Glass Install

[Bob S]

In the building Tips Capt Pat has a great detail for installing Glazing. I am reglazing to eliminate old leaks and am doing from outside. There is a Black Ceramic Tape indicated in the detail. Any ideas as to where I can source this material? Thanks.

[CaptPatrick]

Bob,

There is no "Black Ceramic Tape"... For total UV protection a black ceramic border would have to be applied to the glass. Like you see on automotive glass. That's big industry stuff, expensive, and would be very hard to source.

Use black Sikaflex-296 and Sika's Activator and Primer according to the manufacturer's directions. In lieu of a ceramic coating, apply 3 coats of the primer to the glass. Since you need to make UV barrier about 1/4" wider than the bond dimension, the application would best be done by masking out the glass and spraying the primer coats with a Prevail Sprayer.

[Pete Fallon]

Bob S,
If you are replacing the glass on your front windows make sure that you replace the bulb seal (the gray vinyl material that goes into the groove at the outer edges of the aluminum window frames). I replaced mine about 3 years ago with the bulb seal material I got at Window Doctor here in Stuart, the stuff is expensive but it has cut down on the leakage by at least 75%, also use clear or black silicon to seal around the glass where it fits into the frame and if you don't open your windows that much seal all the openings, it will cut down on the rest of the leakage. The bulb seal material to do both the front windows and on my express the top ones was over $150.00 for all the material which was about 40' in total length, the stuff was over $3.80 per foot, I know I got screwed but it worked. The old gray material gets so flattened out over the years it doesn't do any thing to keep out the water around the window frames.
Pete Fallon