nylon nuts and bolts

[grampian23]

Greetings!
I am writing from Vancouver Island, BC. I am fixing up a Grampian23 and I am wondering if I could use nylon nuts and bolts in the window frames and other exposed areas? Will they hold up to the weather and UV rays?

Thanks,
Russ
rjarnott@shaw.ca

[paulk]

Nylon should hold up pretty well to the weather and (especially in your area) UV rays, but I''d hesitate to use them in window frames or many other marine applications. The usual place I see nylon nuts & bolts is holding toilet seats on, where they''re always working loose. If you tighten them up enough to keep them from working loose, you end up distorting and/or stripping the threads. In an exterior situation, this will provide a wonderful passage for water to leak in, or for the fastening to crack and fail. Most caulking/sealing goops that are supposed to block leaks around fastenings will also be hard put to stick to nylon, so they''ll leak even if the bolts are well caulked. Sounds like a material to avoid in this application, IMHO.

[DelmarRey]

Nylon is not good in the sun, Like you really have to worry in Vancouver . Anyway, acetate is the best plastic for UV applications. But I would think stainless steel would be your best bet!

Del- Puget Sound