REAR HATCH CONDENSATION

[Sue1946]

Hi all

As new liveaboards we are having a problem with condensation dripping off the rear metal hatch cover.Is there anything we could line it with to stop the water dripping on to the floor. Maybe there is something we could spray on, was thinking along the lines of the foam insulation that was applied to the shell before it was lined.

[alan_fincher]

Hi all

As new liveaboards we are having a problem with condensation dripping off the rear metal hatch cover.Is there anything we could line it with to stop the water dripping on to the floor. Maybe there is something we could spray on, was thinking along the lines of the foam insulation that was applied to the shell before it was lined.

I may be wrong, but would usually expect them to be wood lined on the inside....

 

Sounds like yours is just metal, with nothing more than paint on top (or underneath, I suppose I mean ) ? Correct ?

 

If it's been made that way, what may influence your options is what happens at the leading end of the hatchway - what kind of lip or metalwork you have upwards from the roof, at the point where the hatch slides over.....

 

If there is little clearance between whatever you have there, and the underside of the hatch, then adding lining may be impractical.

 

You'd need to have a gap there as big as the lining you want to add....

 

(Sorry if that's stating the obvious, though..... )

 

Can you give more detail, of what you have. Best of all, if you could post some pics, then someone may be able to start being inventive for you....

 

Alan

[Sue1946]

I may be wrong, but would usually expect them to be wood lined on the inside....

 

Sounds like yours is just metal, with nothing more than paint on top (or underneath, I suppose I mean ) ? Correct ?

 

If it's been made that way, what may influence your options is what happens at the leading end of the hatchway - what kind of lip or metalwork you have upwards from the roof, at the point where the hatch slides over.....

 

If there is little clearance between whatever you have there, and the underside of the hatch, then adding lining may be impractical.

 

You'd need to have a gap there as big as the lining you want to add....

 

(Sorry if that's stating the obvious, though..... )

 

Can you give more detail, of what you have. Best of all, if you could post some pics, then someone may be able to start being inventive for you....

Can`t show pics at this time but there is a gap when hatch is shut so there is room to line the inside of it but what to use is what i want advice on. ie some kind of thermal foil stuff or line the whole inside hatch with say ply.

Alan

 

 

can`t get the hang of rply, my reply is mixed in with last post above.

[Richard Bustens]

You need to line with a sheet of 4mm ply and if posable put some 4mm insulation between the steel and ply i have had to do the same.

 

Put the ply big enough to sit under the runners if that will not interfear with the locking of the hatch, if you bought the boat as a finished boat i would go back to the builder, i did not i bought a shell so i expected that ,

 

If that is not satisfactury to do you can buy anti condensation paint from screwfix.

[alan_fincher]

Can`t show pics at this time but there is a gap when hatch is shut so there is room to line the inside of it but what to use is what i want advice on. ie some kind of thermal foil stuff or line the whole inside hatch with say ply.

 

can`t get the hang of rply, my reply is mixed in with last post above.

How big is that gap ? It will obviously have a big bearing on your options.

 

Also I'd say normally if a hatch cover is ply lined, the ply would cover the whole of the underside of the steel....

 

But if your hatch is running "metal to metal" at the moment, (i.e underside of steel hatch running on the steel bearers on top of cabin), then unless it's currently possible to lift it up a long way, you will not be able to introduce a significant thickness of ply between those 2 steel surfaces.

 

If you are not running steel to steel, what else is in the middle of the sliding area at the moment ?

 

Difficult to advise here without being able to see it....

[Sue1946]

Yes, the underside is metal painted, therefore steel to steel. The hatch has a good amount of lift-a-bility, in fact can be lifted right off. So there is plent of space to ply line it, what insulation material would you suggest?

[Richard Bustens]

I used some very thin expanded poly watsit that came in a packing box round a w/robe from MFI white and about 4mm thick there was two bits 6' x 2' in the box i cut one up.

 

You should not be able to lift the hatch off or anyone can do that it should only come off when fully opened.

[alan_fincher]

Yes, the underside is metal painted, therefore steel to steel. The hatch has a good amount of lift-a-bility, in fact can be lifted right off. So there is plent of space to ply line it, what insulation material would you suggest?

Personally if you can get a good thickess of plywood bonded directly to the hatch, that's what I'd do. (I think thats how most are done - I don't think there would usually be any other insulating sandwiched in the middle.

 

But like Richard, I'm confused by the "can be lifted right off bit". Clearly ihouldn't be possible to lift off vertically - only by pushing it off by moving further forwards than you normally would.

 

Also, does it currently hook over the top of the back doors? If so, but you now you raise it up, it may no longer do so.

[Sue1946]

yes it does hook over back doors and it cant be lifted off unless you slide it all the way forward. i will line it with ply and this hopefully will stop the condensation. i would imagine bonding the ply to the metal using a cotact adhesive would do the job.

[charles123]

yes it does hook over back doors and it cant be lifted off unless you slide it all the way forward. i will line it with ply and this hopefully will stop the condensation. i would imagine bonding the ply to the metal using a cotact adhesive would do the job.

 

there are many ways to stop this as has already been suggested one of the simplest is to buy a length of softwood Tongue and groove from B&Q, cut in strips, insulate it with something like wooden floor insulation that comes on a roll which is about 3mm, stick it up with gripfill, finish the edges with wood filler then paint it

 

Charles

[alan_fincher]

Now I have woken up to the fact that this is a newly fitted boat that Sue has just taken delivery of, my feeling is that it's a bit odd that nothing has been put on the hatch as part of the fit-out......

 

Is this really the kind of thing people would expect to have to sort out on a brand new boat ?

 

I get the impression that the boat may still be moored where it was fitted, so isn't it worth talking to the boatfitter about this annoyance? May just be an oversight on their part, possibly ?

 

Alan

[Gary Peacock]

Stick some carpet to the inside, surprisingly simple but it works.

[Sue1946]

Stick some carpet to the inside, surprisingly simple but it works.

 

 

 

 

THANKS GARY THIS IS THE EASIEST SOLUTION I HAVE HEARD. mANY THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR ALL SUGGESTIONS.

[Bernie]

Stick some carpet to the inside, surprisingly simple but it works.

Yes it does, that is what is on the inside of ours.

[pagan witch]

We had the same problem on our ex Black Prince and opted for the 'line it with ply' solution. Like yours, our hatch is easy to remove so I just measured how much gap I had to play with and cut some ply to shape. I used Thixofix to secure it, left all sorts of heavy things on it whilst it set, then stained it to match the rest of the woodwork.

 

Not only has it cured the condensation but it also filled up some annoying drafts that were coming through. At least the ones through vents get directed down.

[Noah]

Used to get a cold shower off my engine room ceiling and hatch on cold mornings. I stuck on flooring cork to the underside of the hatch and it cured the problem for about a tenner. Going to do the rest of the engine room ceiling next.

 

Noah