Need help with 'screen door' design.

[Sbenson92620]

I would like to increase ventilation in my little coop (3'x4'). The coop has a front door into the run and a little back door. I'll attach photos of the back door (photos 3+4). What I would like to do is make a 'screen door' that I can leave on in the good weather (I'm in MA). I'm not a carpenter by any means but I do know how to build simple things and how to use power tools. The screws for the door have been painted (by original owner) so I'm not sure if they'll unscrew of not. If they do, I could just build a wood frame with 1/4" hardware cloth and put it on hinges. What do I do design-wise if the screws don't unscrew? I'm having trouble coming up with ideas... I need some suggestions. Thanks in advance!!
Ps... dont mind the plastic sheet on the run roof, I'm replacing it with more metal roofing hopefully this weekend.

 

[azygous]

Are you able to get inside that thing and work from the inside? The easiest thing would be to just staple quarter inch hardware mesh onto the inside wall over that window opening. Reinforce it by screwing lathe or one inch firring strips around the edges of the screening.

No need to remove the door. Leave it open in summer and close it in winter.

 

[Sbenson92620]

Are you able to get inside that thing and work from the inside? The easiest thing would be to just staple quarter inch hardware mesh onto the inside wall over that window opening. Reinforce it by screwing lathe or one inch firring strips around the edges of the screening.

No need to remove the door. Leave it open in summer and close it in winter.

No, I can't get inside it... that back door and the little door into the coop are the only ways inside it. I need that back door to be able to open easily for everyday use.

 

[K0k0shka]

In my experience taking out screws that have been painted over, usually they come out just fine. You just have to push the screwdriver in a little harder at first, to break up the paint that's dried up in the grooves and to get a good catch, and then you unscrew. If they are in too tight and start to strip, leave them. You can still make a wooden frame with HC on it and hinge it at the top. That's what I did with my screen door. It's a walk-in coop and the screen door is the size of a human door, but I left the normal human door on its hinges, tied it open, and put hinges for the screen door on the opposite side of the door frame. You can add a latch on either side of your opening, on the short sides, to keep the screen door secure when it's closed.

 

[azygous]

That's the aggravating thing about those doll house coops. They're cute, but, well I won't go on.

What I would do then is remove that door. If you have a power driver, the screws will break loose. If you have a saber saw or jig saw, cut an opening in it the size you wish for ventilation. I use a large drill bit to make a hole in the corner of the opening to be cut so the saw blade can be inserted. Once your hole is cut into the existing door, install the screen on the outside of it, finishing the edges with molding or firring strips. Then screw the door back onto the coop in its original position, made easy by the existing screw holes.

 

[Sbenson92620]

Ok thank you both so much!

 

[Sbenson92620]

That's the aggravating thing about those doll house coops. They're cute, but, well I won't go on.

What I would do then is remove that door. If you have a power driver, the screws will break loose. If you have a saber saw or jig saw, cut an opening in it the size you wish for ventilation. I use a large drill bit to make a hole in the corner of the opening to be cut so the saw blade can be inserted. Once your hole is cut into the existing door, install the screen on the outside of it, finishing the edges with molding or firring strips. Then screw the door back onto the coop in its original position, made easy by the existing screw holes.

If I were to cut the existing door and add HC to it then reattach... what would I do in the winter when it needs to be closed up. That door is directly behind a roost

 

[azygous]

Just screw a piece of closed cell foam over the screen from the outside. The stuff is sold in the camping section at Walmart as sleep mats. I use it to cover screened vents in my coops, runs, and the crawl space vents under my house. Easy to cut and they hold up well for years of use and do a great job of insulation.

 

[Sbenson92620]

Just screw a piece of closed cell foam over the screen from the outside. The stuff is sold in the camping section at Walmart as sleep mats. I use it to cover screened vents in my coops, runs, and the crawl space vents under my house. Easy to cut and they hold up well for years of use and do a great job of insulation.

I've never heard of that stuff. I'll look it up. Thanks for all the help! Do you know if it will hold up to rain and snow?

 

[azygous]

It's used as a sleeping mat for backpackers, so it must form a moisture and cold temp barrier between the ground and the camper. It's perfectly water proof and insulates extremely well. The only drawback is that chickens can peck the foam and form holes, but yours will be on the outside of the screen so they can't access it as they're on the roost.

Here's what I'm talking about. https://www.amazon.com/Sleeping-Non...=closed+foam+sleep+pads&qid=1617817260&sr=8-3