How do you make hardware cloth/plexiglass windows draft proof?

tandpmiller

In the Brooder
8 Years
Jun 28, 2011
12
0
22
Minnesota
Hello,

My DH and I are new here, posting for the first time to ask a question about windows that we can't seem to find in the forum anywhere.

We're from south central Minnesota and it gets quite cold (-20ish) in January. We're converting this small grainery into our coop.
98020_img_0631.jpg


As you can see in the photo, the coop has two identical doors (measuring 22" x 8'). We're planning on making one of the doors into a large window as well as adding three windows on the other walls plus ventilation near the roof and closer to the floor for the summer months.

We're thinking of making the windows ourselves out of hardware cloth and plexiglass. I see many neat ideas for making a window out of 1/2" by 1/2" hardware cloth, but we can't quite picture how we should do the plexiglass to make it both easy to open in the summer and draft proof in the winter.

My simple thought is this: Screw the hardware cloth on to the outside of the coop to prevent predators from pushing it inward. On the inside build a frame around the window that allows the plexiglass to slide up and down (similar to a pop door). However, I still don't know how we'd prevent drafts. Weather stripping?

Does anyone have ideas (or especially photos) on how to do this or something similar?

Thanks in advance! BYC forum is great - I don't even bother with books anymore
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I have seen the plexiglass done like an interior door with the screen done perminant. just open the plexiglass door inward during the summer. Do it with a frame just like a regular door then do the weather stripping on the inside of the frame.
 
Hi,
I have hardware cloth windows.In the winter...we screw the plexi glass into the frame and use weather stripping to stop drafts.In the spring...we unscrew the plexi glass and store it for the summer.Works good for us and we have some COLD weather here!
 

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