Boat Double Glazing

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yachtorion

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Good idea or stupid idea.... rather than one thick piece of acrylic, two thinner pieces of acrylic separated with washes and butyl tape and clamped tight. Obviously couldn't be nitrogen filled like a proper double glazed unit would be but ought to be as good as secondary / magnaglazing.
 
It will work just as well as secondary glazing, provided that you have a reasonable air gap, BUT with the best will in the world, due to weather and humidity changes, condensation will form inside it. You either have to have a completely sealed, nitrogen filled system, or you have to make it so that, when weather and humidity allow, you can open it up and let it dry out. At least that's what I've found.
 
I have often thought of trying it using the self-adhesive magnetic tape system (plastic magnetic tape like a fridge door + steel tape). Primarily to reduce the massive condensation on the windows in winter rather than to save heat. Never have got around to it. Easily removable for the reason NormanS gives.
 
Very easy to make these days, toughend glass double glazed argon filled works a treat ,just take your template to a local glass unit company and they will make them for you
 
Been thinking about this since Saturday night when I was awoken on a regular basis by an errant drip from the window above my bunk. Really annoying and too cozy (slightly drunk) to move, kept thinking that must be the last one! About once an hour, a big cold drip on my head, nice.
 
Given it's a Hunter, I wonder if putting one piece of Acrylic on the inside and one on the outside and bolting through would work. Can easily leave a little gap in the sealing on the underside of the inner one for vent.
 
We have 'double glazed" to eliminate the condensation dripping . . . We first used double sided tape and cling film - you stick it on and hit it with a heat gun (which shrinks all the wrinkles out). We now have 2mm plexiglass screwed in place. Both work perfectly.
 
I prefer the idea of proper double glazed units. I suspect it would not be too much trouble if you took the template to a local glass place. That way you have a stronger window with no chance of water getting in the gap. It will fail eventually but probably no sooner than the standard plastic windows craze up.
 
VicMallows said:
I have often thought of trying it using the self-adhesive magnetic tape system (plastic magnetic tape like a fridge door + steel tape). Primarily to reduce the massive condensation on the windows in winter rather than to save heat. Never have got around to it. Easily removable for the reason NormanS gives.
Click to expand...

Have used that on old sash and normal windows. Kills condensation. Stopped a lot of draughts as well.
 
Given the windows bolt onto the GRP and don't have frames as such, I think i'll go with the bolt through one piece of perspex on the inside and one on the outside idea, with a teak surround on the inside. I'll update the thread to say how it goes.
 
Yhe downside to permanent inner pane is that over a few years (maybe sooner?) condensation will form betewen the two and leave a milky deposit - just like on my worn out double glazing units in the house! If the inner ones could be made easily demountable, so that you can clean them from time to time it would have more mileage.

Rob.
 
I fitted secondary DG to my parents' house over 40 years ago. I drilled vent hole through the frames to the outside to prevent condensation and they worked very well until I replaced the last of the wooden frames last year.

My understanding of modern sealed units is that the separator between the panes contains a dessicant.
 
Hmm. I could always spill some silica gel beads along the bottom and put some vent holes near the top. The advice to make the inner pane easily removable seems like a good plan as well. Also no need to seal the inner pane really. Being clamped against the Vinyl ought to be enough.
 
Stemar said:
My understanding of modern sealed units is that the separator between the panes contains a dessicant.
Click to expand...

Mine too. My experience is that it has enough moisture capturing capacity to outlast the (typical 20 year) 'guarantee'. (probably longer than most of the companies ). Once saturated, it is quite interesting to observe the between-panes condensation coming and going according to the weather!

There does seem to be quite a market in companies offering to drill holes in the sealed units to drain the water outside .....as you suggest :D:D
 
VicMallows said:
Mine too. My experience is that it has enough moisture capturing capacity to outlast the (typical 20 year) 'guarantee'. (probably longer than most of the companies ). Once saturated, it is quite interesting to observe the between-panes condensation coming and going according to the weather!

There does seem to be quite a market in companies offering to drill holes in the sealed units to drain the water outside .....as you suggest :D:D
Click to expand...

You'd have to be a bit careful drilling newish windows - if they're below a certain height, they have to be made of toughened glass, which could get interesting when the drill bit starts to bite :)

Presumably, there's a small amount of moisture in the unit that the desiccant will absorb, but no more will come in as long as the seal holds. My windows have a 5-year guarantee and one pane developed condensation after about 4 years. One phone call and a new one was fitted in a week, which certainly helped when we were deciding whether to use the same company for the last few windows.
 
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