Shower Skylight Rebuild

Topic: Shower Skylight Rebuild (Read 4259 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Shower Skylight Rebuild

Reply #25 – August 19, 2018, 11:49:10 am

UPDATE:

I have located a outfit that will sell a single piece of 24" x 24" solid sheet material for a reasonable price, including shipping. They offer a pretty good selection, in a wide range of thickness and color. If all you want to do is reproduce the OEM factory skylight installation, then they can fix you up. They have a 1/8" thick white translucent Plexiglas panel that would be a perfect replacement for the original interior shower panel. Pair this with the Lowe's 2-piece skylight kit, and you would be good to go!

1/8" White Plexiglass Acrylic Sheets #2447 - Precut and Cut-to-Size

Re: Shower Skylight Rebuild

Reply #26 – August 19, 2018, 12:18:38 pm

Chuck,

I have had good luck at getting this type material from the local commercial glass company. They usually have end cuts from where they have had to custom fit Plexiglas for various jobs. Most of what they have though is like 1/4" thick but it may pay to check.

Mike

Re: Shower Skylight Rebuild

Reply #27 – August 19, 2018, 12:24:56 pm

I have followed this thread and a thought just occurred to me. If you were to experience hail, and you have only one layer of protection from the elements, you might find yourself in an uncomfortable situation..?...or am I misreading your projected repair process?

Re: Shower Skylight Rebuild

Reply #28 – August 19, 2018, 12:38:14 pm

Lynn,

If I go with my "flat single layer of material" idea, it will be thick enough to be virtually hail-proof. A 1/4" or 3/8" thick sheet of either polycarbonate or acrylic is more than strong enough to stand up to any normal hail. In the unlikely event of a "100 Year Hail Storm", losing the skylight might be the least of my worries!

Re: Shower Skylight Rebuild

Reply #29 – August 19, 2018, 02:44:25 pm

All of the Lexan Sheet material in the link I provided above is UV stabilized. The south facing storm windows I made for stained glass window protection are more than 25 yrs old now and holding up well.

I wonder if two layers of 3/16" compared to a single 3/8" layer might have more impact resistance to hail? Maybe some more springiness to it. Just wondering. Worth asking the question. From an applied steady load POV, no.

Re: Shower Skylight Rebuild

Reply #30 – August 19, 2018, 04:23:27 pm

Roger: I thought about 2 layers, but I wonder if I would end up with a lot of moisture (condensation) trapped between the panes.

I was just out in the coach looking at the skylight, pondering my options. The flat white panel has been removed, so I just have the old brown dome up on the roof to keep dirt and bugs out. It's near 100 here today, and there is a LOT of heat coming through that dome! I'm starting to think a single layer of polycarbonate (or acrylic), even if it is pretty thick, might not be the best solution for our part of the country. With no cover over our coach, the flat panel will get very hot, and much of that heat will be transferred directly to the interior of the shower stall, and thence into the coach.

Because of the design of the metal frame, I am limited in how thick I can go on the flat panel idea. I think 3/8" is about it...1/2" thick MIGHT fit but it would be a squeeze. That makes it hard to construct a home-built 2 or 3 layer flat panel with insulating dead air space between the panes. The individual panes would have to be too thin.

Perhaps It is better to just rebuild the skylight back to OEM factory design. Using the 2-layer replacement dome would reduce the heat transfer over the old stock configuration. I'll make up my mind after I get to town tomorrow and look at the Lowe's skylight.

All this thinking is making my head hurt. Time for a cold one!

Re: Shower Skylight Rebuild

Reply #31 – August 19, 2018, 05:08:40 pm

Most light aircraft that normally cruise over 200 mph have a quarter inch of Plexi used for the windshield and survive hail at that speed without problems. A 1/8 inch sheet of Lexan could survive golf ball sized hail without a problem. Either plastic glues well and could have a narrow half inch strip glued between the two layers at opposite ends leaving an open airspace for air circulation. It could also have a nice radius made on the edges so it would look good too. I don't know about Lexan but Plexi is available tinted to reduce the glare and heat a bit. Sort of like cars with the side windows tinted in the Southwest.

How to cut Plexiglass on a table saw without chipping it: how to cut lexan or plexiglass on a table saw - Penelusuran Google

This bronze Thermoclear Lexan might be just the ticket if you can get smaller sizes. A lot of the time, HD has smaller pieces of the P and L plastics: https://www.homedepot.com/p/LEXAN-Thermoclear-48-in-x-96-in-x-1-4-in-Bronze-Multiwall-Polycarbonate-Sheet-PCTW4896-6MMBZ/205202489

Pierce

Re: Shower Skylight Rebuild

Reply #32 – August 19, 2018, 06:18:39 pm

Maybe an escape hatch would work. Opens for venting too. 5 sizes. Creative thinking is encouraged.
RV Escape Hatch 22x22 - RV Parts Nation

Re: Shower Skylight Rebuild

Reply #33 – August 19, 2018, 06:33:14 pm

I kinda like that. Too bad it's not 24"x24", would drop right in.

