James "Doc" Lewis
James "Doc" Lewis has been "messin about in boats" for as long as he can remember. He is owner/operator of BoatDocs1, a full-service boat detailing-yacht maintenance business serving the Emerald Coast region of Florida. To learn more about boats and keeping them looking their best visit his web site at: http://www.boatdocs1.com/
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Introduction
Whatever you call it, it all comes from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) which has certain definite characteristics.
1. Vinyl is a UV-sensitive material which degrades when exposed to sunlight.
2. A vinyl's topcoat holds in plasticizers, softening agents
which keep vinyl supple.
3. Clear vinyl has NO topcoat. (The one exception to this rule
is Strataglass, which has a protective coating. Unless
otherwise noted, the advise in this article applies only to
untreated clear vinyl and therefore excludes Strataglass.)
That's It! All you ever needed to know about vinyl boat windows in one easy lesson. Maintaining a topcoat and protecting against UV damage will keep vinyl looking good for years.
Let up, for as little as a month, in this climate, and, well, read on . . .
The sad truth is that all of those lovely, clear, vinyl windows, that you were so proud of when they were new, will yellow, scratch, and become an ugly nuisance in a very short time without proper care.
Q. What you mean Doc, you don't just hang um and forget um?
Who is that guy?
Unlike regular safety glass which has a fairly hard surface and resists scratching, and even your vinyl seats which have a top-coat to protect the underlying material, a vinyl window requires a protective coating to separate it from the elements.
Think of it a little like your skin. With regular washing, sunscreen, and moisturizer our skin can take the Emerald Coast summer conditions without too much trouble. Eliminate one or more of these and stay outside 24/7 and we'll be looking 102 years old in no time, even if we're only 20.
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