Replacement windows fiberglass or aluminum

[motoryacht lover]

I am needing to replace my salon windows due to corroded aluminum frames. I am aware of broadus rose and like the fiberglass because they won't require periodic painting and won't corrode. The wait for broadus is long and one forum member had an extra long wait and trouble contacting broadus. The workmanship seems to be very good. There is another company in Sarasota waterway systems that apparently makes very nice windows out of aluminum. A buddy of mine who is a forum member was very satisfied with waterway systems. Waterway systems powdercoats there frames and thinks I will get 8 years out of the finish. The yard is recommending aluminum because they say all boats will sag overtime and with the aluminum you get structural integrity. The yard has told me about Wynne in Alabama but their windows look commercial. What are you alls thoughts about fiberglass vs aluminum windows. Thanks for your time.

 

[Fair Well]

What boat and what year? I'm doing this this summer also. I'm going frameless just glass. I can't see it sagging. I pulled one of mine out just to see what was there and it was 2x4 framing all the way around.

 

[34Hatt]

Fiberglass ONLY

Wait for Broadus Aluminium frames just sucks mine are now gone well actually still next to the boat soon to go into a dumpster where they belong. And those were replace once already!

His fiberglass ones are very strong but it doesn't matter does the yard think those windows are holding up the roof with those little screws and the gap fill with sealant?

 

[Boatsb]

Fiberglass ONLY

Wait for Broadus Aluminium frames just sucks mine are now gone well actually still next to the boat soon to go into a dumpster where they belong. And those were replace once already!

His fiberglass ones are very strong but it doesn't matter does the yard think those windows are holding up the roof with those little screws and the gap fill with sealant?

5200 dan is super strong...

 

[rsmith]

How is the glass held in with the fiberglass frames? The aluminum frames have tracks for tabs that hold them in and a track for the gasket. One of my windows popped out and is laying some where in 600' of water near the Baltimore canyon. I'm wondering how long the caulked in windows will last?

 

[Boatsb]

I've seen s few just caulked in and none failed but that's not conclusive evidence they are never going to fail. It depends on the adhesive, how it was done and of course the use of the boat.

If the boat gets run hard a lot it may be prudent to add a keeper strip inside the opening holding the window from coming out. I don't think the aluminum ones in my boat have them.

 

[Glory]

What boat and what year? I'm doing this this summer also. I'm going frameless just glass. I can't see it sagging. I pulled one of mine out just to see what was there and it was 2x4 framing all the way around.

How do you plan to make the recess the window will sit in?

And are you thinking of the windshields, if you have windshields?

JM

 

[Cricket]

I'm about 20 years into my fiberglass frameless windows. Purchased 3/8 inch "flat stock" fiberglass sheets that were being mostly used for covering aluminum tower frames, shaped them and then cut out the window shapes, epoxied 1/4 inch fiberglass on the back to create the area for the tempered glass to attach to, epoxied the piece onto the outside, faired and painted it. On the inside we covered what needed to be with wood, also placed an additional upright on the inside as there was some minor sagging in the house sides. The tempered glass is first etched, then a Sika black primer is applied (also provides uv protection) and glued in with a Sika product that's used to glue in car windows, there's little rubber blocks between the glass and frame to make sure the glue thickness is consistent. The gap on the outside between the frame and glass is then filled with black silicone for additional uv protection and it finishes better than the window glue. Leak free and still attached for over 20 years, hit a lot of pot holes with the boat too. .

 

[Toolsntoys]

I'm with cricket, I will be doing a refit on my 53my and will be going frameless also. His method is spot on. It will give the boat a cleaner look and avoids the issues most aluminum frames have. If strength is a concern it wouldn't be to difficult to glass in a aluminum support on the inside

 

[Fair Well]

How do you plan to make the recess the window will sit in?

And are you thinking of the windshields, if you have windshields?

JM

We are going to use preformed fiberglass angle glassed and bedded to the existing 2x4 frames. It's kind of hard to explain when we start I'll try to get pic's posted. Yes we are doing the windshields. Just like CRICKET did very good explanation.

 

[Boatsb]

I'd do what Dan just did. I saw pics of his new camo finish. Its pretty cool looking.

 

[Cricket]

Fair, your plan is to glue angle to the wood frame on the face of the 2x4's? How do plan on handling the edge where the cabin side face (frp skin) and the angle meets? Are you going to keep the angle proud and pull a filet or try to keep it flush and just glue it on or glass over the angle on to the cabin face? Either way seems like a lot of work. Also, how are you going to handle glassing the joints where the angle meets itself because they will probably crack if they are only epoxied without some mat or cloth. Be prepared that you may have to do some repair when you get the frames out as some of the outside skin was lose from the 2x4's when the aluminum frames were removed (5200) so we had to epoxy and clamp it all back together. Our method was so easy to build and also install as we only had to pull a very small filet around the perimeter of the entire panel since it's all 1 piece. I ended up with 3 separate windows as I was trying to keep things as strong as possible, done a lot of projects over the last 31 years and this was one of the most rewarding because it really didn't cost that much, we made the panels 1 weekend, and installed the panels also in a weekend. The bad part was the glass factory added a 1/4 inch all around to our templates so we had to wait 2 weeks for new glass.
The photo is before the hardtop was extended and the running lights were moved to the hardtop. If I were to do this again the panel would be longer extending all the way aft to the edge of the pilaster.

