Do you mean building screens or storm windows? they are different. Screens are very easy to make and I am sure you would be able to do that. It is also inexpensive.

The windows that may be broken can be repaired. If you are good at doing repairs yourself you may be able to do this however there are people that will do this for you if you can't.

Those windows may not open for a reason though. Sometimes they are very difficult to open or they leak so people seal them shut. Sometimes very large windows are not meant to be open. I would just investigate a little further before trying to fix them. Are they painted shut?
I know that the movement of windows can contribute to lead dust in the house so maybe they decided to prevent these windows from opening because they were not needed to open and they had children in the house.
-renee

Yes, I think I meant to build screens which it looks like I should do. Do you know where I could find more info on doing this?
The big windows aren't painted at all. I hope they aren't sealed. They are the only windows in the living room and I would hate to never get any air in there. Is there a way to tell if they were sealed? I was trying very hard to get them open but it appeared I was going to break the wood if I kept pushing on them.

exactly how big are they? usually you can see a space where the window frame butts up against the window sill. When it is painted over there is no seam here. It is kinda hard to explain. Are there locks on the windows? I know it sounds silly, but did you make sure the locks were open before you tugged on the window? Also if you can I would get a second person to help you. Old windows often are heavy and if you get it up and drop the sash by mistake you could crack the glass or hurt yourself. Plus without the counterweights the window will most defently not stay in up by itself. also when lifting the window up to the open position you need to try to lift both sides evenly or it is difficult to open.

If you go to the hardware store you will find all the necessary materials for making a screen. Sometimes they have instructions there also. However I am sure they could help you out or someone here may know of a nice website that explains it for you.
-renee

You can also buy inexpensive expandable screens that fit in the windows and are held in place by the window sash itself when it is open. They cost 3-5 bucks each and are a quick solution that will get you through the immediate need. Go to a hardware store for these as HD/Lowes may be out by this late in the season.

Another alternative, though more time consuming to do, is to attach (by stapling) plastic window screen to the sill, jambs and bottom rail of the upper sash. This is the cheapest, but may not contain a determined cat.

Couldn't live without open windows myself!

Molly~

I'll ditto the expandable alternative while you figure out what you will do with your windows. I have four different screening methods while we redo our windows. The $5 expandable ones work as well as any and can be resold at a yard sale.

I do not think your cats can exert enough force to displace the screens that are held in place by the weight of the window sash.

Wow - this is a VERY interesting topic. I am totally paranoid about my cats getting out the windows. I only open them a lttle bit so they can't fit through. Otherwise they stand between the window and the screen and I do think they could exert enough force to push the screen. Maybe I am nuts. The only reason DH does not argue with me about it anymore is that one of the cats did get out once. I wasn't home and we had just moved in together. He had the windows wide open even though he knew I never did that. I have a feeling that he accidently let the cat out the door but he doesn't know and spent a frantic hour or two looking for the cat. He had given up and called me to tell me it was missing. While I was on my way home he found it and brought it in. Since then he doesnt argue with me about it but I know he still thinks I am nuts.

That cat had never tried to get out before then. After that he tried all the time.

Has anyone seen a cat get out through a screen?

Yes, I have had cats go through screens, especially screen doors, so our screen doors all have 1/2 hardware cloth (wire mesh) screwed on to them. We originally had a larger mesh, but the cats climbed that and clawed at the upper portion.

I finally replaced all the window screens with metal (instead of the plastic screening that was there); now I'm gradually updating that with bronze screening. I didn't want to spring for bronze until I knew the cats wouldn't claw it!

I've never had a cat go out through the expandable ones, though once one jumped out as I was fitting the screen into the window opening.

may be stating the obvious-- but you should fix the ropes or chains so window stays open by itself or you may end up with a smooshed kitty if the stick holding it up gets knocked out of the way. I smashed a finger that way myself. I hired someone to fix a few of mine, but then once I saw how it came apart and how to fix it, I did the rest myself.

Never heard of a cat clawing or pushing its way out of a screen-- unless it was already torn.

Ok, I will check out these expandable screens - sounds like the easiest solution for now. I will probably need to get someone to look at those big windows that won't open and yikes I wouldn't want them to drop on my kitty. I'm used to living on a third floor apt with screened windows which I left open all the time, didn't realize how good I had it.

Thanks for the ideas Housekeeping. I am going to check these out. DH will be so happy. Me too - I hate having to lock the cats up to really air out the house. I am always amazed at the new things I learn on these forums!

Our newest cat made his own cat door through one back door screen. It was intact before he started on it. We replaced the screen with cat-proof($$) screening and he hasn't been able to wreck it. Now he is working on the front door.

He also discovered how to pop out the screen from the other back door to let himself back in. It must be something all cats just know. When we looked after daughter's cat, he did the same thing.

Definitely don't open a window without some sort of screen. One Easter, my family was in the backyard watching the youngsters hunt eggs and I heard a loud rustle in the bushes along the side of the house. I sent Mr Bookmom over to investigate, pronto, thinking a vicious groundhog was ready to attack. Instead, one of my neighbors came running over to say that something just fell out of an upstairs window! Sure enough, it was our beloved Siamese, Mr Slinker. His fall was nearly three stories, due to the slope of the yard in that area. Amazingly, he was no worse for the trip. How did it happen? We were cleaning windows and had taken out the screens to wash, I had failed to put this one back in and left the window what I thought was barely open. Mr Slinker's habit was to lie in the open window against the screen, and I guess he just rolled right out. I believe Eric Clapton had a child who died from a fall out of a screenless window and I had toddlers at the time this occurred. It scared me so badly and NEVER EVER will I ever leave a screen out of a window again.

Mr Slinker was very lucky... my sister pushed out a screen as a toddler and fell out a second story window... we were at my grandmothers.. she fell into soem very dense shrubs and although scratched she was fine. screens are NOT a way to keep a toddler or young kids safe. Upper windows that you want to open in a childs room need to have saftey bars on the windows. The First Start baby catalog sells them.

Maddiemom

My neighbor's 15# cat ripped out our front screen door once and my 19 yr old 7# female cat tore out after him. They looked like a whirlwind cartoon as I frantically tried to disengage them. This same little cat of mine broke the same doublehung window twice in her earlier years, I saw her do it while running around the house. (Luckily the same window each time, I was not happy about losing the original old wavy glass.) Now this same cat is around 21 years old and still slips out any opening, inc loose screen. All my cats are indoor-only but this one continues to saunter out like a fool, given the opportunity. We also have a 14# 1 year old and he actually sets up shop at certain casement windows he's seen open during remodeling and works hard to push them open. Occasionally one of the kitchen guys closes a window without locking it and the cat gets "lucky" dropping down over stone steps leading down to a concrete sidewalk. I'm forever checking these locks.

I'd say make any screen/window twice as secure as you think you need. A determined cat with time on her hands may very well surprise you one day.