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rdhoyum · 04-14-2012, 10:40 PM

I know many of you have liked and/or installed the custom Maxim skylights.
These are domed and I was thinking, why couldn't a skylight use a flat panel of appropriate glass. I have seen this used for residential and for oddly shaped openings, ie. various triangles used in dome home construction.

I'm thinking if sealed well along lip of frame attached to AS roof, with a small overhang around the edge and good sealing around that existing frame, this would provide an economical option. Additionally, I could apply top quality window film to aid in heat and UV reflection.

Has anyone considered this or installed something similar?

dwightdi · 04-15-2012, 04:35 AM

I fabricated a new one for my 63. It is cheap and has worked for 20 years. I used 1/4 in corrugated that they use in Green houses and 1 inch aluminum L for the edges. I used the original openers. There should be a picture on one of these threads here.

**Kevin245** · 04-15-2012, 05:45 AM

Here is the thread dwightdi is referring to.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f455...tml#post561180

Good luck,

Kevin

mdh · 04-17-2012, 07:55 PM

I talked to a glass business today, and he said it should work. He suggested using a laminated,tempered glass and also suggested to protect the edges with some type of aluminum frame. I will be going back and checking prices etc. Sounds like a good idea to me. Good luck.

rdhoyum · 04-17-2012, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdh

I talked to a glass business today, and he said it should work. He suggested using a laminated,tempered glass and also suggested to protect the edges with some type of aluminum frame. I will be going back and checking prices etc. Sounds like a good idea to me. Good luck.

mdh,

If you don't mind sharing the pricing you obtain. I haven't had time to make a visit to discuss type of glass. My first though though was just what was recommended to you. Tempered laminate is safe and strong for automotive use, can't see there being a problem for roof skylight use. Even figured automotive glass adhesive would work...as long as aluminum is not contraindicated for its use.

I really desire the window tint for heat and UV rejection. It gets hot here in the desert. Thinking I may even add it in light color to the windows.

I'll share what I come up with too.

rdh

mdh · 04-17-2012, 08:45 PM

rdh

It will be a few days before I get back, but will keep you informed on what I find out.

Mike

mdh · 04-20-2012, 01:35 PM

Hi,

We just got back from a couple days of camping. I checked with the local glass company and was told a 22x22 piece of tempered/laminated glass would run about $120 plus extras such as tinting. At this price point I am going to investigate putting on a flat piece of lexan. Let us know what you end up doing. Good luck. Mike

ROBERT CROSS · 04-20-2012, 02:46 PM

Changed ours last Season, got this from Inland RV, much better quality than the OEM.

Bob

JimmyT · 05-22-2012, 08:09 PM

We installed the Inland RV skylight and have been happy with it until this, its second season. It is most definitely better than OEM. But now it has cracked at two corners, along one edge, and the inside flat pane has a crack from the edge inward. What went wrong? I'm going to have to take this off and put on another one.

Orphanauto · 05-22-2012, 08:44 PM

I'm a newbie here, but will have to tackle this sometime also. The glass price above seems high.

I just had new automotive (flat) tinted glass cut for my truck. I paid $125 for two side windows, 2 wing windows, rear glass, and 2 mirrors. That included labor to custom cut each pc and throw in some gasket.

I would think $50 ought to buy a large square tinted glass. There is probably some extruded aluminum channel that would work for framing.

Matt

tpi · 05-22-2012, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyT

We installed the Inland RV skylight and have been happy with it until this, its second season. It is most definitely better than OEM. But now it has cracked at two corners, along one edge, and the inside flat pane has a crack from the edge inward. What went wrong? I'm going to have to take this off and put on another one.

I had the same thing with mine. It looks superior to the OEM skylight. But mine developed several hairline cracks on it after a couple years and I recently replaced it.

The dome didn't discolor or get foggy, the plastic just cracked. Perhaps the material is too brittle for the application.

ROBERT CROSS · 05-23-2012, 04:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tpi

I had the same thing with mine. It looks superior to the OEM skylight. But mine developed several hairline cracks on it after a couple years and I recently replaced it.

The dome didn't discolor or get foggy, the plastic just cracked. Perhaps the material is too brittle for the application.

SFSG...with ours.

One thing I did...put down a substantial bead of Sika 721 around the opening, let it sit for 30min and screw the skylight down diagonally, do not over tighten, let the caulk support the skylight on the curb.

DO NOT USE A POWER SCREWDRIVER

Bob

mdh · 05-23-2012, 07:07 AM

I had a similar experience to Jim and Marsha in post number 9. I didn't make a full year with my Inland RV replacement before the cracks developed. I took extra precautions on not over tightening the screws, but still they cracked and even the flat clear panel cracked and separated from the dome panel. When I recently removed it because of leaks it easily broke into pieces-seemed very brittle. I just finished my replacement with the maxim skylight and couldn't be happier. it is a very good product and the install is also very simple. It appears to be a permanent solution, and one I wish I had done the first time and had saved the money I had wasted on the first one. We just tested it in a major rain in the Black Hills and it passed the leak test.

