How to build a wooden fly wire door?

madeleine.rc

hello! Longtime lurker, first time asker.
I’m just starting out with trying to diy some things around the house and I’d really like to build a wood framed fly wire door. I don’t need a metal one for security or anything, it’s purely to keep bugs out and breeze in!

I have some tools at my disposal but limited knowledge. To join the timber for the frame of the door, can I use “mending plates”? Thanks so much in advance!

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @madeleine.rc. It's terrific to have you join us and many thanks for your question on building a screen door.

You can use mending plates, but I wouldn’t rely on them alone for something like a door. They’re helpful for alignment and adding a bit of rigidity, but because they only fix from one side, the frame can still twist or work loose over time.

At a minimum, you’ll want to glue the joints and clamp them while they set. A simple and effective method is to use butt joints at the corners, then screw through the frame (pre-drilling to avoid splitting). The glue does most of the long-term holding, and the screws act as clamps and reinforcement. Here's a helpful guide on How to build simple woodworking joints.

If you still want to use mending plates, you can add them afterwards as extra support, but think of them as a backup rather than the main fixing method.

If you’re up for a slightly stronger option, a basic half-lap joint or even adding a diagonal brace across the door frame will make a big difference in keeping it square over time.

I've created some rendering below as an example.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell