How to cover up a kitchen pass-through window without permanent changes?

Question

My home has a large kitchen pass-through window with a wooden frame that opens into a room that I use as my office. I want to isolate my office room from the kitchen by closing off / covering up the pass-through window for visual separation, and preferably decent sound-separation too. How can I do this? What solutions/materials do you suggest?

However, this is a rental home. I cannot make big permanent changes since this is a rental home; I could drill a few holes for screws & nails. The size of the opening is roughly 95" x 38"; the depth at the top is 6". Budget: upto a few hundred dollars is fine.

I thought of using some kind of panels (like plywood, or foam or soundproofing panels), but I don't know how to affix it to the frame.

Answer 1

Update: Now that I see your opening size, and the way the counter top creates the bottom sill, I favor Huesmann's answer. It's simpler in this situation and will look nicer.

An alternative to relying on friction fit would be to use double-sided removable foam tape and set upper and lower plates of 2x2 or 2x3, then fit studs snugly at each end and the center to add some compression. These wouldn't even need to be fastened--it won't move once the panels are installed. Fill with 1½" or 2" foam panel and cover it as described in that answer.

Before you begin installing parts, set your panel material in place and trace the opening. Cut ~1/8" smaller than that for easier fitment (assuming you plan to wrap the opening with molding). Cut from the back side to reduce tearout.

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Sandwich it.

1. Since the opening is so wide, I suggest laying a faux bottom plate across the counter top to support the panels. Cut a piece of board to a comfortable length and use two strips of removable double-sided foam tape to secure it. This board should be the same width as the dimension from outer face to outer face of casing (or use two boards, each flush with a casing face and with cross-blocking screwed to the tops to keep them parallel).

2. Cut two facing panels of your choice of plywood, fiberboard, or whatever. These should be oversized to cover the casing in a way that looks decent, and they should be fairly rigid (self-supporting^*). Maybe just larger than the outer casing dimensions would create a clean look.

3. To one panel, attach one or more foam panels that just fit inside the actual opening, to deaden sound. Use panel adhesive, double-sided tape, etc.

4. Ring the casing with removeable double-sided foam tape.

5. Press the panels in place. Depending on what panel material you chose, this may be all that's needed. If it feels solid (check after a couple days), all good.

6. If not, drill through both panels just inside the original opening at a few points and squeeze the assembly with long bolts and barrel nuts ("sex bolts") or similar. With just a bit of tension there should be plenty of friction to keep things in place, especially if you fitted the foam bits well to the opening.

Now, if you want to restore the original cased appearance, install new casing over your panels. This could also be mounted with panel adhesive or foam tape.

If you want to get really fancy-pants, fit 1/4" plywood inside the existing casing, just lapping onto the frame (about 1/4"). This takes a lot of precision, of course, but might give the cleanest look. See my note below about thin panels.

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^* If you want to use thinner panel material, bond rigid 2" foam to both panels to add stiffness, fitting inside the original opening.

Answer 2

Could get a 4x8 pink foam board, cut it just a little larger than the opening so it's a press fit, and press it in there. Then get a couple sheets of cheap 1/4" ply or lauan, cut those to fit the opening and glue them onto the foam board. (Could be stained/painted before gluing.) Then run some quarter round (or other preferred molding) around the edge of each sheet of plywood and glue or finish nail it to the plywood.

This way, the original opening is basically left untouched. When you need to move out, you can just knock your temporary wall out and toss it. Or leave it for the next inhabitant—they may want something similar.