Ask the Expert – Lexan Expansion

In our previous Ask the Expert we dealt with the winter rigging expansion/contraction issue, which actually was a more complicated question than it first appeared. For nwyachting.com reader Bill Davis, that raised an even “stickier” question, how much extra space to leave for a Lexan hatch to expand so it still slides smoothly.

We asked Doug Lambeth, of Pacific Fiberglass, who’e installed his share of Lexan hatches. The answer: 1/16″ for every three linear feet, up to 1/8″ max.

Thanks, Bill, for the question, and thanks, Doug for the answer.