Coating for aluminium to prevent condensation?

[Daltonia]

Hello Forum,

The inside surrounds of my windows are alluminium, upon which water condenses and, missing the internal guttering, drips inside the boat (see below). I'm wondering if some sort of insulative coating can be applied to the alluminium to prevent water condensing. Any ideas? Many thanks for any help.

Cheers, Des

 

[Tony Brooks]

You can buy self adhesive neoprene foam tape in a variety of width and thickness’s so as long as you overlapped the aluminium edge that should work. However I suspect it a Henry Ford job - any colour as long as its black. look at Seals+ direct.

If this is just one window then I think I might be looking at fixing a sheet of perspex to the cabin side as seccondary double galzing - it would probably reduce drafts as well.

[mrsmelly]

I have aluminium window frames with double glazing, all very posh and I get no condensation on the glass aint that great. I get plenty on the aluminium frames though

[Daltonia]

Thank you Tony. Just ordered some neoprene tape from Seal+Direct (AEN9 A/B Expanded Neoprene 25x3mm); will let you know how it goes. Cheers, Des

[peterboat]

2 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

I have aluminium window frames with double glazing, all very posh and I get no condensation on the glass aint that great. I get plenty on the aluminium frames though

Same as mine Tim double glazing on boats is poo and the frames are wet

[mrsmelly]

19 minutes ago, peterboat said:

Same as mine Tim double glazing on boats is poo and the frames are wet

Yep so why do people fall for it? I reckon some people buy anything that's expensive cos they think its better just on price.

[smileypete]

1 hour ago, peterboat said:

Same as mine Tim double glazing on boats is poo and the frames are wet

Probably no 'thermal break', there are ones that have it (at a price!!!) and claim it improves things.

http://www.wesleywindows.co.uk/store/double-glazed-thermal-break-windows.html?page=all

 

Edited November 30, 2017 by smileypete

[peterboat]

27 minutes ago, smileypete said:

Probably no 'thermal break', there are ones that have it (at a price!!!) and claim it improves things.

http://www.wesleywindows.co.uk/store/double-glazed-thermal-break-windows.html?page=all

 

They were in it when I bought it! My last boat I fitted caravan double glazing dark wood finish nearly flush big gap between glass and no condensation issues better by design and looked better to be honest

[nb Innisfree]

Take your pick, we used some on our brass ports, quite effective though secondary DG really did the trick. 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?ie=UTF-8&client=ms-android-google&source=android-browser&q=insulating+paint&gws_rd=cr&dcr=0&ei=XFIgWvqhJeiFgAbQy7CwCg

[Daltonia]

31 minutes ago, nb Innisfree said:

Take your pick, we used some on our brass ports, quite effective though secondary DG really did the trick. 

Please could you clarify? Am I right in thinking there was condensation onto the brass surfaces, so you applied insulation paint and this solved the problem? If so, what paint did you use and did it adhere to the brass OK without some sort of preparation? Thanks.

[nb Innisfree]

14 hours ago, Daltonia said:

Please could you clarify? Am I right in thinking there was condensation onto the brass surfaces, so you applied insulation paint and this solved the problem? If so, what paint did you use and did it adhere to the brass OK without some sort of preparation? Thanks.

Can't remember the name, it was white and water based. Got it from Bath Narrow boats who used it on their trip boat. The principle relies on millions of tiny ceramic spheres each enclosing a vacuum. You can buy the stuff as an additive for the paint of your choice. It did work to quite an extent but of course ultimately no paint can completely eliminate condensation on a metal surface when outside is icy and inside warm. 

[nb Innisfree]

8 minutes ago, nb Innisfree said:

Can't remember the name, it was white and water based. Got it from Bath Narrow boats who used it on their trip boat. The principle relies on millions of tiny ceramic spheres each enclosing a vacuum. You can buy the stuff as an additive for the paint of your choice. It did work to quite an extent but of course ultimately no paint can completely eliminate condensation on a metal surface when outside is icy and inside warm. 

https://canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/22197-thermo-boat-paint/

 

[ditchcrawler]

20 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

Yep so why do people fall for it? I reckon some people buy anything that's expensive cos they think its better just on price.

