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Leaking skylight


tjh82

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Hello

The skylights on our old Dutch barge love to leak.

The frames are wooden and the glass double glazed.

I've tried removing the old sealant and have smothered in new stuff but they still drip.

Lots.

Does anyone have any advice/brands/magic links to leak proof sealants that'll sort this once and for all?

Many thanks

Tom

 

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Are the frames leaking,or is the water coming in between the glass and the frames.? Stand underneath with a torch,while an assistant pours buckets of canal water over them and be patient,because it can sometimes take a little time for the water to percolate through.

The only way to fix leaks is to strip them completely and re seal.

Glass can be sealed in with "Stixall"but this stuff is pretty permanent.Frames can be fixed by making a little "dam"around them with small strips of wood glued in place.

Also,do the frames have drain slots or drain holes? they may be blocked with muck.

Edited by Mad Harold
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9 hours ago, tjh82 said:

Hello

The skylights on our old Dutch barge love to leak.

The frames are wooden and the glass double glazed.

I've tried removing the old sealant and have smothered in new stuff but they still drip.

Lots.

Does anyone have any advice/brands/magic links to leak proof sealants that'll sort this once and for all?

Many thanks

Tom

 

I had a leaking Houdini hatch, took out all of the screws holding it down squirted some sealant into holes, put screws back in problem sorted. Hope this helps.

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Is it definitely leaking, or might it be condensation?  Our Houdini hatch is a nightmare, as soon as the air temperature starts to drop, so from about now until March, it gives the impression of being a sieve!  So fed up with it that I am building both inside and outside covers, each insulated, for use in the winter months.

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9 minutes ago, The Dreamer said:

Is it definitely leaking, or might it be condensation?  Our Houdini hatch is a nightmare, as soon as the air temperature starts to drop, so from about now until March, it gives the impression of being a sieve!  So fed up with it that I am building both inside and outside covers, each insulated, for use in the winter months.

Yup Houdini hatches rain on you during colder months. I double glazed mine by simply fitting secondary glazing a piece of clear acrylic with a strip of draught proofing around the edge.  The panel is held in place with swivel clips . I take them down and put them behind the sofa when they are not needed.

Phil

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On 16/09/2019 at 14:18, Mad Harold said:

The only way to fix leaks is to strip them completely and re seal.

What he said.

 

You may temporarily bodge it up with sealant/epoxy resin, or get luck with Captain Tolley's creeping crack cure, but ultimately they will need resealing properly.

Edited by rusty69
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1 hour ago, zenataomm said:

Creeping Crack Cure

 

I've no idea if it's any good, I just love saying "Creeping Crack Cure"

It’s even better when you prefix it with “Captain Tolley’s”

25 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

It's excellent stuff

It’s worked for me. Not everyone rates it though. 

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When the police searched my motorhome at a festival they found a syringe. They also found a packet of Rizlas with the corners torn off. I'm not sure what they thought when I showed them that the syringe was for something going by the name of Crack Cure. 

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not relevant to the OP but I spent 2 years tracking a leak in one of my windows. They had been pop-riveted in and the centre of one had rusted through leaving a 1mm hole which the water quite happily went through, the stainless rivet was fitted fine and was tight but the snappy bit is just steel which rusts.

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5 hours ago, Detling said:

not relevant to the OP but I spent 2 years tracking a leak in one of my windows. They had been pop-riveted in and the centre of one had rusted through leaving a 1mm hole which the water quite happily went through, the stainless rivet was fitted fine and was tight but the snappy bit is just steel which rusts.

Thanks for that observation, makes sense when you think about it, so now we know what to look out for and fix.

Phil

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My barge has a dogbox that leaks and it is basically the wrong design.

 

The previous owner had sealed it up and for the most part it has stopped leaking, but of course now it doesn't open which rather defeats the purpose. It has a cover over it which stops any rain getting in.

 

I did look at replacing it but a properly designed and built one was going to be £3500, which is too much for me.

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13 hours ago, Paringa said:

I did look at replacing it but a properly designed and built one was going to be £3500, which is too much for me.

The trouble is that materials alone for a quality Dogbox like the one below are over a grand, closer to £1500. Then, if it’s the same design as this one it’s a LOT of work to build it. But... it won’t leak  0729EA9D-A0BA-4D21-A8E6-336EDED7F83F.jpeg.42936c31619c3c5c3b6d53db3fba5b3b.jpeg

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10 hours ago, WotEver said:

The trouble is that materials alone for a quality Dogbox like the one below are over a grand, closer to £1500. Then, if it’s the same design as this one it’s a LOT of work to build it. But... it won’t leak  0729EA9D-A0BA-4D21-A8E6-336EDED7F83F.jpeg.42936c31619c3c5c3b6d53db3fba5b3b.jpeg

Every time I see that I'm equally impressed. Lovely job.

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I think it's fair comment to say that most dog boxes and deck lights are poorly made and tend to leak (those from Wotever and myself being exceptions of course) the easiest way to spot a duff one is to look for a diamond shaped rail fastened to the top of the ridge, this is usually a desperate (and futile) attempt to keep rain off the hinged joint and stop it leaking. A look at my gallery will show fitting and water proofing systems that work well! It's not rocket science, just old fashioned standard joinery methods.

As to Houdini hatches, they are great for letting the heat out of the galley area but the condensation in winter months is serious enough to prevent any experienced boater from having one on a second boat.

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