bwese
Active Member
In a thread earlier this year on maverick blinds, I posted something about liking the blinds but not the windows. I mentioned I made windows that I thought made it flirt with scent free. A couple people asked me about them and I said I would get back to them/thread when I got back out to one of the blinds.
Here is my attempt to show what I was do. It works for me and those who hunt my place.
Materials I use are:
synthetic decking that has a groove in the edges for hidden fasteners. The groove is what the plexi slides in. I had a large supply of this when are deck was replaced.
fiberglass sheeting from a truck trailer manufacturing company but it can be bought at Menards, there are other options that would do the same thing. I use it to seal the top and bottom of the window frames to the blind material and the window. It conforms to the curve of the blind well. Got a pallet of this 20 years ago and still have uses for it. I've made several blinds from it as well.
I use this for the plexi to slide along quietly and to stop air movement where the plexi and glass meet.
2" and 3" construction screws to assemble window and to screw it to the blind.
para cord to raise and lower windows
Caulk
eye screws for setting the para cord on the correct line to easily pull windows open/close via gravity
window weather stripping, self adhesive that is I put on the rail where the gun will get set on for a soft, quiet set down.
1" metal roofing screws with rubber washer
large paper clips
I made another window for one of the blinds and so I took pics of it to help one understand the construction if one wanted to build some for themselves. I like to build things and I have time so I do that many times instead of buying outright. Sometimes it might be smarter to just buy stuff premade but that's not as fun.
The first 2 pics are the holes I cut in blind. I moved a 10x12 window I had previously installed to the other side and made that hole bigger for a 24x18 window. The 2nd hole is the one for the moved window.
The next pics are of the 24x18 window I recently made. The window installs with the flanges on the inside and then screws at the flange edges in to the blind material. At the top and bottom I use the fiberglass sheeting to enclode it tightly. A good amount of caulk is used on all 4 sides. The fiberglass is attached with roofing screws that have the rubber washer and a hex head. It gets very snug using these.
I've predrilled a small hole into the top center of the window, about a 1/4" below top, but not before I've put duct tape on both sides to keep it from cracking. Use a small drill bit, One can always put another drill bit on after initial hole. One can crack plexi very easily. I use the paper clips as my wire attachment in the hole I just drilled to tie my para cord to. I then string it up to an eye bolt directly above the hole and then over to one side or the other at the top edge of window and tie a loop at end of cord to pull over a screw on bottom side of window to hold it open when I open it.
I have a run of the window brushing stuff on the top sill edge facing the plexi and then I have another run of that brushing on the backside of the top of the plexi, attached to the cross board. This sandwiches the plexi at the top of the frame stops air movement well. I have put boards with strips of this on a cross board and put it across the top of the bottom rail board. This gives further support from wind blowing hard on window and keeps it tight.
If you have questions, I'll do my best to answer them.
Here is my attempt to show what I was do. It works for me and those who hunt my place.
Materials I use are:
synthetic decking that has a groove in the edges for hidden fasteners. The groove is what the plexi slides in. I had a large supply of this when are deck was replaced.
fiberglass sheeting from a truck trailer manufacturing company but it can be bought at Menards, there are other options that would do the same thing. I use it to seal the top and bottom of the window frames to the blind material and the window. It conforms to the curve of the blind well. Got a pallet of this 20 years ago and still have uses for it. I've made several blinds from it as well.
I use this for the plexi to slide along quietly and to stop air movement where the plexi and glass meet.
2" and 3" construction screws to assemble window and to screw it to the blind.
para cord to raise and lower windows
Caulk
eye screws for setting the para cord on the correct line to easily pull windows open/close via gravity
window weather stripping, self adhesive that is I put on the rail where the gun will get set on for a soft, quiet set down.
1" metal roofing screws with rubber washer
large paper clips
I made another window for one of the blinds and so I took pics of it to help one understand the construction if one wanted to build some for themselves. I like to build things and I have time so I do that many times instead of buying outright. Sometimes it might be smarter to just buy stuff premade but that's not as fun.
The first 2 pics are the holes I cut in blind. I moved a 10x12 window I had previously installed to the other side and made that hole bigger for a 24x18 window. The 2nd hole is the one for the moved window.
The next pics are of the 24x18 window I recently made. The window installs with the flanges on the inside and then screws at the flange edges in to the blind material. At the top and bottom I use the fiberglass sheeting to enclode it tightly. A good amount of caulk is used on all 4 sides. The fiberglass is attached with roofing screws that have the rubber washer and a hex head. It gets very snug using these.
I've predrilled a small hole into the top center of the window, about a 1/4" below top, but not before I've put duct tape on both sides to keep it from cracking. Use a small drill bit, One can always put another drill bit on after initial hole. One can crack plexi very easily. I use the paper clips as my wire attachment in the hole I just drilled to tie my para cord to. I then string it up to an eye bolt directly above the hole and then over to one side or the other at the top edge of window and tie a loop at end of cord to pull over a screw on bottom side of window to hold it open when I open it.
I have a run of the window brushing stuff on the top sill edge facing the plexi and then I have another run of that brushing on the backside of the top of the plexi, attached to the cross board. This sandwiches the plexi at the top of the frame stops air movement well. I have put boards with strips of this on a cross board and put it across the top of the bottom rail board. This gives further support from wind blowing hard on window and keeps it tight.
If you have questions, I'll do my best to answer them.
