Aluminium Mushroom vents

[George Kennedy]

Evening All!

A couple of the chrome plated mushroom vents on our boat appear to have lost most of their chrome and I am going to replace them. Midland Chandlers sell them but they also sell an aluminium version. Chrome is £38. Aluminium is £20.65. I know that aluminium won't be as shiny as the chrome but I'm not bothered about that. The main thing is that unlike Chrome which is a coating, the aluminium is solid metal.

Does anyone have experience of aluminium mushroom vents? Are there any pitfalls in fitting them, is it likely to be a false economy?

Most important is durability, next is appearance, price is least important.

Thanks in advance.

[blackrose]

I don't think you'd have too many problems with aluminium but they will corrode on the surface of the metal and go dull unless they are lacquered. Aluminium oxidation only occurs on the very surface and then stops (unless there is some galvanic corrosion happening and this will be prevented by a good bed of sealant between the aluminium and steel roof).

 

But I would save your money: take the domes off the chrome plated mushroom vents, rub them down with aluminium oxide paper and then spray them with a smooth silver metal paint. Even if you have to respray the domes every few years it's not too much trouble.

Edited July 4, 2014 by blackrose

[b0atman]

Or colour co-ordinate with boat.

[George Kennedy]

Hi, yes on the last boat I sprayed the brass mushroom vents with smooth black hammerite and that was very effective.

[Grace and Favour]

Evening All!

A couple of the chrome plated mushroom vents on our boat appear to have lost most of their chrome and I am going to replace them. Midland Chandlers sell them but they also sell an aluminium version. Chrome is £38. Aluminium is £20.65. I know that aluminium won't be as shiny as the chrome but I'm not bothered about that. The main thing is that unlike Chrome which is a coating, the aluminium is solid metal.

Does anyone have experience of aluminium mushroom vents? Are there any pitfalls in fitting them, is it likely to be a false economy?

Most important is durability, next is appearance, price is least important.

Thanks in advance.

Or you could, of course - - get your existing 'shrooms rechromed! (but with a thicker plate -= so they would last for many years)

 

Or - even Stainless steel ones

[Phil Ambrose]

The bonus in painting your shrooms is NO MORE POLISHING!

Phil

[BEngo]

You could buy new Aluminium ones and then have them anodised in any colour you fancied before fitting. They wouldn't need anything doing to them afterwards.

 

Ally ones are probably less likely to get nicked too.

 

N

[Bro]

Don't forget to paint inside of ally mushrooms. If not the oxide will over time fall as fine powder on the roof and give a nasty dark stain difficult to remove.

[Guest]

The bonus in painting your shrooms is NO MORE POLISHING!

Phil

That is my take too. I rubbed the confounded things down, applied Hammerite special metals primer (can't recall exact name) and painted them. I am still thinking of getting rid of them.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/120342094404?limghlpsr=true&hlpv=2&ops=true&viphx=1&hlpht=true&lpid=108&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=108&ff19=0

Edited July 14, 2014 by Guest