Helpful Fabrication Tips
We always recommend that you lay the Strataglass sheets flat on a table in a relatively warm room the night before you plan to fabricate the enclosure curtains.
If the vinyl sheets have paper marks or lines from the inner cardboard edge, these marks can be removed with a heat gun, common hair dryer or direct exposure to the sun. Hold heat gun 4-6 inches away from product and work in 12-inch areas at a time. Be careful not to overheat or concentrate the heat in one area for any length of time. After a few minutes, as the product reaches the temperature gradient, it will clear up. Strataglass has structural memory, and that memory is the perfect flatness it had when it was produced.
To remove cloudiness, “pools” or sharp impressions (zipper marks, etc.) simply heat up the surface area, small sections at a time, with a heat gun or common hairdryer. Do not overheat or concentrate heat in one area for any length of time.
If installing in colder weather, we recommend that you heat up the enclosure during the installation and stretch the product into position. Product installed tightly in the cold may relax and appear loosely fit when warmer weather returns.
We recommend using Strataglass Protective Cleaner to thoroughly clean the enclosure panels followed by a thorough application of Strataglass Protective Polish, both inside and out, as a final step in the fabrication process. This will establish the first basecoat of protection and promote watershed.
New clear vinyl products are soft and easily impressionable. We recommend that new Strataglass enclosure curtains remain in the installed position and stay fastened securely to the boat as much as possible. If the new Strataglass curtains must be removed, the enclosure panels should be carefully interleafed with a soft fabric such as a bed sheet and stored flat. The vinyl will inherently strengthen over time and become less impressionable. When the boat is not in use, always close and fasten the Strataglass enclosure panels in place to prolong the life of your curtains and maintain clarity.
