Window Tinting

44c · Post by **44c** » Sat Dec 06, 2008 4:58 pm

mahnamahna wrote:Thanks Allan, I have another question regarding the curved saloon windows, if you have them. Would you tint the perspex flat on a bench pre installation or tint the perspex curved on the boat post installation? If you tinted the perspex first perhaps you could continue a bead of sika over the perspex to create a seal for the tint when installing? Cheers, Paul

I went to a fair bit of effort to avoid heavily curved windows. There was a Fusion 40 at our marina and he was having problems with leaks, which he thought were due to the perspex being bent so much.

Almost flat windows can be done without the boat looking too boxy - the Tasman C35 for instance. I made my cabin turret similar to that. My windows only bend by around 30mm over a metre.

With heavily curved windows I'm not sure it would be a great idea to tint them before bending them, it might stretch the tint a bit. Don't really know though.

mahnamahna · Post by **mahnamahna** » Sat Dec 06, 2008 4:59 pm

Yes, agreed you could just remove bubbled tint and re apply. The tint film is available on ebay and comes in widths up to 60inches (1500mm), I would imagine about 1000mm would be enough, which is about $9 a meter delivered. I will do my own if I go this path and then take the spare with me to re apply when needed. According to my research there are 2 kinds of films though so be sure to buy the good stuff. They both look the same at the start but you soon see and feel the difference. 1 film is metalized, this is the good stuff and it is the metal that reflects the heat, usually 2mm thick 2 ply, the cheap stuff is dyed single ply, this is the stuff that fades to purple and bubbles very easily, avoid this, it may be half the price but it wont last 1/4 of the time. I have been thinking of this for some time and have just been waiting to hear from someone that did it. I was even considering (although I have dropped the idea) of having glass rather than perspex/acrylic. I really don't like crazing. The problem with glass is getting it curved costs a fortune so the way around that is hard chined cabins but I would lose that sleek look and of course it is a bit heavier. Still interested to know if Colin McGregor or anyone else that has tinted started with clear perspex?

44c · Post by **44c** » Sat Dec 06, 2008 5:07 pm

Smooth Cruiser wrote:I talked to a few window tinting places about tinting my windows and they both said that you shouldn't tint anything that wasn't glass as the acrylic and polycarbonate release a slight gas when they heat up which over time causes the tint to bubble. Not sure how bad this may be, probably worse in hotter climates. You do see some around tinted but I wonder about the longevity. Anyway - worst case it bubbles and you peel it off I guess . . .

Maybe something to consider?

That was the reason for thinking about clear perspex with external tinting though. Hopefuly the perspex wouldn't heat up, (or only very little) since the tinting will reflect most of the heat, and what gets through that hopefully would go straight through the clear perspex.

I don't expect any tinting place would offer the usual warranty against bubbles though.

We have tinted glass on our house and it can get very hot when the sun is low. There are clear windows too, and they dont heat up at all.

Actually, because my windows are relatively flat, glass is also an option, although obviously I'd have to have them made, ($$$) not a DIY prospect.

44c · Post by **44c** » Sat Dec 06, 2008 5:10 pm

swanncat wrote:Hi 44c,
your cats looking great..
when we were looking at acrylics there was a clear polycarbonate that we were thinking of using and having black shade covers over them. This product is warranteed for 30 years(the tinted 10 years)

Shade covers are an alternative too, I'm hoping to avoid them if I can though. Having to seal all those screw holes for the press studs would be a hassle.

madaz · Post by **madaz** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 6:12 am

I think all Colins windows were lightly tinted to start with except the two in the back wall of the bridgedeck cabin. i think...

From memory he said he would of used clear if he had known the end result.

I will see what is happening tomorrow at work as I am in need of a long ride so i might head down that way and confirm with him. I was down there two weeks ago and he had his boat out on the beach and was doing some transom extensions to stop the waves slapping. if it is still out i will see if i can get a few photos inside. his main objective was the metalic coating would reflect the heat away from the inside of the boat and the window sealing compound, also helping to preserve the windows and help stop them crazing.

The end result was a light bright boat inside. which has good privacy/security also.

I will see how i go and post some pics if i can,

mahnamahna · Post by **mahnamahna** » Sun Dec 07, 2008 6:20 am

Thanks Tony, there are good pics in the magazine article of the outside but pics from the inside would be great, but don't go to any trouble. Cheers, Paul

Post by **admin** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 10:30 am

This thread was started to accommodate the high level of interest and input mixed in other threads Admin

Smooth Cruiser · Post by **Smooth Cruiser** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 9:46 pm

44c wrote:Shade covers are an alternative too, I'm hoping to avoid them if I can though. Having to seal all those screw holes for the press studs would be a hassle.

I have full shade covers for all of my windows but stopped putting them on a long time ago. For me the chore of clipping / unclipping them all the time was too great - but then again I am lazy by nature and others may tolerate this better. 8)

I found that they couldn't be left in place while sailing - ropes would catch under the edges tearing them off and damaging them or the studs. While this didn't happen often, it was enough of a risk to make me want to not have them on while sailing. Hence everytime I stopped I used to run around and clip all the shades on, and then race around and unclip them all before heading off again. This only lasted a matter of months before I stopped doing it. Then I would clip them in place when I was leaving the boat for a while, but then I stopped doing that too - often one of the studs would come off in the wind and then the whole cover would start to flap. Hence if I was leaving the boat for longer than a week or so I didn't want to put the covers on in case the wind blew them off and they started flogging around causing damage. In a cyclone I would never leave them on, which means that in north queensland if I left the boat for more than a week I couldn't leave them on as there was always a risk of a cyclone while I was away. So I was stuck in the ironic positon of having protective covers for my windows that i didn't want to put on while sailing, and didn't want to put on when I left the boat for any length of time.

Also some of the press studs came off the material and needed drilling out and replacing, and some of the studs came off the boat leaving open holes until they were replaced.

All in all I gave up on this approach. As I say though others with a more tolerant nature may find this a workable solution. For me I want to be able to go sailing at as short a notice as possible and every extra job I have to do prior to pulling the sails up is just one more job to find a way of not doing.

Hence my recommendation would be to avoid external window covers/shades where possible.

mahnamahna · Post by **mahnamahna** » Mon Dec 08, 2008 10:29 pm

I was considering something along the lines of what Manta cats in the US do, removable somehow like the old Auger rear louvers we loved on our cars in the 80's.

I figured that if I could build a boat, then something like this couldn't be that hard. But like most things, it seemed like a good idea at the time. And Like Smooth points out, it is just another thing to snag lines on, break off, rattle in the wind etc. I think it probably better to keep it as simple as possible.

As for being too lazy, that is the whole point of my spending 5 years of weekends working when I could be being lazy now. I want to have as little to do as possible when I finally finish the boat.

Cheers,

Paul

44c · Post by **44c** » Tue Dec 09, 2008 1:29 am

Leopard cats have similar louvres. The ones the Moorings charter out. They are also usable as steps to the roof. Seems like an OK idea.