[2015 DIY] Window Screen

Difficulty: 3/5
Time: 3 hours each if done alone (Even a kid can do this. My crafting skill and familiarity w/ hardware is literally elementary school level)
Budget: ~$50 for all three of my big windows (larger than 20"x 40" each) including all new materials (knives, etc.) -I'm probably over estimating it.

Since the beginning of last month, my apartment had been stable at around 30+ degrees Celsius - which is killing both my sister and me. Fans did not help much, because the air circulating indoor is too hot... Window screen then become our next step to cooling down our place.

The cost to install metal or plastic custom made window screen by a professional will take around $100+~400 depending on the size of the window. Our windows are relatively large- I've estimated it to cost more than $500 if I were to install the screen on all three windows in my house. So, I asked the handyman in my church, Eric for help.

Special thanks to:
Eric for the idea and brief outline of how to do this. 
My bf who helped me got all the materials needed to complete this project and helped me start the first parts.
My sister, for doing NOTHING. =_=

Detail steps:



1. Measure your windows' dimensions:
length width and the height (important to hold the screen firmly on the window frame)
Draw them down like this:

2: Get the materials from Home Depot and Dollar store (or your favourite stationary depot).
You'll need:
The screen -  Don't worry if you can't find them on the Home Depot website. They are sold at bigger Home Depot locations (everywhere except the Cambie store).
My bf got them at the Surrey location.
We got the larger one, because it's the size I need (all my windows are longer/taller than 40") got two of them.

Foam Boards - you can also go with cardboards or something more solid, but I used this for its better water resistance over paprer/cardboard and flexibility over wood or metal.
Knives - to cut the boards

Glue Gun (optional) - to connect the boards (I think it's important to have a sturdy backbone, so I decided to use glue gun to stick the boards together then tape them.
Tape - to tape down the screen and connect the boards

3. Cut out the boards/ frames pieces
My foam boards only came in 30"x 20" so I had to connect 2 pieces to have the full length of my window covered. (glue gun 30"x1" sticks with 12.5 x1" sticks and then tape them to make 42.5" frame piece).
I decided to use minimal approach. For ease to take down, I only built one face on the left side and 2 faces (L shape) on top, bottom, and right side for sturdiness.
Fit every piece after you cut them, make sure they can swiftly move inside the window frame but provide snug fit so the bugs can't come through the gap between the board frame and the window frame ( this is another reason why I need 2 faces). Each of my piece is 1" in width.

4. Build the board frame
Connect/glue + tape all pieces.
You should have something like this:

Try it on the window frame to see if it fits nicely. If not, adjust as needed.

5. Tape the mesh to the board frame
I chose to tape it on the inside at first, but later on I chose to tape it on the outside. It depend on how your frame is constructed and ultimately, as long as your board frame fits your window frame without gaps, it doesn't matter too much. It would look better if the mesh is taped on the outside though.

6. Install your new window screen onto your window and you're done! 
Enjoy having your window open throughout the day without worrying about bugs!

Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions through comments. :)
I'd also love to hear your own experience or other DIY projects you'd like to share~

Bye Bye ~ ★