DIY PVC Screen

Screens allow a cool breeze into your home during warm months, while at the same time keeping the bugs out. There are many different screens to choose from, however, PVC coated fiberglass screen is an effective option for homeowners. Instead of paying too much in a store, make your own wooden window screen at home using PVC coated fiberglass screen. Select a wood that withstands weather exposure, such as cedar. Cedar is naturally rot and insect resistant. It is also lightweight, another attractive feature for window screens. The finished screen measures 28-by-36-inches, but you can modify the dimensions to fit your window openings.

1 Lay the two 1-by-2-by-24-inch parallel boards on a work surface with the 2-by-24-inch sides flat. Orient the boards horizontally and space them parallel to each other with the outside edges 36 inches apart.

2 Butt the 1-by-2-by-36-inch boards on either end of the two 1-by-2-by-24-inch boards to form a rectangular box. The 2-by-36-inch side of the boards should be flat on the work surface.

3 Apply glue to the boards where they join together. Press the boards together and fit a frame clamp around them. The frame clamp squares the assembly and holds it tightly together. Wipe off any excess glue that squeezes out with a damp cloth. Allow the assembly to dry for 24 hours. Remove the frame clamp.

4 Drill a hole through the center of each joint by drilling through the 1-by-2-by-36-inch boards where they adjoin with the 1-by-2-by-24-inch boards using a drill and 1/16-inch drill bit with countersink attached. This creates a pilot hole for the trim head screws.

5 Drive a trim head screw through each pilot hole to reinforce the joints of the rectangular screen frame assembly using a screw gun. Sink the screws just below the surface of the wood so that the head sits in the countersunk area of the wood that was made by the countersink attachment.

6 Unroll the screen over the frame. Trim the screen with an utility knife so that it overlaps the inside edges of the screen by 1/2-inch along one edge. Leave the excess on the opposing sides until you staple them to the frame. Staple the screen to the frame along the trimmed edge using a staple gun equipped with 3/8-inch staples. Pull the screen evenly and tight along the opposing edge, then staple it in place. Continue in this manner until all of the edges are stapled. Trim the edges so that they overlap the inside of the frame by 1/2-inch.

7 Measure the inside dimensions of the screen frame. Lay the screen molding out on a work surface. Mark the inside dimensions for each inside edge of the screen onto the interior edge of the screen molding, one at a time as you measure, mark and cut the molding to length.

8 Lay the screen molding flat on a miter saw table. Adjust the saw to cut a 45-degree angle. Cut the 45-degree angles on each end of the molding so that the inside edge of the molding matches the measurements of the inside dimensions of the screen. The outside edge of the molding has the long points. The molding should fit together like a picture frame.

9 Align the cut lengths of molding over the raw edges of the screening in their respective positions on the inside edge of the screen frame. Hammer finish nails through the molding into the screen frame every 2 inches along each length of molding.