Questions About Windows

Skinny Dippin' (80's Taiwanese make) needs a little bit of work on her sliding salon side windows (one fixed pane forward and aft slides). I started nosing around the frames yesterday and I have a few questions.

Certainly, at the very least, the felts need replacing. It looks like the felt material is some kind of cording. While it might be an extremely fiddly job, can I just replace the felt and call it done?

Adding to the first question, it also looks like the entire track can come out. Should I shop for track instead of just felt?

Where do you buy felt or window tracks for these windows?

I know this might be a bit "boat specific" but how do the panes come out? I think I will replace the glass, not only because I have a cracked pane, but a a couple of them are wicking water between the panes. I see no evidence of water intrusion, so I do not want to take out the frames and risk adding some. I tried just lifting the sliding pane out, but unfortunately, it's not that easy.

Finally, there is a piece of rubber trim (maybe 1/2" wide) that slides in a track along the exterior frame that looks like it just covers the screw heads. Any idea where to get this stuff too?

Thanks!


P1020421 by GonzoF1, on Flickr


Window1 by GonzoF1, on Flickr


Window2 by GonzoF1, on Flickr

Your local glass shop can order the "U" shaped trim the glass slides in. They should have a "key ring" of different shapes and widths to choose the best fit for your window and frame. The rubber trim can get to where the problem is in restoring the window. A lot of the rubber was proprietary and is no longer available. If you are careful you might be able to get the old stuff out and use it again. My issue was that the age of the ribber trim had shrunk it so that it wasn't long enough to fill the entire length of the window frame. I used black 4200 and a wet finger to smooth in the gap on one end, choosing the less visible end of the trim for the 4200.

I did this same project a few years ago on my Sea Ray. See: http://clubsearay.com/showthread.php/20043-Sliding-side-windows
The gray fuzzy material (I called them feathers) is still available. The correct name of this material is called “Schlegel”. This Schlegel is part # 4965390 and it is sold by the foot ($.33 / foot when I bought it) at Taylor Made. Give them a call.

Tom looks like yours may come out the same way mine did. From the outside of the boat... First, pop out the fixed piece. If you take off the rubber around the edges of the glass it should be apparent how to get it out. Ours was just glued on. Then slide slider to the middle. The pull down the front and rear of the top u channel it slides in so the channel comes out of the track it is in, then tilt the slider out.

Hope that makes sense. I have some photos of it in my blog from a couple weeks ago.

Thanks you guys...

Jennifer, I understand it enough to try it, but pics might help. Thanks!

Tom, can you post some pics here? I'm not a member of the Sea Ray forum, so I can't see your posted pics.

Tom.B said:

Thanks you guys...

Jennifer, I understand it enough to try it, but pics might help. Thanks!

Tom, can you post some pics here? I'm not a member of the Sea Ray forum, so I can't see your posted pics.

Click to expand...

You gotta be a member to see pics? Let me see if I can do this....

Old nasty window:

Installing new stuff with a very very special tool:

Ok so this is with the fixed window popped out. It was glued on to the outside and just took some pressure to pop out. Kinda scary really but the dude at the glass shop said that was fine. If you look at the u channel at the top of your slider, just the very ends of it are in a channel of the window frame. The ends will bend down then the sliding window, still in the now freed u track, will now tilt out. In the second picture we'd lifted the u track off. See how there is now no u track beneath the frame in picture two versus picture one? At the very back of the window of picture two you can see the tiny bit of a u on the top of the frame that the u track fits in.

Note we removed the black gasket from over the screws holding in the frame. We did not need to do that. We thought we were going to have to take the frame out to get the glass out.

Added a blow up of what I'm trying to describe where the top U channel only sits in a channel at the VERY front and back of the frame.

I had to cut drain holes through the "schlegel" so the window well would drain. If your outer frame has drain holes in it for the water to escape it is best to line up your drains in the lining close to the drains in the window frame. A tip, if your windows work like mine. A look at your old liner will tell the story.

Blocked drain holes, inner and outer, can kill timber windows and surrounds. They need regular checks and poking with a pipe cleaner or piece of wire.
When some windows were replaced the outer frame had to be off to fit the new track.

I have a problem with my windows and I am wondering what replacement windows cost. Does anyone know a company in Michigan (Detroit Area) that does window replacements?

Welcome,
What type of boat?
Photos of windows?

Greetings,
Welcome aboard.