Re: Shower Skylight Rebuild

Reply #34 – August 19, 2018, 08:14:58 pm

I think I saw a 24x24 size. Maybe a different brand.

Re: Shower Skylight Rebuild

Reply #35 – August 21, 2018, 09:38:35 am

UPDATE - since I know everyone is on the edge of their seats...

Got by the Lowe's in Odessa. They had 4 of the #227698 Skyview skylight kits, as advertised online. 3 of them were pretty beaten up, but one was in good shape. After hemming & hawing for a bit, I went ahead and grabbed it. I've decided to go back with the stock skylight configuration. I can't find any "flat" substitute material that would provide equivalent insulation from heat transfer.

Shop Skyview Fixed Impact Skylight (Fits Rough Opening: 21-in x 21-in;...

Got the skylight home and unwrapped. I agree with Barry & Cindy - the aluminum frame is very cheap and will be discarded. On the other hand, the (lightly tinted) bronze and clear polycarbonate bubbles are very nice! They are totally transparent, nicely shaped to fit one inside the other, and perfectly sized for our original skylight frame. The material is thin - about 3mm - but the bubble shape adds a lot of strength. They have some "give" to them, so a big hail stone or golf ball would probably just bounce off rather than causing any noticeable damage. There is a 1" dead air space between the two bubbles, which should greatly enhance the insulation value.

The original 1/8" flat white acrylic interior panel in our coach was weak and flimsy, and had cracked in multiple places. Even with the new double dome, I think I will have room in the frame for a thicker, stronger white panel. To test that theory, I will try 2 of them. I ordered both 3/16" and 1/4" thick pieces (24" x 24"), in the #2447 White, which is supposed to let the most light through. When they arrive, I will report again.

#2447 White Plexiglass Sheets

In the meantime, I will get the two domes glued together with silicone sealant, as described in Barry's tutorial:

Replacing Shower Skylight

By the way, while at Lowe's, I noticed they have another skylight model with the same dimensions. It appears to have the same double bubble design, but the outside dome is translucent white instead of transparent amber. Just thought I would mention, in case it is of interest to anyone. My DW wants the max amount of daylight (but not heat) coming through the skylight, because she keeps her house plants in the shower stall when we are traveling. So for us, the amber dome set is preferable.

Shop Skyview Fixed Impact Skylight (Fits Rough Opening: 21-in x 21-in;...

Re: Shower Skylight Rebuild

Reply #36 – August 21, 2018, 01:11:19 pm

Chuck,

Really nice writeup!

P

Re: Shower Skylight Rebuild

Reply #37 – August 21, 2018, 07:13:35 pm

For storage and hot summer days, I climb on the roof and cover the skylight with a thick white blanket. Reduces the heat load substantially. I've pondered closing up the skylight hole, because a) I'm short and b) added heat boon docking is a big deal.

Re: Shower Skylight Rebuild

Reply #38 – August 21, 2018, 09:39:49 pm

I made a "plug" from a flat piece of white styrofoam packing material. It's about 2" thick, and I trimmed it so it's a snug "friction" fit in the opening above the shower. When our coach is parked in our driveway between trips, I use it to block all the heat and light coming through the skylight. When we're on the road, I pull it out and store it in the drawer under the sofa.

Re: Shower Skylight Rebuild

Reply #39 – August 21, 2018, 11:41:06 pm

Just out of curiosity, Chuck, try going up top after the styrofoam has been in the skylight on a hot sunny day and see how hot the outside dome is.
I found that when I put aluminized bubble wrap inside our coach windows it got so hot it burned my hand.

Re: Shower Skylight Rebuild

Reply #40 – August 21, 2018, 11:55:52 pm

Oh, I know it gets hot! The metal frame on the skylight gets so hot around noon time that I literally cannot touch it without wearing gloves. The plastic bubble also gets very hot, which is one reason why they eventually start to break down and crack. Still, our original 1-piece dome lasted over 20 years before it started to fail. I don't think my styrofoam plug could do very much to further increase the outside temp of the dome, but it sure does help reduce the inside temp in the shower stall.

Re: Shower Skylight Rebuild

Reply #41 – August 26, 2018, 10:40:08 am

UPDATE

So, I received my two sheets of milky white plexiglas from estreetplastics in good order. They were very nicely packed to preclude any sort of damage, and shipped the next day after I ordered them. I highly recommend their service if you ever need any plastic material!

Plexiglass Acrylic and Other Plastics - Precut Sheets or Cut To Size -...

