polycarbonate (Lexan) to replace windows?

Polycarbonate originally introduced by GE Polymers under the tradename Lexan can be formulated with UV inhibitors that slow the degradation by sunlight. It increases the cost of polycarbonate sheet products significantly however.

I would think the greatest problem is scratching. Abrasion is the biggest downfall with polycarbonate used in a window application. They do make coatings to try to lengthen the life of the surface but it will eventually wear out and leave scratches.

Stick with the glass and maintain your clear vision.

I think Lexan would be a very bad choice, as soemoene mentioned it yellows with age, and it is far mroe subject to abration than tempered glass.. I'd go with Glass.

Figure out the manufacturer and order a replacement double pane window. I had the driver's side window, the big pane between me and the side mirror, that was very fogged and quite frankly was a safety problem because I couldn't see the mirror at all. Looked at repair and by the time I removed it, shipped it, repaired it and shipped it back, I ordered a completely new unit and installed it myself for around $150. Ordered directly from Atwood.

I'm having trouble understanding the yellowing of Lexan, as that is want modern day glasses are made of, and are exposed to sun almost constantly. Having worked with both Plexiglas and Lexan, I am fairly certain that Plexiglas is not very good for windows, as it does not stand up to sun exposure, and is brittle to begin with. Lexan, (polycarbonate) can be machined. It is also used for bullet resisting windows, or in place of glass. There are different grades of Lexan, and I know that it can be very expensive.
If you want to keep the dual pain windows, have them replaced, or rebuilt.

Trust me the race car has Lexan---but the fact that it is inside other than race day may be why it has lasted so long. Didn't mean to mislead anyone.

I didn't even mess with repair or replacement when I had fog issues. I just taped the inside with duct tape covering most of the window, took a punch and hammer and shattered the inside pane on purpose (duct tape catches most of the mess), took a screwdriver to finish cleaning the pieces out, and shop vac the small mess. Done, no more fog and an instant conversion to single pane.

Most large towns will have someone who does window repair. The going rate is about $150.00 per window if you R&R.

ferndaleflyer wrote:
Yellowing? My race car has had lexan windows including the windshield for over 20 years and I have seen no yellowing.....

Does your race car sit outside in the sun month after month or is it inside except on race days?

Lexan yellows with lots of sunlight/UV.

Note that your OEM windows have DOT numbers on them, that is required by law. Many years ago, when I was licensed to do vehicle safety inspections in Missouri, we were required to make sure the DOT # was on the glass and the proper glass was in the proper location. IE laminated windshield, tempered side & rear glass, etc.

Richard

garyemunson wrote:
Even more so than in a house..in a house you usually are not sleeping with your head 12" from a window....

the house will have thermopanes or the equivalent, the RV won't.
bumpy