MY NEW LEXAN DOORS

WARNING WARNING
If you are looking for nice lexan work – cutting, finishing, and installing – for any kind of boat openings, don’t look to Bay Area Glass in Kemah, TX. I had them make two cabin entry lexan doors using the original teak doors for a pattern. I wanted ½ inch instead of 1 inch, (which is what the teak doors were) because of the weight - they said they could do that. They would use a small spacer where the doors slide in and finish the edges so they wouldn’t hurt your hands when picking them up. All right! I was going to get nice new hatch doors that looked nice, were easy to handle and let a lot of light in.

The windows came back with rather sharp edges – so I finished them so I wouldn’t cut my hands when handling the doors going in and out of the cabin. Darn - they said they would do that. Not one to take things back when I can do something about it, I sanded them smooth.

I wasn't paying attention I guess, but a neighbor pointed out that the laminate they used (teak laminate) for the spacers in the door openings to accommodate the difference in door thickness would not hold up in the rainy weather we have. I hadn't even noticed they were laminate. Then on top of that, when they glued the laminate spacers in place they used some kind of soft sealant instead of a strong 2 part mixture. The spacers are only sealed (or glued) through the middle of the 27 ½ inch long spacers, leaving them vulnerable to water from the top (and the bottom).

I will have to take the spacers out, cut some solid teak to fit and then use a West Marine two part mixture to glue them in place – but this should have been done in the first place. So, people, beware of Bay Area Glass - 826 Clear Lake Road - Kemah, TX 77565