how to keep cold air out of mesh windows
Standard window mesh offers zero thermal insulation, allowing freezing drafts to pour straight through into the room. This makes it impossible to maintain indoor temperatures during cold weather without sacrificing the bug protection that the mesh provides.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Placing wire mesh over indoor AC ventsDid this help you?
- 2Buying covers with magnetsDid this help you?
- 3Using motorized vent covers wired to the exhaust fan switchDid this help you?
- 4Adding a secondary weighted flap behind the main vent coverDid this help you?
- 5tunnel underneath and drill through paversDid this help you?
- 6caulk around the penetrationDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I want to pass this gas pipe for my blackstone through Lanai screen but i want to do it such that bunch of critters don't start crawling through the hole, and it looks neat.”source ↗
“My biggest issue is it’s on an east facing wall and lets in a lot of cold air in the winter because of the wind blowing it open.”source ↗
“I got a new cover off Amazon that has a magnet in it but tested it out with my hair dryer and it blows open too.”source ↗
“I’ve been having a hard time finding those in 6 inches”source ↗
“if i replace plastic with mesh, how to keep cold air out ?”source ↗
“Does putting wire mesh over indoor ac vents increase ac workflow aka the bill? Trying to prevent bugs from coming through because my wife is scared of them until we get pest control to take care of it”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 3How to keep bugs out of windows without screens
- 7How to seal window gaps around an air conditioner against insects
- 3How to stop cold drafts coming through a sliding glass door
- 2How to seal a wide half-inch window gap
- 3Why can I hear everything through my apartment door?
- 2Temporary fix for a draft under a bent door