I hear you on the plexi—my hands were sore for days after wrestling with the stuff. But it did help with drafts, and I kind of liked the DIY vibe. If you’re worried about the flex, I found adding a thin wood frame stiffened things up a bit. Not pretty, but it works...
Plexi’s a beast, isn’t it? I remember my first time trying to cut it with a jigsaw—thought I was being clever, but ended up with a wavy mess and plastic shavings everywhere. Still, you’re right: it does keep the wind out, and there’s something satisfying about making it work with what you’ve got. I actually went through a phase of framing plexi with old pallet wood. Not the prettiest, like you said, but sturdy enough for a small off-grid cabin window.
One thing I ran into was condensation between the plexi and the frame in winter. Maybe my seal wasn’t tight enough (I just used weatherstripping and caulk), but on cold mornings I’d get these little rivers running down the inside. Didn’t hurt anything, but looked a bit sketchy. Anyone else running into moisture issues with DIY windows?
Also, has anyone tried double-layering the plexi with a small air gap? I saw someone online use two sheets spaced an inch apart—kind of like homemade double glazing. Looked interesting and supposedly helped with insulation, but I haven’t tried it myself. Wondering if that’s more hassle than it’s worth or if it actually makes a difference...
Curious what other low-budget window hacks folks have had luck with—especially for odd-sized openings or funky shaped sheds.
Tried the double plexi thing in my shed last winter—just used some scrap 1x2s as spacers. It actually cut down on drafts, but condensation still showed up between the layers if I didn’t vent it a bit. Not perfect, but better than single sheet for sure. Pallet wood frames are a vibe, but man, they get wonky if you don’t pick through for straight pieces...