screen room

[guitarplayer5219]

I remember reading a post a couple of months back about how someone made a screen room for their awning out of a stand alone screen shelter.  If you know what i'm talking about, i could use some help. we're trying to do the same thing.  please let me know how to contact you or send a link to your site.

thanks,
tammie

[ScouterMom]

do you have the awning already? or are you making the awning out of the screen room roof?

I have an awning for my camper, and planned to put the screening from an old K-mart screen house on it for a camper screen room.  I haven't had the time to do so yet.  I also found that the awning that came with our 1973 Starcraft, while it matches the canvas of our PUP, can NOT have been made for our camper - it's longer than the camper top by about 18", and the tips of the poles we have are too large for the eyelets.  We use it for shade, anyway. ;etting the sides hang loose for extra shade - and I will be altering it later this fall to 'fit' properly.

It should be fairly simple, as the awning already has both a zipper and velcro all around the edge.  I'd probably never be able to match the other half of the zipper, but velcro is easy. so I'll probably just rip the zipper off, as I have to 'take in' the awning itself.  

We're going campiong this weekend, if I can, I'll get some photos of the old awning and show you how I plan to 'alter' it.  Once it is cut down to the proper length for the camper, it will be simple to cut the screen from the old screenhouse, sew velcro along the top edge and attach it to the awning.

[Rene]

I remember reading a post a couple of months back about how someone made a screen room for their awning out of a stand alone screen shelter.  If you know what i'm talking about, i could use some help. we're trying to do the same thing.  please let me know how to contact you or send a link to your site.

thanks,
tammie

I tried to do this and it was an inelegant solution in our case.  The screen room was way too short and the zippers always seem to jam or break!  We have a 2002 Coleman Taos.

I ordered 117" noseeum netting from an Army/Navy store in Vermont.  117" if about the right width of the awning on all three sides.  I'll attach the panels with one seam each on the corners.  I'm going to edge the top and attach the velcro.  And then edge the bottom so it's a little long (make some button-holes or attach some loops so we can stake it if necessary).  The panels in front will overlap - much like a mosquito netting covering for a bed.  This is much more friendly for our dog and five year old.

I've made gear before for backpacking so I am pretty sure this is going to work.  Ask me in a week and I'll take a picture and send it to you.

Rene

[guitarplayer5219]

Please do send the photos....we'd love to take a look and any ideas are muchly appreciated!!!

[diane]

http://i11.tinypic.com/6c8ok2h.jpg

I hope this photo comes up. This is a screen room I made from an old free standing screenhouse. It was actually quite simple. I sewed velcro along the top, don't bother with the self stick it comes off and it can't be sewn, use the sew-on stuff. I used bias tape to make the corner seams and the ties. It already had the zippers on it.

[guitarplayer5219]

http://i11.tinypic.com/6c8ok2h.jpg

I hope this photo comes up. This is a screen room I made from an old free standing screenhouse. It was actually quite simple. I sewed velcro along the top, don't bother with the self stick it comes off and it can't be sewn, use the sew-on stuff. I used bias tape to make the corner seams and the ties. It already had the zippers on it.

cool pic, this is exactly what we're thinking....thanks a million!  do you happen to have any "how to" pics?

Thanks,
Tammie

[diane]

I never thought of that, I just kind of winged it. I trash picked the screen room from my neighbor (in the dead of night of course ). Just measure twice before cutting. You don't have to cut seams at the corners/poles. I just used the bias tape to make it look nicer and for added strength. The hardest part for me was getting the angle along the top correct.

[Rene]

That is a sweet screenhouse!  Great idea if you can find an old one for free or cheap.  I first tried the Quik-Shade 10x10 screen but it wasn't nearly long enough to reach the ground - which is pretty pointless.  If you try this with a screenhouse, it has to be the kind with the roof attached to the screen - all one piece - or your screen will not reach the ground.  Walmart has some real inexpensive ones you could try.

The only one big drawback I can see with using the screenhouse in this way is that, along the camper side, mosquitos can come under the camper and into the screenhouse.  I'm creating a "side" that cuts off this access.  Haven't quite figured out how to rig that up yet.  I'm thinking strong magnets might do the trick.  But I'll post pics once I get this thing made next week.

I picked no-see-um netting because it is easy to work with, looks nice when finished (it polarizes light and creates some shade), and we are traveling to the New England coast - home of the notorious no-see-ums.  And they'll pass right through most mosquito netting.  They're miserable!

I also picked it because I could buy it for $7.00 by the square yard and it is 117" wide.  This means that I will not have to "marry" panels together to make the sides.  Each panel is roughly equal to one side.  There must be other stores that sell this stuff, but the only one I could find on the internet at that price was the Barre Army/Navy store in Vermont.  Lovely folks.  Quick shipping and good prices.

[ScouterMom]

That's a great modification!

I have an old screen house much like that - except the 'roof' is that blue plastic tarp stuff. Probably came from K-mart years ago - I've had it so long I don't remember.  I plan to adapt the screening to our camper, (and toss the blue tarp parts) as I  do have a nice oversized canvas awning I can use for the top.  the canvas is much better for shade and keeping cool than the plastic.

I had planned on using the cutaway side of the screen house to make a 'skirt' to attach to the camper side to keep out the bugs from underneath.  Since our camper is aluminum - magnets won't work.  I figured to glue or staple velcro along the edge of the camper - behind the step and along the whole side - and put matching velcro along the edge of this 'skirt'.  I was going to make it out of screen material, but it could easily be solid, too.

I also saw someones camper once that had rope lights mounted UNDER the camper frame - that would be nice with the screen, as it would light the step without glare, and act as a nice ambient lighting for families with young kids.

laura