boat window refurb

[Annie 42]

hi all as you all know i have my norman 20..the windows have been sealed on the outside with a black mastic...i cannot open them from the inside and would love too with it being so hot but imm scared of breaking the glass. any ideas please...

[bizzard]

hi all as you all know i have my norman 20..the windows have been sealed on the outside with a black mastic...i cannot open them from the inside and would love too with it being so hot but imm scared of breaking the glass. any ideas please...

I think you have a problem Annie. Disturb them and they'll probably leak like anything. They probably need removing, renovating and resealing. The best plan might be to, when the weathers hot put the kettle on to create a lot of steam and have a nice sauna.

[MtB]

Change the boat. Get one with opening windows. It will be easier!

 

Sadly the mastic will have been applied because they leak without it, so by removing the mastic to make them open, you will also make them revert to leaking probably.

 

Fixing leaky windows tends to be one helluva job as first you need it to rain so you can analyse where the water is coming in, then you need it to stop raining so you can take them out/dismantle them/replace the seals etc and put them back. Then finally you need it to start raining again to test your handiwork. (Spraying a hose pipe around is never as 'searching' as real prolonged rain.)

 

I suspect the leaky windows were the reason the boat was being sold in the first place, and it is perhaps not the bargain it looked like...

[Annie 42]

so maybe i think going onto a norman boat forum will be a great idea as theyve probably had this question before! the windows dont leak ive checked them during a heavy rain....theyve been closed because the boat was on the sea....i want them to open so i dont roast in the cabin...

[The Boater]

If the windows have been sealed for Estuary use you can try gently cutting the mastic out with small craft knives, making sure to clear out the small drains that allow rainwater to escape from between the sliding panes, which are the most common cause of water making its way into the boat. It is a tedious job, just be patient. If it doesn't work you can always reseal them.

Ian.

[Annie 42]

thanks ian for being helpful .im going to have a look at it next time we have a few days sunshine.... then if i do it wrong ive got time to sort it....i can use my pottery knives that should do it...

[ditchcrawler]

thanks ian for being helpful .im going to have a look at it next time we have a few days sunshine.... then if i do it wrong ive got time to sort it....i can use my pottery knives that should do it...

It would probably help if you could look at another boat with the same windows so you can see where the cut needs to go. Would a pottery knife be sharp enough?

[puppy999]

Hia Annie I have just got a seamaster and my windows leak they hav all got sealant on them and still leak (what a mess) my brother is taking them out

cleaning the aluminium and putting them back in .........He as already rip all the inside out as most of the wood is rotten .....got to say he knows what he is doing

were I don't have a clue .......... but you will need to be very careful with your knife one slip and you will break your glass....good luck

[Annie 42]

well im in the process of removing my window..im hAving them renovated.the grp is in fab condition so will get on with it...ive been onto the norman forum and they were a great help...its nice to get information from people who have the same thing as you...and they give good advice...