Concerning the screen frames, out here at mom & pop as well as hardware stores such as Ace, you can get varoius length metal tubing kits that have corner brackets to make your own screen frames. They typically come in mill finish, white, or bronze. They are about 1/2" in width x 1/4" thickness and have the channel to accept the screen and screen spline. You cut the top, bottom, and sides to length figuring in the corners, assemble, and screen the same way you would with a metal mfgr'd screen frame. I've not seen them at the big box stores out here and I'm assuming with your install, you would have to come up with a clip system to hold them in place.

Re-glazing your existing windows, it sounds like you have an older period home. You might contact a renovating contractor in your area who knows of a carpentry shop in your area that could give you ideas on reproducing screens that would be original to your house. The ones Im familiar with were 1x's about 3" wide with a rabbet on the inside edges that accepted the screen. It was then trimmed over the screen/rabbet with fluted screen mould about 3/4" wide x 1/4" thick. The screen frames hung in the sash areas by way of hangers at the top and held in place at the bottom with a couple of butterfly nuts.

I appreciate your replies.
you are right, my house is 50 years old ...like me
and I'm very much a diy lady.
my SO is a master carpenter, so between he and I,
we can get it done.
just looking for input, and appreciate yours.
I want to build the screen frames and paint them one color
then the windows a different color..the house a third color. just love the look..comes from living in N.O.
I guess.
just can't find solar screens that won't make my house
look like midnight..which is why I asked about 3M tint.
or something like it that isn't mirror tint.
I'm still shopping for less dense/dark solar screens.

if I can beat the heat before it gets into the
window...I'm a step ahead.

thanks and if we can discuss this more it would be
great to have more input.

have a good weekend!

Hi E.R., We got some solar screening fro Giam Real Goods years ago and is probably similar to what they have at Lowes these days. Real heavy, tight webbing that you can sort of see out at a distance, but the closer you get to it, the harder to see out. I think you are on track with the film that is typically squeegied on. There is an outfit here that does it. When they first started, the mirrored finish was all they offered, but I noticed that now they have some that is basically no darker than todays windows that are coated with low-e. Appearently it's very effective in controlling heat gain, but you can still easily enjoy the views. The mirrored film darkened the view quite a bit so you might look into diy kits that have the newer film types. I watched the install on a remodel I was doing and it's pretty straight forward. I likened it to wall papering where they cut the sheets a tad big, moistened the panes, slid it on and squeegied the air bubbles out. After drying, they trimmed the overlap to the inside of the panes. I haven't had the opportunity to try it diy, but it seems like a simple process.

Cool to replicate the screen frames with wood. Im sure you are familiar with the Kreg pocket hole system. It's reliable and is easier than making lap joints, mortise and tenons, or even dowel pins when making up the frames. If you dont have one you might consider it for your frame projects and comes in handy for future projects such as cabinet frames. When in N.W. Floria, (Gulf Breeze), We used copper screening for vents that were behind ornamental grates on a period home. The house also had copper flashing that I didn't get to see but Im sure patinad nicely. You might consider copper screening for your frames. Have a good one.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kreg pocket hole

There are many window films available on the market, especially PVC films. However, I can recommend a unique film called Veilish. It's made of fabric, but it blocks UV rays and reduces indoor heat. It is semi-transparent, so it provides the privacy without fully blocking the view outside.

The best thing about it is that it's very easy to install by yourself. Cut it to fit the size of the window and apply it like a sticker. There are three colors available: black, white, and rose grey, so you can choose the color you want.