Hatch Cover Adhesive/Sealant

K

ksidener

New member
Hi Guys,

Looking for a little advice here. My 22' Cruiser has a solar vent in the forward hatch cover installed by the original owner. It is circular and a hole was cut in the plexiglas, and the vent is sealed and held into place only by the original sealant. There are no mechanical fasteners holding the unit. As one might expect over time this unit is now leaking and I'm about to tackle taking it off the glass and reseating/sealing the unit back in place. It works fine, it just leaks, so I'm remiss to simply replace it with a different unit.

I seek suggestions for the best sealant/adhesive to attempt to rebed the vent in place on the plexiglass hatch cover.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

Kelly
 
Sikaflex 221 has preformed well for me sealing inspection ports. But they also have screws fastening them in place.3M 4200 would work well and might have more adhesive strength if there are no mechanical fasteners holding the vent on the hatch.
 
Any Idea how long that solar vent has been in place? Or how long it will continue to work? Does it ever get salt spray on it, or into the v-birth from it? I might think of replacing the vent with a new one if I was going to the trouble of uninstalling and re-installing it in the same place.

Just my two cents worth.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
One has to be a bit careful using sealants on Plexiglas (Acrylic Plastic). Some will cause crazing, or breakdown. Check specifically for compatibility
with the Plexiglass. Polyurethanes are often not compatible with the Acrylics (4200 and 5200). I used a two part G E Structural silicone on the Cal 46 when we replaced all of the large windows. Boat Life, Life Seal has been recommended for the application similar to what you describe.

Bomar has recommended GE GE SSG4000 UltraGlaze in the past for their hatches. There will be a Dow equivalent--and I believe that 4000 is a one part--which is easier to use than two parts.

Remember that plexiglass has a fairly large coefficient of expansion, and when drilling holes, or attaching items, this must be considered.
 
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