Curtain plastic advice needed.

[Owenmoney]

I would like to replace the clear plastic on my side curtains and also the piece above the windshield. The posts I've read seem to lean towards strataglass as the preferred product. One drawback with Strataglass is the ability to store easily off the boat? My boat is used mainly as a fishing boat and the curtains get in the way during fishing trips so I remove the curtains and store them in a dock box when I'm using the boat. The clear curtains are put in place on the boat during the week when I'm not at the boat to keep the weather out. I also put the curtains on during rainy weather when I'm at the boat in the slip. I'm looking for some advice on a product that will be clear but yet allow me to roll and store easily. I ruined my last set of curtains due to the frequent removal and storage. I plan to have new plastic sewn into the curtains and the old plastic cut out after the new stuff is in place. Does anyone have experience with a quality clear plastic material that will also hold up to frequent storage in my dock box when not in use on the boat? Thanks for the advice.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Curtain plastic advice needed.

Take this from an upholsterer:

Strataglass is a high quality scratch resistant (not scratch proof) plastic with a great UV quality that prevents yellowing. However, it is much thicker than eisenglass because it is double layered. Depending on the size of your dockbox, storage shouldnt be an issue. You can roll it, but it helps if the plastic is warm from the sun first. It's also about triple the cost of regular eisenglass. I know I charge a little more for working with strataglass. Your shop may not.

Eisenglass has gotten much better over the last decade. Storing it shouldn't cause scratches. The scratches you're getting are from the box itself. When I pulled my canvas down for storage, they get rolled and placed in plastic trash bags. This stop the abrasions from all of the other things in the dockbox. My curtains have been up and down for 3 years are are in near perfect shape.

Keep them clean with soap and water. There is a cleaner that you can use (like Windex) called Clearglass. It doesn't have the ammonia in it which isn't too good for acrylic windows. Use an eisenglass polishing compound to remove any minor scratches when you notice them. A little PM will help your curtains last 7-10 years.

 

[Expidia]

Re: Curtain plastic advice needed.

I roll my 4 year old windows up when not in use. They still look brand new!

For one as I roll them up I sandwich them in a thin terry cloth towel and store in a Sunbrella bag I had my canvas shop make up for me. This prevents blurry rub spots from the windows touching each other.

I also use a coating of 303 protectant for plastic windows or McGuires. This gives them an extra layer of protection from light scratches. These protectants also helps from yellowing and keep them flexible.

Here is an interesting article on how to take care of them:

http://www.streetdirectory.com/trav...feeding_of_your_clear_vinyl_boat_windows.html