is available in bronze or aluminum colors. Fiberglass or plastic mesh come in charcoal-black or white. For framing, use wooden strips that measure 2 to 2 1/2 inches in width. For frames that will last, use a weather-resistant type of wood, such as cedar.

Procedure

• The basic process for building a window screen is to measure the size of your window opening, cut your screening and wooden pieces to size, assemble the wooden frame, stretch the screening over the frame and affix it into place. Extra steps may include painting or staining the wooden frame, adding a support piece for extra-large windows or adding a second frame so that the screen is "sandwiched" in the middle. The double-frame look is advisable for first-floor windows, where the exterior of the frame is clearly visible from outdoors.

Making the Screen Taut

• To ensure that your screening material is taut, work with a partner and have your helper gently bend the frame as you attach the screening material. Keep the frame bent slightly so that the side to be covered with screening is slightly bowed inward. After you staple down the screening, when you release the frame, it stretches the screening so it is taut. If necessary, practice this once with a scrap piece of screen so you do not over-extend the material.

Aluminum Frame Kits

• As an alternative to fashioning your own wooden frames, it's possible to purchase a window screen kit and assemble it to your window's specifications. If you prefer to install an aluminum frame, buying a kit is the simplest and most cost-effective option. Instead of stretching and stapling the mesh over a wooden frame, you affix it to a groove in the aluminum frame using a spline cord, a length of flexible rubber.