Looking To Replace Three Large Roof Hatches - Any Advice or Recommendations, please?

[alan_fincher]

We need to completely replace 3 roof-lights/hatches.

These should be of the opening variety, but have clearly had a very hard past life, and all existing ones have been glued shut with silicone sealant by the last owner. The metalwork of the frames is sufficiently damaged to rule out any realistic repairs.

I am in the early stages of trying to work out what to do about this, but have not yet approached any prospective suppliers. (I am very much expecting to need treatment for shock once any pricing starts getting talked about!)

I'm no expert, but think the replacements need to be/have.....

1) Alloy framed
2) Opening
3) On sliding stays
4) Lockable
5) Bars over the glass area
6) Toughened glass (Double glazed would be great, but I'm guessing not possible)

Stock sizes are no good, these will need to be accurately manufactured to fit existing holes.

Aperture size is 610mm x 457mm, with radiused corners of about 55mm

The existing outer window frames are 645mm x 490mm overall, and appear to have been made by "Severn Yacht", (SYS) probably about 25 or more years ago.

So has anybody had experience of having similar things made, please?

If so, what were the pitfalls, (if any), and would you recommend the supplier you have used.

It is possible at the end of the day I'll not find many options, but I thought I'd start by asking if anybody else has done similar.

Some pictures of existing, most with the hatch temporarily removed..... (I appera to have taken quite a lot of inintentional "selfies"!)

[Mike Jordan]

Hi Alan

I suggest you have a look at my gallery of photos, there are all sorts of roof hatches on there. I've given up making the very large hatches for Dutch barges since I can't lift them any longer! The glazing shown is flush with the top face of the hatch and double glazed with 4mm toughened / 6mm spacer / 6.4mm laminated. Tha bars shown are hinged at the top to allow cleaning of the glass and bars. The brass bars look great when polished but stainless is much less work to maintain. Iroko is the most durable timber to use unless you win the lottery and can consider using Teak. Plans are available for all the ones shown.

[billS]

There are a huge range of deck hatches manufactured by Houdini, Lewmar etc. available from marine chandleries.The standard sizes are usually square though, costing around £250 - £500 each depending on spec.

 

Would you be prepared to blank off the hole and cut a standard size in the blanking plate?

[Martin Kedian]

Lots on here to look at

www.kedianengineerig.co.uk

Plenty of hatches to see on my website to

www.kedianengineering.co.uk

[David Mack]

(I am very much expecting to need treatment for shock once any pricing starts getting talked about!)

 

I see what you mean! And this is for stock sizes, so made to measure...

 

http://www.wesleywindows.co.uk/store/deck-hatches.html

[BEngo]

I would think in terms of a bespoke set of mega pigeon boxes in either steel or exterior hardwood like iroko.

 

N

[LEO]

Get Mr Keidian in...... he makes nice bespoke ones........................

[alan_fincher]

Thanks everybody so far.......

 

Whilst suggestions about large pigeon boxes / dog boxes, are interesting, I would need a lot of persuading that going that route would be sensible.

 

We already have some very neatly engineered mountings designed specifically for alloy type hatches with radiused corners, and it seems a shame to start messing about to fit an alternative to what the boat is already set up for.

 

A few thoughts.......

 

1) I really do want largely maintenance free, which in my experience anything involving even the best hardwoods rarely are.
2) I want something that doesn't drip. Whilst I have no doubt it is possible to build a pigeon/dog box in steel that is fully weather-tight, an awful lot of them seem not to be - and even if rain doesn't penetrate joins and hinges, then unless all metal is fully covered, condensation tends to be a big issue.

3) We really want absolute maximum light through the largest possible area of glass. The boat only has a fairly limited number of portholes, augmented by just one window each side, and relies very heavily on available light through these three roof hatches. My feeling is that any pigeon/dog box will feature a lot of steel, and the area of glazing will be hugely less than available with the current aluminium framed hatches.

 

So what I am really after is practical experience of specifying, buying, fitting and living with the alloy framed hatches with a large area of glazing.

So far a quick look tells me that the following companies may produce hatches to customer specified dimensions.....

 

Houdini

Seaglaze

 

It is not obvious whether Wesley would produce them to a user specified size or not.

It is not obvious what, if anything, Caldwells supply, as although they have a web page for "deck hatches" it is blank.

Channelglaze who I might have assumed made them themselves seem to only act as agents for Houdini.

 

I'll start to make phone calls tomorrow, but does anybody have any other suppliers to add to that list, please?

[Martin Kedian]

I wish you all the very best in your search

[alan_fincher]

I wish you all the very best in your search

 

If the current search fails, I could possibly still end up talking to you Martin!

[BEngo]

Ask yourself why "all existing ones have been glued shut with silicone sealant by the last owner" despite you "already have some very neatly engineered mountings designed specifically for alloy type hatches with radiused corners". I know you think they have had a hard life, but that is probably because they leaked/dripped from new and were beaten ever tighter until the owner gave up and sealed them. I think it was Uffa Fox on Desert Island discs who asked for his luxury to be a watertight roof hatch.

 

My experience with roof hatches whether made by Houdini, Lewmar or anyone else is that they all leak, at some point, they suffer from condensation, either when new as SG units or as soon as the seal in the DG unit dies of normal boating vibration and the differential movement inherent in mounting an aluminium or brass frame on a steel ground.

 

 

 

It is possible to build a steel box with vent flaps and light inlets which can be insulated enough to prevent condensation. The bigger they are the easier it is, I admit.

 

Good luck with your search. I would suggest you ask the makers various if they will guarantee their product against leaks and condensation, and if so, for how long. The replies might be as illuminating as you need your hatches to be.

 

N

[Cheshire cat]

Our wooden pigeon box is water proof but does suffer from some condensation. We take it off in the winter months and replace it with a flat wooden plate to minimise maintenance.

 

I think a hatch with a rubber seal has got to be what you are looking for.

[Martin Kedian]

Thank you Alan I would be happy to help if that is the way you chose to go. All the best Martin