I bet my fan was cheaper than your windows 

[mrsmelly]

1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

I bet my fan was cheaper than your windows 

Funnily enough whilst looking at boat paperwork today I came across the bill for said windows from ten years ago £3994.24 after their discount!! cheap this boating lark innitt. Last house I replaced windows in was less than that.

[GUMPY]

I have acrylic secondary glazing, no condensation, no drafts just perfect.

The idea was mooted here by Roger Gunkel over 10 years ago. We had it on the barge and when we bought this boat did the same, sheets are held up by selfadhesive magnetic strip. Cost from memory was about £200 for 5 windows.

[Daltonia]

1 minute ago, Loddon said:

I have acrylic secondary glazing, no condensation, no drafts just perfect.

The idea was mooted here by Roger Gunkel over 10 years ago. We had it on the barge and when we bought this boat did the same, sheets are held up by selfadhesive magnetic strip. Cost from memory was about £200 for 5 windows.

Can you post a photo please?

[ditchcrawler]

27 minutes ago, Loddon said:

I have acrylic secondary glazing, no condensation, no drafts just perfect.

The idea was mooted here by Roger Gunkel over 10 years ago. We had it on the barge and when we bought this boat did the same, sheets are held up by selfadhesive magnetic strip. Cost from memory was about £200 for 5 windows.

Doesnt someone sell it in kit form, cut to size with tape.

Edit

More info here https://fizzical-attraction.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/double-glazing.html

Edited December 1, 2017 by ditchcrawler

[GUMPY]

The pictures in DC's link are the same as mine. If you can find the original post from Roger Gunkel there is a detailed how to in it.

 

[Robbo]

17 minutes ago, Loddon said:

The pictures in DC's link are the same as mine. If you can find the original post from Roger Gunkel there is a detailed how to in it.

 

 

[jddevel]

Any one remember the double glazing on British Rail in the 60s. Over a period of time they filled with water and were quite entertaining watching the water slosh around as the train moved. 

[Daltonia]

I’ve now tried two approaches to try to combat the condensation issue on the aluminium window frames:

1. Adhesive neoprene strips – this works impressively well (see image below), but the strips cannot easily be applied to inner frame surfaces, so significant condensation remains.
2. Insulating paint (Thermalmix added to standard paint) – this appears to reduce condensation a little, though significant condensation remains (see image below).

I will now try a third approach, which I was trying to avoid, the secondary acrylic glazing attached with magnetic strips 

[GUMPY]

2 hours ago, Daltonia said:

I will now try a third approach, which I was trying to avoid, the secondary acrylic glazing attached with magnetic strips 

 

should have done this first

[GUMPY]

Windows with and without DG

Draw your own conclusion

[Tony Brooks]

2 hours ago, Daltonia said:

I’ve now tried two approaches to try to combat the condensation issue on the aluminium window frames:

 

1. Adhesive neoprene strips – this works impressively well (see image below), but the strips cannot easily be applied to inner frame surfaces, so significant condensation remains.
2. Insulating paint (Thermalmix added to standard paint) – this appears to reduce condensation a little, though significant condensation remains (see image below).

    

I will now try a third approach, which I was trying to avoid, the secondary acrylic glazing attached with magnetic strips 

I do not understand the problem with condensation inside the channels of the widow frame.  The water should run down to the bottom and exit through holes through the channel and under the glass - that is unless your glass has dropped in the frame blocking the holes or algae has blocked the holes.

I am far from clear as to how you will get a near airtight seal between magnetic strip and cabin side, you seem to have tongue and groove planks.

[Daltonia]

27 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

I do not understand the problem with condensation inside the channels of the widow frame.  The water should run down to the bottom and exit through holes through the channel and under the glass - that is unless your glass has dropped in the frame blocking the holes or algae has blocked the holes.

Condensation inside channels on the side and bottom of the window frames is no problem, because it just drains down the channels and then outside, but not from the top of the frame, from where the water drips down directly into the boat. My second image above is looking directly upwards into the top edge of the window frame.