Window replacement -- Plexi or tempered glass?

[Buccaneer]

I've got to bite the bullet and replace them all. I'm looking at boatwindowframes.com and will talk to Jimmy Watts (although I'm in San Francisco...) about getting sliders for the back 1/2 of the saloon (its a 48 Series 1 MY); but the question is what kind of glass to use in the replacement?

Opinions? (As if asking THIS group for opinions is EVER smart.)

 

[bobk]

My PO had cracked the sliders on both sides of the 48MY. He replaced them with fixed glass in new aluminum frames. I bought the boat with a plan to change them back to sliders (six years ago) but the fixed glass has not been a real pain as we mostly spend days and early evenings on the aft deck.

Bobk

 

[tomrealest]

I replaceed my sliders on my 58 YF (same windows as a 53MY) with windows done by Broadus Rose, 252-723-2222, www.boatwindowframes.com. The frames were made of a composite (fiberglass?).

I have a 46' comvertible that I replaceed all the frames with new aluminum frames. I would NEVER do that again. It was a mistake.

I would use the composite frames that Broadus has over ANYTHING that I have seen and I have looked.

 

[Buccaneer]

Sliders or not, isn't the real question ... in the SF Bay it's warm, then cool, so sliders work perfectly - without the need to run the AC. And, like Bobk, we spend a lot of time on the back deck. When I take the boat to the Delta, it get's hot, so running the AC makes sense then - no slider's necessary.

The issue I'm having is do I replace the windows with tempered glass or plexi? I get conflicting opinions from the folks out here (CALIF), and both sound reasonable.

Scratch problems vs seal/weight problems.

What's the conventional wisdom on the "other" coast?

 

[Courageous]

Had both . plexiglas in the sliders. could not see after a few years. Glass is the only way to go.

 

[fissioneng]

There are two ways to go with glass, tempered and laminated. Tempered needs to be cut to size and then sent out to be heated in a tempering oven. It shatters into tiny pieces like a car windshield when broken, but is really impact resistant. Laminated glass is two pieces with plastic in between. If broken, it stays intact. If you use laminated, the edges must be sealed well or water will get in between the two sheets of glass and start clouding up.

I replaced the Lexan in my rear Bomar hatch last winter and used laminated glass. I figured if it got hit and broken, I'd rather have it stay in place than create a big hole in my transom until I could fix it.

All the rest of the glass in my boat is laminated. I think that's the most common.

I'd never use plastic (Lexan or Acrylic). All it takes is some grit that didn't get washed off and then a squeegee and you've got scratches.

 

[Fanfare]

I used Lexan to replace my center lower windshield when I put a Clear-View rotating windshield screen in. This was attached with about ten bolts drilled through the window. Didn't work. Vibrated a lot when the screen was turning, and within a few years was so scratched I had to replace it with laminated glass. Broke a couple panes before it got in. While Lexan may be bullet proof but it needs an outer hard coating to prevent scratches--that's what may be on your eyeglasses.

My Clear-View screen, with its heavy motor and thick rotating lens, probably weighs 15 lbs. or so. If I were to use tempered glass and this broke the whole assembly would drop down with the pea-sized glass granules, possibly smashing my compass. At least with the laminated it might stay in place and not break anything else.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

OEM was laminated glass. Hatteras used that for a reason. Stick with laminated. You won't be disappointed. Most of these boats have the original glass and it has performed well over 20-30-40 years of service. You can't argue with that.

 

[q240z]

I'm going with Motion Windows for the three bow seat windows on my 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 refit. I looked at the others but felt that Motion had the best product.

For my fixed side windows, I'm going with tempered glass. For my windshields I'll use laminated. In addition to the scratching problem, it's hard to get a good, long-lasting seal with plastic windows.

YMMV

Q

 

[TomT13]

If you are interested in my experience, I replaced the glass windows with plexiglass in the sliding door and the side windows on my 36C. The port side window "crazed" after only a few years. I don't know exactly why it was so prevalent on the port side and nothing on the starboard but I do get more shade on the starboard side due to another sport fish docked next to me. The door window received the most direct summer sun and would heat up. Even though I left expansion room around the window it didn't have sufficient room and would bow in. I was amazed how much it expanded in the sun to the point the window would rub against the felt door track when I would open and close the door. I would use real glass over plexiglass and in fact I have Tom Slane replacing the door and side windows with solid glass.