Leaky windows

[Bulldog]

Can anybody recommend a sealant? My salon windows are leaking and I'm looking for recommendations and suggestions as to how to deal with this.
Windows are painted aluminum.

I am thinking that I will attempt to caulk around the frames first. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Comodave]

If they are leaking around the frames, then adding more caulk to the outside most likely will not work, at least not very long. The way to do it is to remove the windows and all the old caulk. Then bed them properly. If they are aluminum frames I would probably use butyl tape to bed them. Marinehowto.com has a great article on how to properly bed things. Butyl needs to be compressed over several days as it is very thick and will slowly squeeze out. You can use some clamps to compress the butyl. I replaced our portholes and used butyl and clamps to squeeze the butyl. But it still takes time to squeeze out so don’t overtighten the screws at first or they may strip out the holes in the fiberglass. Tighten them and then let them sit overnight and then repeat several days. If done correctly you will not have to ever do it again with butyl.

 

[SteveK]

What Dave said. More caulking will cover until the caulk no longer has 100% contact, something you cannot see.

You can first try a product like Captain Tully. It actually worked for me. Hairline and smaller cracks, apply, it follows the water trail and then seals.

 

[firehoser75]

I have not used butyl tape but from all accounts it is a great product for something like this.
If you want to use a caullk, I suggest Sikaflex 291 or the UV version (295?). Just adding caulk around the window will not work (at least for any real length of time). As stated above, remove the window/port, remove and clean up the old caulk (hopefully it wasn't silicone), and totally rebed the window. There are videos on YouTube that show how to do it.

 

[koliver]

Can anybody recommend a sealant? My salon windows are leaking and I'm looking for recommendations and suggestions as to how to deal with this.
Windows are painted aluminum.

I am thinking that I will attempt to caulk around the frames first. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

I agree with all of the good advice you have received so far. Can't stress enough that Silicone should never be allowed on your boat, especially not near glass.
There are different butyl formulations, some softer, some harder. be aware of which you are using, and be prepared to wait for it to compress. If your windows get wet before the bedding has fully compressed, it may not yet be properly contacting all of the surface that it should contact. Wait for it, tighten gradually. You will never need to redo your window bedding.

 

[Flatswing]

I agree with all of the good advice you have received so far. Can't stress enough that Silicone should never be allowed on your boat, especially not near glass.QUOTE]

Actually, this is factually incorrect. Agree big box store “silicon” sealants (the ones that smell like vinegar) should be avoided. I am a fan of Butyl (where it can be compressed by screws or through bolts) also.
The moisture cure (& perhaps more expensive) Silicons are used extensively on high rise glass buildings & are specifically indicated for some types of plastic windows. Definitely avoid using them for sealing surfaces that are next to varnish or paint. However, moisture-cure Silicon formulations can provide outstanding UVM protection sealing windows/aluminum frames to FRP compared to polyurethane & even poly sulphide caulk.

 

[kchace]

Can anybody recommend a sealant? My salon windows are leaking and I'm looking for recommendations and suggestions as to how to deal with this.
Windows are painted aluminum.

I am thinking that I will attempt to caulk around the frames first. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

As has been said, caulking around the frames isn’t likely to help at all. If you have the wood frame windows with the internal aluminum tracks as I do, there are basically 2 ways for the water to get in. One is between the metal frame and the opening. The only way to fix that is to remove the wood frame, then remove the metal frames, clean and rebed both. Depending on condition when these are apart like this it may be the time to replace the twin track frames. The other way the tracked windows can leak is if the drains are clogged or even not made correctly (as I found on my aft windows). For that, the lowest end of the outer track should have a hole from the bottom of the track to the underside of the exterior wooden frame. If you have wood exterior frames then you almost surely have these but they could be clogged or have been inadvertently sealed. It can sometimes also be helpful to have track drains from both the forward and aft ends of the track.

I found the best way to find the leak was first, make sure all the drains are clear. Then be on the boat during heavy rain and watch what is going on in the tracks. Are they overflowing or does the water just appear inside? Overflowing is a drain problem. If they are not overflowing but water is coming inside, then the seal between the tracks and the boat need to be redone.

In my case, I found slight leaking of my aft windows in heavy rains was caused by a slight forward tilt of the track bottoms. Since the track drains were only on the aft ends, the tracks were overflowing on the forward ends. I added track drains in the forward ends and problem solved.

Ken

 

[Bulldog]

As has been said, caulking around the frames isn’t likely to help at all. If you have the wood frame windows with the internal aluminum tracks as I do, there are basically 2 ways for the water to get in. One is between the metal frame and the opening. The only way to fix that is to remove the wood frame, then remove the metal frames, clean and rebed both. Depending on condition when these are apart like this it may be the time to replace the twin track frames. The other way the tracked windows can leak is if the drains are clogged or even not made correctly (as I found on my aft windows). For that, the lowest end of the outer track should have a hole from the bottom of the track to the underside of the exterior wooden frame. If you have wood exterior frames then you almost surely have these but they could be clogged or have been inadvertently sealed. It can sometimes also be helpful to have track drains from both the forward and aft ends of the track.

I found the best way to find the leak was first, make sure all the drains are clear. Then be on the boat during heavy rain and watch what is going on in the tracks. Are they overflowing or does the water just appear inside? Overflowing is a drain problem. If they are not overflowing but water is coming inside, then the seal between the tracks and the boat need to be redone.

In my case, I found slight leaking of my aft windows in heavy rains was caused by a slight forward tilt of the track bottoms. Since the track drains were only on the aft ends, the tracks were overflowing on the forward ends. I added track drains in the forward ends and problem solved.

Ken

Thanks Ken. The boat had actually been on the hard for a couple years and it was actually under a rather large tree. Probably a lot of debris in those tracks. I think I will be trying to clear the tracks and check out the drains. Maybe add drains on the forward ends as you have mentioned.

If possible, I'd like to avoid re-bedding the windows with butyl tape. These windows are about 7' long and I think this job is way above my skill and patience level.

Paul.

 

[TBill36]

Contrary to what everyone has said, I have had success in caulking an aluminum frame from the outside. I tried removing the frame, but would have damaged it or the fiberglass behind it. I dug out the old caulk at the affected area as best I could and then forced polyether caulk into the crack with my finger. Polyether supposedly shrinks less when curing than some other caulks. When done, I painted the affected area with a 2 part polyurethane paint that my boat is painted with. I have also had luck with just using paint on hairline cracks. It wicks in well and sometimes multiple applications will be necessary. Try to clean as best you can and maybe even sand the surfaces if you can get sandpaper between the mating surfaces. Certainly not the best way to do it, but may work and simple to do.

 

[Bulldog]

Contrary to what everyone has said, I have had success in caulking an aluminum frame from the outside. I tried removing the frame, but would have damaged it or the fiberglass behind it. I dug out the old caulk at the affected area as best I could and then forced polyether caulk into the crack with my finger. Polyether supposedly shrinks less when curing than some other caulks. When done, I painted the affected area with a 2 part polyurethane paint that my boat is painted with. I have also had luck with just using paint on hairline cracks. It wicks in well and sometimes multiple applications will be necessary. Try to clean as best you can and maybe even sand the surfaces if you can get sandpaper between the mating surfaces. Certainly not the best way to do it, but may work and simple to do.

Thanks Bill. I am definitely leaning towards caulking, cleaning channels and/or Captain Tolley's. I just want to get through the upcoming season and deal with it in the Fall.