aluminum window screen frame rot

[susan b. davis]

Window projects: changing all the rubber gaskets etc, because age as taken toll. Changing all the mismatched screens (some metal, some not) going with dark fiberglass-looks great) HOWEVER: found 2 of the 5 window screen frames have advanced rot on the bottom edge. Was told by local company it was caused by salt/salt air/salt condensate, which is understandable in this coastal PNW climate. Do I have any options?
1. Have not been able to find a source of frames/parts - the windows are Hehr4900 series - no screen frame parts info
2. I MAY have enough edge body to get the screen + spine snugly back in (then will put that edge at the top so I can begin rotting out the bottom?!) see photos
3. A YouTube Hehr jalousie rebuild suggested spraying scrubbed-clean aluminum window frames with "a clearcoat". Anyone ever done that? (I'm thinking it would provide a bit of protection for the screen frames)
4. Anyone else experienced this rot issue? Not with the window frames, the SCREEN FRAMES.

[Alex Adams]

You could try an RV wrecking yard. The Hehr 4900 series were used on a lot of RV's and trailers back in the day. I think there is a big one in California but I didn't bookmark it since it's a little far away for me. You can try searching the forum to see or maybe someone will reply with the name.

[k corbin]

Two options for you which should help relieve your stress over not being able to find exact replacements. Both options are relatively easy to do and fairly affordable. Remember when working on Vintage trailers it is OK to think outside the box and use alternative repair methods.


You could clean it up to remove the debris and loose corrosion and rebuild the area with some appropriate Epoxy Putty Stick material. That will hold you for a while until you possibly come up with replacement framing. Just do a web search for Epoxy Putty Aluminum or head to your local hardware store as they might have Epoxy Putty for Aluminum. Amazing stuff, works great. Try to shape it when applying it so that you have a minimal amount of sanding to do as it does get quite hard when it has cured.

It does cure quickly so the prep work will take much longer than the actual repair job.


2nd option I though about making some custom screen frames which I have the ability to do but that was more work than what I decided for my fix.


I did not like the way my window screening was done on my Campster as it could not be easily removed for cleaning the window glass. So I applied a thin strip of Velcro to the metal widow frame on the inside of my windows and then cut some vinyl coated fiberglass screening to the needed shape and sewed the mating side of Velcro to the screens. I have sliders but it might be possible to do something similar on your windows as well. Here is an image showing one of the new screens partially removed, there is a red tarp over the outside of the window to provide some contrast as the sun was washing out the photos. I did use grey colored Velcro on the aluminum surface so it blends in if I don't have the screens installed. But I used black on the black screen material.

[Lisa in Michigan]

Are your screen frames aluminum? They are aluminum on my hehr 4900 series window.

I had corrosion, but not bad enough that I would call it rot. I was able to clean them up, but it involved sanding and picking at the bumpy corrosion. Still had some pits left. Simichrome polish left enough protection for the interior in Michigan, but the only salt we get is from the roads if we escape the winter in January.

Thrifty Bill had some suggestions recently on looking for a source to build new screens.

[k corbin]

Originally Posted by Lisa in Michigan

Are your screen frames aluminum? They are aluminum on my hehr 4900 series window.

I had corrosion, but not bad enough that I would call it rot. I was able to clean them up, but it involved sanding and picking at the bumpy corrosion. Still had some pits left. Simichrome polish left enough protection for the interior in Michigan, but the only salt we get is from the roads if we escape the winter in January.

Thrifty Bill had some suggestions recently on looking for a source to build new screens.

You can see in the photos that the corrosion has eaten all the way through the frames creating irregular shaped holes in the metal. They are using a metal pick to show that, just look at them again.

[k corbin]

Originally Posted by Lisa in Michigan

Are your screen frames aluminum? They are aluminum on my hehr 4900 series window.

I had corrosion, but not bad enough that I would call it rot. I was able to clean them up, but it involved sanding and picking at the bumpy corrosion. Still had some pits left. Simichrome polish left enough protection for the interior in Michigan, but the only salt we get is from the roads if we escape the winter in January.

Thrifty Bill had some suggestions recently on looking for a source to build new screens.

You can see in the photos that the corrosion has eaten all the way through the frames creating irregular shaped holes in the metal. They are using a metal pick to show that. It is difficult to see the contrast of the metal and the holes, you have to look at the photos very closely.