Mike

eubank · 05-23-2012, 07:33 AM

There really ought to be a way to coat these things (when new) to prevent such sun damage.

Maybe a little story here. The MG has "hubcaps," which are just little metal disks with the MG logo painted on them. The problem was that the painted logo would last only about a year before being totally ruined by the sun. Throw them away and spend another ~20 bucks for new ones.

The last time, though, I had a handy spray can of clear varnish, so I plopped the new caps down and gave them each a squirt. Waited a day and installed them. That was, ah, about 15 years ago, and the painted logos are as fresh as new.

So, then, that's varnished paint. Is there anything out there to coat plastic with a UV-resistant finish?

Lynn

ROBERT CROSS · 05-23-2012, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eubank

There really ought to be a way to coat these things (when new) to prevent such sun damage.

Maybe a little story here. The MG has "hubcaps," which are just little metal disks with the MG logo painted on them. The problem was that the painted logo would last only about a year before being totally ruined by the sun. Throw them away and spend another ~20 bucks for new ones.

The last time, though, I had a handy spray can of clear varnish, so I plopped the new caps down and gave them each a squirt. Waited a day and installed them. That was, ah, about 15 years ago, and the painted logos are as fresh as new.

So, then, that's varnished paint. Is there anything out there to coat plastic with a UV-resistant finish?

Lynn

Lynn,

Been using this for quite awhile for just about everything that needs UV protection, tires, vinyl, plastic, etc....
It works very well, especially on the boat seats that get a lot of Sun.

303 Cleaner is also a very good product.

I do cover the skylight and FF during Winter storage though...

Bob

eubank · 05-23-2012, 08:28 AM

Oh, good to know, Bob! Now I wonder if coating new/slightly used skylights would allow them to withstand the sun and avoid cracking longer. Seems like it ought to. Just having the physical barrier (the coating) between product and sunlight really should help, I'd think.

Lynn

ROBERT CROSS · 05-23-2012, 08:50 AM

Lynn,

Any time I'm "up on the roof" I take the 303 tector with me, spray everything,
AC shroud, skylight and both vent covers, when I come back down I give the tires a squirt. Microfiber cloth to help keep from scratching. Cleans pretty good too and the water beads up nice. I'm sure it helps a lot......plus it makes me feel better.

SFSG

Bob

rdhoyum · 05-25-2012, 10:09 PM

So here's what I decided to go with. Getting ready for install.

My go to place(Mcmaster), provided the bronze tinted, polycarbonate, 1/4" thick sheet....scratch and impact resistant with high heat resistance.

I'm putting full confidence in Eternabond, since I've read such good comments everywhere about it's forever "stickability". Using their double sided tape to secure flat 1/4" sheet to aluminum frame flange, then their Webseal around the frame-to-roof seam, with a 3" wide Roofseal wrapping the edge of polycarb sheet around and onto the vertical frame and overlapping the Webseal. I'll finish with a ceramic type brush on roof coating over the Webseal out onto the roof surface. I tried to resemble the overlapping design of the Maxim frame so as to prevent possibility of leaking and utilize two layers of Eternabond. "If one is good, two is better!"

I shouldn't be climbing onto roof alone, so either myself or my observer will take photos and I'll be sure to post them.

P.S. I too have use 303 products with great results. I'll probable coat these panels too.

dwightdi · 05-25-2012, 10:55 PM

The product that Inland sells is a polyacrylic and does not have much elongation. It also seems to not have enough UV inhibitor added to it. Most plastics need a UV inhibitor to survive in the south. If you have seen how yellow the headlight covers get on cars in Florida or down south, you know that.
Car headlight covers are made from Polycarbonate. At least it is ductile and do not develop cracks like the acrylic.

The sheeting I used for my lids has lumens (round holes in the middle) which get a dispersed light. This sheeting is lighter and thicker than the solid sheet and was intended for green houses, so it contains the most UV resistant additive. It is not good for chicken houses, since they need the UV to help reduce the build up of bacteria.

There are liquid products out there which contain UV inhibitors, which should length the life of the skylight. I am not sure which is best.

JimmyT · 05-29-2012, 10:40 PM

We'll look into the Maxim skylight. Gee, if it's made by the same company that makes the Maxim magazine I wonder what I'm going to be seeing through that skylight?

I just remembered we had some leaks show up after a week along the Oregon coast last fall so when I got home I removed all the skylight screws, reapplied the Silkaflex to each hole, screwed it back down again. No power screwdriver. But I wonder if that's what caused those cracks? Maybe too tight?