Water ingress through window frames

[magpie patrick]

Juno has suffered water ingress this winter - been bits before but not on this scale, possibly because it's been unbelievably wet and possibly because she has been moved slightly to a more exposed mooring

 

The water ingress seems to approximately coincide with missing trim on the windows - see photo. This should cover rivet heads that fix the windows in place, so these are exposed without it. This absence is long standing but the windows now face over open water rather than into the bank or another boat.

 

How best to replace these strips? I could just use sealant I suppose, but I think they're designed to come out and sealant won't.

 

Any thoughts?

[Tony Brooks]

Seals Direct

www.sealsdirect.co.uk

 

sell the strips (Screw cover strips) and may also sell the tool but a lot of patients and a suitable screwdriver will usually work. You have to push the edges of the strip under the lisp in the alloy frame.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

My Caldwells windows look very similar, with rubber sealing strips covering the screw holes. Pull out the rubber seals to get at the screws. If your windows are also by Caldwell, then worth calling them. If not, then let me know the width of the opening and I can compare with mine and let you know the dimensions of the seal so you can find something suitable.

Jen

Edited March 14, 2020 by Jen-in-Wellies

[mrsmelly]

As Tony says, the trim will be available from one or more places, the correct tool makes the job MUCH easier. Also do it when the outside temperature is high as possible such as when its been warm for several days if we ever get a summer, this makes it much more mailiable and a far better job.

[dor]

Push it hard as you add it, otherwise it will shrink and leave gaps.

[Tony Brooks]

19 minutes ago, dor said:

Push it hard as you add it, otherwise it will shrink and leave gaps.

That is push hard against the bit you have already fitted, on no account stretch it.

1 hour ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

My Caldwells windows look very similar, with rubber sealing strips covering the screw holes. Pull out the rubber seals to get at the screws. If your windows are also by Caldwell, then worth calling them. If not, then let me know the width of the opening and I can compare with mine and let you know the dimensions of the seal so you can find something suitable.

Jen

It looks as if his are pop riveted in.

 

I very much doubt they are blind pop rivets so I would suggest first of all try to push some mastic type substance into and over the holes in the centre.

[David Schweizer]

Have you considered that the water may be getting in between the frame and the cabin side, one solution which I found for that problem was "Captain Tolly's Creeping Crack Cure" which can be bought from most Chandleries or Caravan supplies. You would need to clean all that green gunge off the cabin side first!!

 

 

Edited March 14, 2020 by David Schweizer

[Jen-in-Wellies]

30 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

It looks as if his are pop riveted in.

 

I very much doubt they are blind pop rivets so I would suggest first of all try to push some mastic type substance into and over the holes in the centre.

It does. Mine were fitted by Pipers with M4 stainless machine screws in to tapped holes in the shell. Agree, with pop rivets, a bit of mastic smeared in to each one may help stop water ingress, with, or without the rubber seal over the top, which is more cosmetic than anything.

An alternative would be to drill each rivet out in turn, then tap the shell M5 and fit stainless screws.

 

Jen

[magpie patrick]

22 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

Have you considered that the water may be getting in between the frame and the cabin side, one solution which I found for that problem was "Captain Tolly's Creeping Crack Cure" which can be bought from most Chandleries or Caravan supplies. You would need to clean all that green gunge off the cabin side first!!

 

 

I had wondered that

 

The green gunge has gone, went minutes after the photo was taken - the spring cleaning following winter laying up has started ?

[Arthur Marshall]

I never had much success with Captain Tolley. Did you find it worked?

[Tony Brooks]

I did with care and many applications - for a while. Ideal as a short term fix until suitable warm weather so you can get the frames out, treat the rust and refit them with some decent gasket/sealing materiel.

36 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

It does. Mine were fitted by Pipers with M4 stainless machine screws in to tapped holes in the shell. Agree, with pop rivets, a bit of mastic smeared in to each one may help stop water ingress, with, or without the rubber seal over the top, which is more cosmetic than anything.

An alternative would be to drill each rivet out in turn, then tap the shell M5 and fit stainless screws.

 

Jen

Not sure but Juno might be GRP.

[magpie patrick]

52 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

Not sure but Juno might be GRP.

Yep 

[David Schweizer]

1 hour ago, Arthur Marshall said:

I never had much success with Captain Tolley. Did you find it worked?

Yes, It required at least two applications, sometimes more depending on how severe the leaking was. From recollection, it seemed to be more effective if the window was not completely dry, something to do with the capilliary action.

 

 

Edited March 14, 2020 by David Schweizer

[David Mack]

2 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

I very much doubt they are blind pop rivets so I would suggest first of all try to push some mastic type substance into and over the holes in the centre.

 

The holes in the centre of pop rivets will be sealed. Fitting the rivet involves pulling the steel mandrel, which has a ball on the far end, through the rivet. As the rivet is tightened the ball pulls into the aluminium of the rivet, swelling it on the inside face of the cabin shell, until the mandrel breaks off, leaving the ball embedded in the aluminium. That will not leak. But water may be able to penetrate around the outside of the rivet. 

[jacko264]

To fit that type of moulding place the moulding in a bucket of hot water and get it supple 

place one side in the grove and squeeze and press the moulding into place use a blunt screwdriver if needed 

this type of moulding is / was used on caravans 

graham

[Tony Brooks]

58 minutes ago, David Mack said:

 

The holes in the centre of pop rivets will be sealed. Fitting the rivet involves pulling the steel mandrel, which has a ball on the far end, through the rivet. As the rivet is tightened the ball pulls into the aluminium of the rivet, swelling it on the inside face of the cabin shell, until the mandrel breaks off, leaving the ball embedded in the aluminium. That will not leak. But water may be able to penetrate around the outside of the rivet. 

You think so do you. I have known the mandrel to jump out of the rivet when it snaps I also have known properly set rivets with the remains of the mandrel trapped but loose in the rivet.

 

The fact ordinary pop rivets are not water proof is when they make closed end ones. See here https://www.stanleyengineeredfastening.com/fasteners/rivets/open-closed-end-rivets/pop-closed-end-rivets