Homemade Retractable Screen Doors

General Discussion about almost anything Teardrop or camping related

Homemade Retractable Screen Doors

Postby ParTaxer » Sat Sep 12, 2009 11:27 am

From the five minds of Mikey comes this solution to a screen door.

List of materials:
Sponge rubber pool noddle
Broom handle or equivalent
Screen material
Color matched duct tape
Double sided Scotch Mounting Tape
Broom handle clips
Thin metal bar to weight screen
Wheel knob for cranking screen up
Vinyl weather stripping color match (Lowes)
Image

Slide noddle over broom handle
Image

Tape (double sided) weather stripping to interior sides of door frame:
Image

Use duct tape to border screen for strength-two layers. Also tape thin metal bar to bottom of screen

Mount broom clips
Image

Tape one end of the screen to noodle

Mount roller above door
Image

Pull bottom of screen through the slots formed on each side by the weather stripping
Image

Width measurement is critical; better to be too wide than too narrow.
Works good and is out of the way. One note broom handle clips come in three sizes; I found the larger ones to work best. I believe this application will work on most tears.[/img]
Last edited by ParTaxer on Sat Sep 12, 2009 7:28 pm, edited 2 times in total.
I have wisdom beyond my years. In fact, I'm nearly senile.
User avatar
ParTaxer
The 300 Club
 
Posts: 391
Images: 32
Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:37 pm
Location: Louisville, KY

pics...

Postby laoutdoorsman » Sat Sep 12, 2009 11:44 am

very interesting....do you have bigger pics??
mike breaux...its pronounced "bro".....
i think i should have taken notes along the way, because ive forgotten waaaay more than i remember...
User avatar
laoutdoorsman
Teardrop Master
 
Posts: 263
Images: 44
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:25 pm
Location: amite, la

Postby emiller » Sat Sep 12, 2009 12:32 pm

I have been toying with the idea of building my own windows using old car style crank up windows and installing screens so the window can be pretty wide and get good airflow.
User avatar
emiller
Donating Member
 
Posts: 3421
Images: 157
Joined: Sun Jun 13, 2004 11:00 pm
Location: Arizona, Phoenix
Top

Re: pics...

Postby ParTaxer » Sat Sep 12, 2009 12:47 pm

laoutdoorsman wrote:very interesting....do you have bigger pics??


Let's try these:
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
I have wisdom beyond my years. In fact, I'm nearly senile.
User avatar
ParTaxer
The 300 Club
 
Posts: 391
Images: 32
Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:37 pm
Location: Louisville, KY
Top

Postby Elumia » Sat Sep 12, 2009 12:51 pm

Very clever, but it seems like it would be a whole lot less work to just take a standard roller shade assembly and replace it with a screen. It will then self retract too and work a lot like the ones designed for home doors.

Mark
User avatar
Elumia
500 Club
 
Posts: 641
Images: 15
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2006 2:02 am
Location: Napa, CA
Top

Postby ParTaxer » Sat Sep 12, 2009 2:09 pm

I thought of that including cutting out the middle and attaching the screen. The typical roller shade has a narrow tube and would take awhile to crank up. I looked on line for roll up screen shades that were retractable but they were expensive and tend to retract horizontally instead of vertical. I'm not saying it can't be done but you are still going to have to bind the sides of the screen and have a slot for it slide in. Else it would dangle and blow with the wind. I just installed the second side in just a few minutes.
I have wisdom beyond my years. In fact, I'm nearly senile.
User avatar
ParTaxer
The 300 Club
 
Posts: 391
Images: 32
Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:37 pm
Location: Louisville, KY
Top

Postby Elumia » Sat Sep 12, 2009 5:06 pm

my front screen door is the retractable type. Same concept as a roller shade, but mounted vertical. The top and bottom run in a track and are not edge bound. I suspect it not edge bound so it rolls up tighter. It is 5 or so years old, shows a little wear, but not bad. What I was envisioning is a standard vinyl type roller shade with the vinyl replaced with screen. The only difference I see is that the rolling screen door at home is always in tension, so that if someone walks into it accidentally it automatically retracts to try to prevent damage.

