How I Improved My Window Screens

[pumpuiman]

I recently had window screens installed, and was not impressed with the design. An ill fitting rubber flap was supposed to keep the bugs out...after one night of swatting all the critters that got through, I came up with a solution that keeps out 100% of them.

I originally was looking for weather stripping, but could not find what I needed. Another member posted his own solution, which required gluing brush gasket material to both the screen and window frame...a great idea, but I didn't want to glue anything to the window which might need replacing in the future..and woud be difficult and unsightly to remove.

So here is my solution, I hope it may help others with the same problem.

I needed to fill about a 3/8 inch gap. I got some of the "U" channel that the window folks used for cross bracing on the screens, it's about 1/4 inch thick ( 20 baht per meter). I also got some brush gasket material from them, it's about 1/8 inch thick..when compressed (4 baht per meter).

I fastened the "U" channel to the screen with a rivet tool,leaving a space at the top to allow for clearance of the rail. then using construction adhesive..I adhered the gasket material to the "U" channel. I glued some small pieces of the gasket material to the top and bottom of the window (see pics) and .....voila...mosquito proof.

Any questions or comments are welcomed.

Eric

[Crossy]

Good solution, I've closed your original thread with a link to this one.

What's the betting that future screens from your supplier will 'borrow' your design

[pumpuiman]

Good solution, I've closed your original thread with a link to this one.

What's the betting that future screens from your supplier will 'borrow' your design

They could not fathom the design, no matter how many diagrams I drew. I haven't shown them the finished product yet....I have a feeling even if I did, I'd just be a "crazy farang" anyway. It would be a pleasant surprise if I did see my design pop up in the future.

Thanks for closing the old thread, and putting in the link.

And thanks to all who posted suggestions and comments.

Eric

[wayned]

I have 11 windows in my house, all fitted with screens. I don't know why as my wife thinks that it is best to leave them open all of the time, mossies or not! I have 2 magpie robins camped out in my kitchen along with an occasionale cat looking for a feast and a few golden tree snakes from time to time in the bedroom. Also have security bars on all of the windows, but the doors are always open and the windows are very difficult to clean. When we go to the market, my wife used to always lock the passenger door of the truck, I leave the key in the ignition and the door unlocked! Pretty much like a local Disneyland!

[pumpuiman]

I have 11 windows in my house, all fitted with screens. I don't know why as my wife thinks that it is best to leave them open all of the time, mossies or not! I have 2 magpie robins camped out in my kitchen along with an occasionale cat looking for a feast and a few golden tree snakes from time to time in the bedroom. Also have security bars on all of the windows, but the doors are always open and the windows are very difficult to clean. When we go to the market, my wife used to always lock the passenger door of the truck, I leave the key in the ignition and the door unlocked! Pretty much like a local Disneyland!

After 9 years of marriage my wife has happily picked up on farang logic, I used to be in the same boat.

[KunMatt]

Nice solution!

[pumpuiman]

Nice solution!

It was your post that provided the inspiration, Thanks again for your help.

Eric

[BillH52]

When building our house, I attempted to convince the window & screen guys to build a framed screen to fit on the outside of the window frame and covering the whole thing. No moving screen parts; not bugs coming in. They were convinced it would be unsightly; kids would tear them off; etc.

The USA has 125 million houses with windows on the outside; don't seem to be too much of a problem. Could not convince the Thai's to give it a shot.

[KunMatt]

When building our house, I attempted to convince the window & screen guys to build a framed screen to fit on the outside of the window frame and covering the whole thing. No moving screen parts; not bugs coming in. They were convinced it would be unsightly; kids would tear them off; etc.

The USA has 125 million houses with windows on the outside; don't seem to be too much of a problem. Could not convince the Thai's to give it a shot.

That is exactly what I thought we would have to get however a quick visit by our local company and they fabricated sliding screens to fit into our window frames.

In hindsight, I think its better to have the sliding screens. If you have one large fixed screen covering the outside of the window then how will you clean the dead geckos and bugs out from between the windows and screen??

[wayned]

In the US the screens are always on the outside. Makes sense since you can open and close the windows without opening the screens and letting the bugs in. However in Thailand they are on the inside. When I built my house I had the windows custom made with the screens on the outside. Thought that I was smart! I didn't pay much attention to the manufacturing process but after they were installed I discovered a big problem. They were made with the normal window and screen tracks and were installed "backwards". The tracks now allowed all of the rain and moisture to drain inside the house. I now have sufficent overhang all around my house and it is only a problem when washing the windows. So if you want the screens on the outside, where they should be, make sure that the tracks drain properly. I learned the hard way.

[Khun Jean]

I have sliding doors to the balcony and sliding screen doors on the inside.

When the windowed doors are open and the screen doors closed it sort of works, until you need to close the windowed doors. At that moment you need to open the screen doors, giving the mosquitoes that are gathered on the outside of the screen free entrance.

The design is completely retarded as is having the sliding doors on the outside which prevents them from being securely locked by placing a piece of wood/steel on the rail.

On top of that the windows have a very dark tint, while on that side of the building there is no direct sunlight ever. Making the room very dark.

The screen doors are also very flimsy even after adding corner brackets. It is the thinnest of aluminum construction material i have ever seen. And sure enough these have that useless piece of rubber that does not prevent anything from getting inside, it actually helps to push the doors out of the rails when the door is pulled a little to far. They are common as i have seen the same ones in many places.

