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Making screen windows for porch

JoeJoyce | Posted in General Discussion on September 28, 2002 05:04am

Hello,

I am interested in constructing wooden screen windows for the porch on my 1922 Craftmen bungalow.  I will be recycling the wood from some old doors that we left in the trash at a neighbors property (old doors).  Measurements are roughly 35″ X 35″ (and probably 1 3/8″ think).  Any thoughts on the construction?  I was going to mitre the corners and then use a biscuit joiner on the mitred corners for more strength.  Does this make sense?  They will stay out all year, with eastern, western and northern weather exposure.  Haven’t done a project like this, so am a little puzzled!  Thanks!  Joe 

 

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  1. Piffin | Sep 28, 2002 05:24am | #1

    I'm a little puzzled too. You might find it more work than it's worth. Those doors might have been built with thru mortise joints and when you rip them down for the little lumber in the siles, you could find voids there. Old paint and possibl;e metal in them could make it dangerous to do as well. It shouldn't cost all that much for some new lumber.

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  2. User avater
    goldhiller | Sep 28, 2002 06:55am | #2

    I’ve built a bunch of these and I can assure you that the mitre joint is not a good choice. If you’re lacking a shaper and or large router that could sling coping and sticker bits for you, a mortising machine allowing you to do a mortise and tenon, or you’re just desiring a simpler joint to make, I’d recommend that you either:

    1- square cut and half lap the corner joints ( requires router or table saw with dado set) and assemble with Titebond II and clamps or use polyurethane glue which is also rated for this type of exterior assembly……. ……..

    2- square cut and assemble with fluted dowels ( via a doweling jig that insures an exacting fit….General makes a nice little unit for this) making certain that your dowels are well coated with adhesive, but not to the point to where there is so much extra that it creates hydraulic resistance when you attempt to complete insertion into the dowel hole. Minimum two dowels per joint……probably 7/16” or ½” dowels

    3- square cut and use biscuits (2… each approx. 3/8” from the faces leaving 5/8” in between them ) again assuring good coverage with the water resistant glues mentioned.

    All mating surfaces of the joints should be tight-fitting, as moisture infiltration is your #1 enemy to a long life.

    For added strength in any but the half lap joint, you can add one approx. 2 ½” corrosion resistant flat-head screw per joint from the outer edge of the stile and into the end of the rail. If you hit the center with this screw, you would be right between the biscuits or dowels and not interfere with their integrity. Drill proper sized shank holes in the stiles and proper size pilot holes into the rail ends or you’ll split the pieces with the screw.

    Check each window opening for square before you begin fabricating the screens as a square screen won’t fit an out-of-square opening very well.

    And……..I’ve gotta agree with Piffin on this one. Unless you’re really strapped for dough or that’s some exceptionally good wood in those doors, I’d give serious thought to buying some new and appropriate rot-resistant wood for these screens. Then again, if this is the first project of this type you’ve taken on….you might want to learn on “free” material.

    Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.

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