Another option may be "solar shades". I have these on a couple windows at home. I got them at Home Depot, they come in dk brown or beige. Basically they are a roller shade operated by a plastic chain either up or down. The material they are made of is a plastic material kinda like a screen that helps block the suns rays while letting you see through. Probably lets less air through than a standard screen.

Mark
User avatar
Elumia
500 Club
 
Posts: 641
Images: 15
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2006 2:02 am
Location: Napa, CA
Top

Postby ParTaxer » Sat Sep 12, 2009 5:26 pm

I think what I had in mind is a breeze without insects. The weather stripping keeps the tension on the screen. I could't figure a way to have the roller shade and keep a good seal from mosquitoes. The door that I have on the TD has a curtain and the screen venting is sometimes inadequate. I thought of magnets but the door frame is aluminum. I didn't want to deal with velcro.
I have wisdom beyond my years. In fact, I'm nearly senile.
User avatar
ParTaxer
The 300 Club
 
Posts: 391
Images: 32
Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:37 pm
Location: Louisville, KY
Top

Postby 48Rob » Sat Sep 12, 2009 5:35 pm

Nice bit of thinking! :thumbsup:

What is the metal part at the top left, looks like a hinge of some sort?


<img src="http://www.tnttt.com/gallery/image.php?image_id=55386">

Rob
Waiting for "someday" will leave you on your deathbed wondering why you didn't just rearrange your priorities and enjoy the time you had, instead of waiting for a "better" time to come along...
User avatar
48Rob
Super Lifetime Member
 
Posts: 3882
Images: 4
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2005 6:47 pm
Location: Central Illinois
Top

Postby ParTaxer » Sat Sep 12, 2009 7:18 pm

That is a swing arm for my 15" LCD TV/DVD. Totally unrelated to the screens but had to be accounted for. Luckily, the cover for the attachment bracket has a slot just right for the screens to ride in.
I have wisdom beyond my years. In fact, I'm nearly senile.
User avatar
ParTaxer
The 300 Club
 
Posts: 391
Images: 32
Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2007 5:37 pm
Location: Louisville, KY
Top

screening for open TD doors

Postby Blumie » Wed Dec 30, 2009 1:08 am

We went very low-tech: bought 5 yds mosquito netting at fabric store for $18, folded up & sewed a large sleeve at each end to slide rolled-up throw rugs into. No hardware required. Rugs provide flexible weights on each end, which hang down over doors when net is thrown across top of trailer. They can be pulled aside easily, and if just longer than the door on each side, will hang snugly over open cabin doors.
Blumie
Silver Donating Member
 
Posts: 116
Images: 19
Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2009 4:20 pm
Location: Quincy, CA
Top

Postby Eunice » Wed Dec 30, 2009 11:18 am

velcro above the door. mosquito net stuck to it. hand rolled up with ribbons to tie it in place. undo the ribbons and the net falls down to cover the open door. works great for us
Eunice
former director
Jefferson State Chapter
TearJerkersImage
User avatar
Eunice
Jefferson State Tearjerker
 
Posts: 1440
Images: 109
Joined: Sun Jul 30, 2006 4:25 pm
Location: northern California, Fortuna
Top

Postby mikeschn » Wed Dec 30, 2009 11:51 am

Up in the UP where mosquitoes and black flies are a problem, we just covered the entire teardrop with a screen!

Image

Mike...
The quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten, so build your teardrop with the best materials...
User avatar
mikeschn
Site Admin
 
Posts: 19202
Images: 479
Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2004 11:01 am
Location: MI
Top

Postby S. Heisley » Wed Dec 30, 2009 11:57 am

That's a great idea, Partaxer! Be proud of your accomplishment and...

Thanks for sharing! :thumbsup:
User avatar
S. Heisley
Super Lifetime Member
 
Posts: 8769
Images: 495
Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2007 10:02 am
Location: No. California
Top

Postby whitefishpoint » Wed Dec 30, 2009 2:36 pm

Mike,

http://www.upfishing.com/bug.html

2007 *was* a fantastic year for the lack of bugs.

mikeschn wrote:Up in the UP where mosquitoes and black flies are a problem, we just covered the entire teardrop with a screen!


Mike...
whitefishpoint
Teardrop Advisor
 
Posts: 91
Images: 0
Joined: Fri Sep 18, 2009 9:26 am
Top

Next

Return to General Discussion

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 7 guests