As it is a rented condo, the wife does not want to 'invest' in it. But soon i think i will go for new ones anyway.

It are all reminders to think about when designing your own home, spend a little more on it will make live much more pleasant.

Edited March 8, 2013 by Khun Jean

[jocko]

Good solution, I've closed your original thread with a link to this one.

What's the betting that future screens from your supplier will 'borrow' your design

They could not fathom the design, no matter how many diagrams I drew. I haven't shown them the finished product yet....I have a feeling even if I did, I'd just be a "crazy farang" anyway. It would be a pleasant surprise if I did see my design pop up in the future.

Thanks for closing the old thread, and putting in the link.

And thanks to all who posted suggestions and comments.

Eric

Some times the DIY solution is the best especially in Thailand the problem then is were do you get the materials to do the job the general hardware stores all sell the same things find I can't even get polyfilla by that I mean a filler for wood and plaster I wanted to buy a cold chisel I looked in every local shop and eventually used a wood chisel which us now a blunt instrument you no what the say

Necessity the mother of invention . And much more satisfying

Edit

I'm lucky I still go back to the UK so I soon give up looking for tools here and just bring them them back with me when I have enough I will open tool hire shop

In about 20yrs.

Edited March 8, 2013 by jocko

[passingas]

I got the BS Thai window design on my house, but went around and drilled weep holes through all the bottom tracks, all the way to the last one on the outside (sometimes 3 pieces to drill) Now when I wash them or a big rain event hits, the water drains to the outside for the most part. The other half-ass thing they do (they would not do it any other way, no matter what they do) is not bother sealing the bottom window unit set screws, so when there is a heavy rain event, the tracks fill up quickly and then finds it way inside and down the walls. It is just unbelievable most of the so called work they do here. I am totally convinced that there is no Thai word for logic or craftsmanship. However, all in all...I do love living here, once you get past that aspect. As far as getting things done right...you MUST do it yourself, if you want it to come out correctly. Good luck. pg

[pumpuiman]

I got the BS Thai window design on my house, but went around and drilled weep holes through all the bottom tracks, all the way to the last one on the outside (sometimes 3 pieces to drill) Now when I wash them or a big rain event hits, the water drains to the outside for the most part. The other half-ass thing they do (they would not do it any other way, no matter what they do) is not bother sealing the bottom window unit set screws, so when there is a heavy rain event, the tracks fill up quickly and then finds it way inside and down the walls. It is just unbelievable most of the so called work they do here. I am totally convinced that there is no Thai word for logic or craftsmanship. However, all in all...I do love living here, once you get past that aspect. As far as getting things done right...you MUST do it yourself, if you want it to come out correctly. Good luck. pg

Thanks for posting. I have the same problem with the water leaking down the wall during heavy rains. I have siliconed all the edges and seams of the windows, but the problem persists. Thanks to your observation on the screws, I now have a new attack plan.

I agree with your comment on craftsmanship, I can't understand why everything is made at the absolute lowest quality possible. Labor is cheap here...why not spend just a few minutes more on quality instead of trying to squeeze out every last satang on an inferior product? The sad thing is, if there were two products placed before a Thai consumer..one solidly built at 100 baht and one shoddily built at 90 baht, the consumer will pick the junk. There seems to be an ingrained cultural attitude that one must not plan ahead. Could it be religious in nature? The impermanence of things? It's mind boggling.

[jocko]

I got the BS Thai window design on my house, but went around and drilled weep holes through all the bottom tracks, all the way to the last one on the outside (sometimes 3 pieces to drill) Now when I wash them or a big rain event hits, the water drains to the outside for the most part. The other half-ass thing they do (they would not do it any other way, no matter what they do) is not bother sealing the bottom window unit set screws, so when there is a heavy rain event, the tracks fill up quickly and then finds it way inside and down the walls. It is just unbelievable most of the so called work they do here. I am totally convinced that there is no Thai word for logic or craftsmanship. However, all in all...I do love living here, once you get past that aspect. As far as getting things done right...you MUST do it yourself, if you want it to come out correctly. Good luck. pg

Thanks for posting. I have the same problem with the water leaking down the wall during heavy rains. I have siliconed all the edges and seams of the windows, but the problem persists. Thanks to your observation on the screws, I now have a new attack plan.

I agree with your comment on craftsmanship, I can't understand why everything is made at the absolute lowest quality possible. Labor is cheap here...why not spend just a few minutes more on quality instead of trying to squeeze out every last satang on an inferior product? The sad thing is, if there were two products placed before a Thai consumer..one solidly built at 100 baht and one shoddily built at 90 baht, the consumer will pick the junk. There seems to be an ingrained cultural attitude that one must not plan ahead. Could it be religious in nature? The impermanence of things? It's mind boggling.

I agree I remember talking to man who was having a house built he was fussy about the painting so he went and bought some good quality paint brushes of various shapes and sizes and give them to the builder to use he then left him to get on with job a few days later he goes back for a look see and the painting was not to his liking and there lying on floor were the unused paint brushes still in there packages.

I myself had a handyman who used to do a bit of work for me and I bought him some tools to help him one of them being a wire stripper for electric wire a few days later he was putting some plugs on and same as before he was stripping the wire with his teeth.

I just gave up.