putting Jalousie windows back in? trillium 1300

[rhettelliot]

so i removed and cleaned up my jalousie windows on my Trillium 1300...

i removed a bunch of rotted wood that held them in place... and removed a ton of rusted out screws.

anyone have a recommendation for putting them back in? should i use wood again? what kind of wood should i use for the inside, or should i use wood again at all? I ordered some butyl tape (60ft) for the outside...

-Rhett (newbie Trillium owner)

p.s. I just got her repainted as well... pix to come!

[Raya]

There are other ways, but I think the wood is as good a way as any, and the Trillium is already set up for it. I think they originally used plywood, but I have heard of people using other rot-resistent wood as well. If you want to have it show, then I would use something nice looking and varnish or paint it tidily (originally, the Trilliums I've seen have the wood under the Ensolite, and taper the outer edge of the wood at an angle so the Ensolite can "ride up" a gentle slope).

Although stainless screws are not rust-proof, they are rust resistant at least. Since you are in Florida (and will perhaps be near salt water), I might isolate the stainless from the aluminum with a bit of Tef Gel or similar, although if you don't it will still probably last another decade or more.

Butyl is a good choice for sealing. I would clean the surfaces (window and fiberglass) well with denatured alcohol or acetone before reinstalling.

Raya

[SurfSide]

I was thinking the same thing as I am in sort of a similar predicament. In my case, I need a perimeter frame of wood approx 1" thick so I was thinking of a rot resistant wood like cedar which contains natural oils that prevent decay. If you want to hide it you can but in my case it will be visible so I think a little bit of clear wood finish would really bring out the grain.

I pulled the two side windows out of my Surfside today and I scraped off the old sealant with a plastic stick that you can get at any body shop supply store. I prepped the body with isopropyl alcohol and srubbed the mating surfaces with a red scotchbrite pad and got it shined right up. I am using a super soft butyl tape that is approx 1/8" thick and about 1" wide, more than enough to seal any irregularities in the shell. The factory install was foam tape with a bead of silicone aound the top and sides. The woman before me used almost and entire tube of acrylic sealant on two windows when they leaked, so it was quite the ordeal to clean up. Hope yours is not a sticky mess like mine!