Get those wire mesh shutters

Jagvir Goyal

Many apartments often don’t provide wire mesh shutters on doorways and windows. A look at why these are so important:

Weatherwise: Unlike independent houses, doorways to balconies in apartments are mostly provided with uPVC or aluminium panels with part-fixed glazing and part-sliding glazed shutters to step into the balcony. No wire mesh shutters are, generally, provided in the openable part which is highly desirable during summers.

Post-construction: Wire mesh shutters can be provided to the existing glazed windows without much fuss. Their provision demands addition of a new frame abutting the existing frame on the outer side of existing frame and inducting a prefabricated wire mesh shutter into it.

Material: In case of uPVC (un-plasticised poly vinyl chloride) windows, the supplier will check the sizes and bring factory-made windows for their provision at site. The aluminium frame consists of heavy powder-coated aluminium section. The frame sections, cut to size, are brought to site, screwed together and fitted in position by driving 5 inch screws through them into the walls. The wire mesh shutter has a 2.5 to 3 inch wide frame with galvanised wire mesh of 22 x 12 mesh tightly fixed in it.

Central support: It should be ensured that in wire mesh shutters, a horizontal central aluminium piece is provided to break the large-sized wire mesh panel for support. Else it’ll loosen after some time.

Smooth sliding, no play: Smooth sliding of wire mesh shutters should be repeatedly checked. These should run effortlessly. For this, brush lining is provided inside the sliding groove at top and bottom of shutter. Ensure that wire mesh shutter doesn’t interfere with the glass shutter or fixed glazed portion.

Locking arrangement: Wire mesh shutters should be provided with flush handles with locking arrangement like glazed-sliding shutters. Apartment dwellers can slide back the glass shutter with wire mesh shutters in locked position at night to allow fresh air inside, and yet feel secure.

Cost factor: The carpenter will take measurements, discuss material specifications and quote his rate of fabrication and site provision to you on per square feet basis. Normally, for a 3 BHK or 4 BHK apartment, provision of such additional shutters to all windows should cost around Rs50,000.