Exploded glass cabin door

colobear · Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 1:23 pm Post subject: Exploded glass cabin door

We have a 2006 22 cruiser with the full length tempered glass door from Diamond Seaglaze. While we were asleep at the Comox gathering the door just "exploded" with a bang. Since it was tempered glass it just fractured into tiny pieces and held together in the frame. That was a real wakeup! I looked for a rock, a BB, anything that could have caused it to shatter, nothing to be seen. It must have been stressed just right. Expecting a real problem and expense to get a new door I called Diamond Seaglaze this morning and was pleasantly surprised. I can get a new glass piece without having to buy the whole door and the cost, ($203), was much less than I expected. We'll have to wait about a month for it but that is a fairly minor issue. Triton said, this AM, that a door on a new SeaSport had just done the same thing. Pictures can be seen in C-Cakes album on the last page. (still don't know how to put them in a post.)

JamesTXSD · Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 1:44 pm Post subject:

Here's an image...

I saw the door when Barry and Patti stopped in Friday Harbor. I'm surprised it held together. They had their camperback on when it occurred, so not likely that it was some outside source.

Of course, we do know some things about Barry's past. Wink

Grumpy · Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 1:44 pm Post subject:

Barry,

You will just have to leave out those high notes when you are singing in the shower Shocked

Must have been quite the surprise but glad it stayed in one piece so no-one got hurt and you don't (yet) have to go searching for all those pieces of glass.

M & K

Sea Wolf · Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 4:37 pm Post subject:

Barry-

I had the same thing happen to a windshield in a runabout back in the early 1970's.

Sounded like a shotgun going off, and fell into just about 10,000 tiny pieces! (No plastic inner layer (?)

Didn't undersand it at that instant, and looked around for a smoking gun! (Thought someone had shot at me.)

The built-up stress can be tremendous!

Glad yours held together in one piece, more or less.

Does your Comprehensive part of your Boat Insurance Policy cover this? If so, what would be the deductible?

Glad this doesn't happen more often!

Good Luck!

Joe. Teeth

ferret30 · Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 6:07 pm Post subject:

When I close the door on my 2006, the deadbolt lines up fine, but to get the door to latch without the deadbolt I have to pull up on the handle and then it pops in.

I wonder if the shear stress from a misaligned latch/strike plate can contribute to the stress that caused the shattering.

rogerbum · Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 7:14 pm Post subject:

thataway · Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 8:19 pm Post subject:

Many tempered glass car windows shatter this way--I have had one rear window do this. I believe it is internal stress in the glass related to the temporing process.

Many Tom Cats have problem with the door shuttting, and have a shim on the sill. The Tom Cat will also torque slightly on a lift--yet most do not have shattering of the window.

hardee · Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 4:00 am Post subject:

localboy · Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 12:33 pm Post subject:

Barry did they indicate how to install the new glass? I looked at our door (2007) and I did not see any joints, screws...nothing in the alum frame. Confused

Got me pondering the method involved.

ferret30 · Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 12:48 pm Post subject:

ferret30 · Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 12:51 pm Post subject:

colobear · Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 3:13 pm Post subject:

Mark,

The glass is held in by a butyl rubber sealant on the inner side. That's the black stuff you see around the glass on that side. The larger black gasket on the outside is more of a weather seal than anything else. When I do the new window I'll post some pics.

colobear · Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2012 5:04 pm Post subject:

The new glass door is installed. Many pics in C-Cakes album, pp 4-5. Diamond Seaglaze was really helpful and easy to work with. They sold us a new glass panel, wrapped it in cardboard to protect it while we came back home. Total cost less than $225 including new gaskets and tax. Had we shipped it the cost would have about doubled. The door comes off the same way a house door does, pins in hinges. There is a deep gasket all the way around the inner side of the door frame that covers the raw edges. That is easily peeled away. The glass is held in place with a urethane sealant adhesive, the same stuff that hold auto glass in place; it can be seen on the exterior side of the door. Our glass was easy to remove Angry

, just pick up the thousands of tiny pieces. To remove an intact glass one would remove the door lock first. That is easy except for the dead bolt. Diamond Seaglaze had to tell me how to do that. There are two set screws deep inside the lock plate, (see pics), that must be loosened and the dead bolt can then be removed. Once the lock is off (many pieces), the urethane could be cut from the exterior side and the glass pried out. The urethane remains springy even after curing so a very sharp blade and thin spatula would be needed. If anyone needs to do this contact me and I will be glad to talk more. And...if anyone needs a new piece of glass and you don't live here, near the factory outside of Vancouver, BC, I may be able to help by picking up the glass and getting it across the border for you. part of the high cost of having it shipped is paying a broker to get it through customs. There is the cost of the glass, BC tax, and sometime a small duty to be paid. We can then work out shipping. While I am not certain why the door exploded, I think it was due to screws used to attach the latch that holds the door open. They were long enough to contact the glass edge and tempered glass will shatter if struck on the edge.