Protected

Last year we had a mouse plague.  Thank goodness that is over.

This year - well, the ants and flies have taken over...

In 2014 we had these fly screens made for our front patio, and back kitchen doors.  They were great, but there was an inherent flaw in the specifications I gave the carpenter.

Our original full length fly screens on
the front Happy doors

I thought when we had both the patio doors open, having full length screens would allow for full view.  They did, but this design meant that if our dog, Scallywag, wanted to get outside, his scratching on the "door" actually translated into scratching on the fly screens.

The original full length fly screen
 on the back kitchen door

Naturally, the lower section of the fly screens didn't last long.

Sigh.

RMan can do many things, but woodwork is not his favourite chore.  Especially finicky woodwork.

So, now to find a carpenter who could fix them.  And, who could re-position the cross support to the same height as our patio door profile.

I mentioned in October that, George, a craftsman in Swellendam, was going to remedy the problem.

Ta Da!  Because George has been snowed under with work, it has taken some months, but, finally, we have our flyscreens back in place.  And not a moment too soon - I reckon the record rains we had last winter have something to do with the fly plague we have this year.

The new kitchen door flyscreen

As you cans see, the screens now match the two door styles.  The kitchen stable door has a lower solid panel...

The new front patio "Happy door" fly screens -
 complete with dog flap

And the front patio doors have not only a lower solid panel the same height as the glass in the door, but, the one also has a dog flap :)

Only a craftsman would make a wooden hinge

 And I love that George has made a hinge - instead of buying a brass / steel one.

A close up or the hinge - the white "gunk" visible
where the dowel rod meets the wooden
support block is not wood glue, but wax -
to prevent the wood squeaking as it
swings open and closed

Here is a close up of the hinge - George routed a "gully" in the dowel rod in order to slide in the wood of the flap, and another "gully" the wooden block for the dowel rod to fit into.  A bit if wax, and perfect!  It works like a dream.

Don't you love it when craftsmen go above and beyond to create something purely functional.