 

[Fair Well]

Fair, your plan is to glue angle to the wood frame on the face of the 2x4's? How do plan on handling the edge where the cabin side face (frp skin) and the angle meets? Are you going to keep the angle proud and pull a filet or try to keep it flush and just glue it on or glass over the angle on to the cabin face? Either way seems like a lot of work. Also, how are you going to handle glassing the joints where the angle meets itself because they will probably crack if they are only epoxied without some mat or cloth. Be prepared that you may have to do some repair when you get the frames out as some of the outside skin was lose from the 2x4's when the aluminum frames were removed (5200) so we had to epoxy and clamp it all back together. Our method was so easy to build and also install as we only had to pull a very small filet around the perimeter of the entire panel since it's all 1 piece. I ended up with 3 separate windows as I was trying to keep things as strong as possible, done a lot of projects over the last 31 years and this was one of the most rewarding because it really didn't cost that much, we made the panels 1 weekend, and installed the panels also in a weekend. The bad part was the glass factory added a 1/4 inch all around to our templates so we had to wait 2 weeks for new glass.
The photo is before the hardtop was extended and the running lights were moved to the hardtop. If I were to do this again the panel would be longer extending all the way aft to the edge of the pilaster.

Do you have any pic's of the frames while you were building them?

 

[Tim Powell]

I am needing to replace my salon windows due to corroded aluminum frames. I am aware of broadus rose and like the fiberglass because they won't require periodic painting and won't corrode. The wait for broadus is long and one forum member had an extra long wait and trouble contacting broadus. The workmanship seems to be very good. There is another company in Sarasota waterway systems that apparently makes very nice windows out of aluminum. A buddy of mine who is a forum member was very satisfied with waterway systems. Waterway systems powdercoats there frames and thinks I will get 8 years out of the finish. The yard is recommending aluminum because they say all boats will sag overtime and with the aluminum you get structural integrity. The yard has told me about Wynne in Alabama but their windows look commercial. What are you alls thoughts about fiberglass vs aluminum windows. Thanks for your time.

I just got my 52 done this past winter. Broadus did nine and could not be prouder of them. Of course his shop is about 2 miles away from the boat. It was a pleasure to work with him. I have known him for years he is a very honest person with a lot of marlin fishing time. There is no bull with him. He gave me a date and met it to the letter. He is home town boy.
I did the stern window and all side windows. I got tired of the stainless screws and aluminum bubling up had to paint almost every year, He black gel coated mine look grate. GO FOR IT YOU WILL NOT REGRET
Tim

 

[Cricket]

I don't think we have a photos from way back when we did this. Feel free to message me for my phone # and I can probably describe it better, it's so simple it's almost stupid. The key is to get the flat fiberglass panels from somewhere, we were lucky because we had a local source and they laid them up to the exact thickness we needed, and they were perfectly flat with a gelcoat surface.

 

[M&MArmenta]

We are going fiberglass as we replace our windows, check out www.boatwindowframes.com, that already have a lot of Hatteras window templates and stock many common sizes.

 

[buzzk]

Broadus used to have some problems on delivery dates. He used to out source a lot of the work in building the windows which didn't really work. The out source guys lied to him on the delivery date and then he couldn't give reliable delivery dates to his customers. He now has a woodshop for making the plugs, a fiberglass shop for making the molds and the frames, a paint shop and a glass shop for installing the glass. He has full time employees making everything in house plus he hired a full time painter that used to be the head painter for a large custom boat builder. Even the laminated glass is cut in house. I used to think tempered glass was all the same but it's not, after trying many sources he now has a company that tempers his glass that does excellent work in a timely fashion. The bottom line for the customer, Broadus can now give you a realistic timeframe for delivery of your windows.

 

[Glory]

We are going to use preformed fiberglass angle glassed and bedded to the existing 2x4 frames. It's kind of hard to explain when we start I'll try to get pic's posted. Yes we are doing the windshields. Just like CRICKET did very good explanation.

That would be great. Not knowing what model you have how do you plan to handle the curves, if you have any?

Thanks for the feed back!

JM

 

[Fair Well]

That would be great. Not knowing what model you have how do you plan to handle the curves, if you have any?

Thanks for the feed back!

JM

No curves thank God!!! Started out as a 65' MY now is a 78' with cockpit that PO added in late 90s.

 

[Tim Powell]

No curves thank God!!! Started out as a 65' MY now is a 78' with cockpit that PO added in late 90s.

I can not drive a nail straight. But before you get all fired up over CRICKETS post you might want to look at his blog and picks on here he is quite a craftsman. If i have read and understood . He has changed out engines and built one heck of a teak cockpit. That was not done by a beginner.
I watched the process being done at Lookout windows shop. There are a lot of processes to deal with from lay up to glass . It took 3 full days to install mine by prows after they were built. The four were glassed in and sanded and painted. Painting means around the edges. Mine were gel coated black. Not trying to judge your ability at all. But its a heck of a job on my 52 with 4 windows you going to tackle a MY Good luck.