I took both white sheets (3/16" and 1/4") up on our roof along with the 2-piece bubble, and tried them out. Jeannie and I both found the thinner piece preferable - she because it let through slightly more light, and I because it fit better (along with the double dome) in the metal skylight frame. The 3/16" sheet is more than twice as thick as the original interior panel, so it should be stronger and last longer. We'll see...

I left the new white sheet and glued-together 2-piece dome in place on the roof for most of the day while we evaluated the way they performed. Temps were over 100 degrees in the afternoon. When I brought the dome back inside that evening, I discovered that my glue job had failed.

The sealant had become kinda soft and gooey, and the domes were pulling apart. This was a surprise! I thought I used the same stuff mentioned in Barry's tutorial. What I used was GE 100% Silicone 2+ Clear. It is supposed to have a service temp of -60F to 400F. It seemed to set up and cure properly when I stuck the two domes together in the house, but it obviously didn't like the heat on the coach roof. I pulled the domes apart and removed the failed sealant. So it's back to square 1 on putting the skylight assembly together.

I am now researching the best product for joining the polycarbonate parts. I am leaning toward 3M VHB clear double-sided tape. I wll look around in town tomorrow to see if I can find some. If not, back to Amazon.

Re: Shower Skylight Rebuild

Reply #42 – August 26, 2018, 10:42:43 am

3M 5200? 3m 4200?

Tim Fiedler

Re: Shower Skylight Rebuild

Reply #43 – August 26, 2018, 10:47:23 am

Quote

When I brought the dome back inside that evening, I discovered that my glue job had failed. The sealant had become kinda soft, and the domes were pulling apart.

Same thing happened to me. The dome corners would not retain a flat profile and kind of rolled up, thus breaking the seal. I finally got it in (after three tries) and it was fine. That is... until it cracked! Eternabond fixed the crack and now I am following this thread hoping for inspiration.
jor

Re: Shower Skylight Rebuild

Reply #44 – August 26, 2018, 11:00:26 am

Quote from: Tim Fiedler – August 26, 2018, 10:42:43 am

3M 5200? 3m 4200?

3M 5200 sounded promising, until I got to the bottom of the spec sheet.

"3M Marine Adhesive/Sealant Fast Cure 5200 is not recommended for the installation of glass, polycarbonate or acrylic windows that are not also mechanically fastened with a system designed by the manufacturer. Inconsistent adhesion of these unprimed substrates, specific design of the window, and movement due to thermal expansion and flexing, may cause application failure."

https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/576967O/3mtm-marine-adhesive-sealant-fast-cure-5200.pdf

Re: Shower Skylight Rebuild

Reply #45 – August 26, 2018, 11:12:46 am

The place where I got the plexiglas sheets sells some adhesive, but it sounds kinda messy and a hassle to work with. I am hoping to find a more simple solution...hence my interest in thin, clear, double-sided tape.

Weld On 16

3M™ VHB™ Tape 4910 | 3M United States

Re: Shower Skylight Rebuild

Reply #46 – August 31, 2018, 03:14:31 pm

Finally finished the skylight install. Been so dang hot here in West TX that I only want to work outside in the early morning, and then not long.

Anyway, I decided to use some 3M VHB mounting tape I found at Home Depot. It is black, not clear, but I found out it doesn't matter because you can't see the tape looking up through the skylight from inside the shower stall. So black works fine.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-Scotch-1-in-x-11-1-yds-Permanent-Double-Sided-Extreme-Mounting-Tape-414-LONGDC/205507375

I think the VHB tape is much better suited to this job. I left the skylight assembly up on the roof for a couple hot days to test it. The tape was not (obviously) bothered by the heat. I hope it will hold up well for the long term, but only time will tell.

The final assembly of the double domes and the 3/16" thick white plexiglass panel made a "sandwich" roughly 1/2" thick at the edges. This necessitated drilling new "slanted" screw holes in the metal hold-down frame. I filled the old holes with a dab of GOOP sealer...just because.

Photos below show the final appearance. I will add another couple photos after I get done caulking the interior trim piece.

Re: Shower Skylight Rebuild

Reply #47 – August 31, 2018, 05:59:41 pm

👍👍 Nice job Chuck

Re: Shower Skylight Rebuild

Reply #48 – August 31, 2018, 07:08:51 pm

In my reply #23 shows how the '81 was hinged to let steam out or air in.

Shower Skylight

Re: Shower Skylight Rebuild

Reply #49 – August 31, 2018, 10:14:06 pm

Quote from: craneman – August 31, 2018, 07:08:51 pm

In my reply #23 shows how the '81 was hinged to let steam out or air in.

That looks like the same idea as Roger mentioned, earlier in this thread. Does what you are saying, and doubles as a emergency escape hatch.

Affiliate Notice