# Glass or Perspex???



## Craigo (May 19, 2013)

Hey everyone, I'm currently building a new enclosure for my jungle.
its made from melamine and is 1800 tall 1200 wide 600deep, I am currently deciding on whether to use glass or Perspex for the sliding doors, anyone got any opinions on what is better?


----------



## sharky (May 19, 2013)

I've been wondering about the same thing, Craigo! Looking forward to replies


----------



## wokka (May 19, 2013)

You could use a 1800mm x 1200mm aluminium window, $50 at the local recycler, including lock


----------



## Misnomer (May 19, 2013)

Not sure if this is helpful. I do it back to front? Seek out 2nd hand shop display cabinets, framed windows, shower doors(untinted or not too heavily scaled) etc. Build the enclosure around them. Need to be patient in the hunt for them...but saves $$$.

For me, glass only for anything that might be prone to scratching/wear. Thick perspex(2nd hand) for floors.

Happy hunting.


----------



## thomasssss (May 19, 2013)

at 1200 wide and 1800 high please steer away from using any thickness of float glass , if i was to use glass i would be using either a toughened safety glass or at least laminated glass (personally id be going perspex for any enclosure but that personal opinions 

i could ramble and ramble on about the reasons why , but in the end it all comes down to harm minimisation , we do that(well most of us ) in every other aspect of our keeping and i think it should be passed over to DIY projects 

float glass is rather weak when its edges are exposed , in the sliding glass track systems that people use it leaves these edges exposed (float is designed for house windows where its edges are held firm and tight reducing the risk of a breakage 10 fold 

in the event anything was to ever hit this float glass hard enough it could very well shatter and if the force comes from the outside , it will shatter into the enclosure leaving your pet to move around in a pile of broken , sharp glass 

with laminated glass this will not happen , the laminate should hold its shape and whilst you will have a broken piece of glass there should be minimal pieces come off it , toughened will break into lots of little pieces but will take alot of force to do so 

now perspex , its incredibly hard to break when used in the same situations , you can drill it and cut it yourself , but some will say that it scratches up really bad , i still have pieces in use after over a year and they still look new , guess that comes down to how you treat it

oh and i was a glazier , not for all that long but this is my opinions of glass and how it should be used


----------



## Craigo (May 19, 2013)

Yea I was thinkin Perspex as I hav little kids whom love the snake. But I am not sure about how it would be when it comes to keeping heat in? and if at that height if it would be to flexy?


----------



## wokka (May 19, 2013)

If you go a bit bigger , say 2100 high x 1800 then secondhand sliding doors are dime a dozen and they are laminated. Like misnomer said - find the doors then biuld the enclosure. Double glazed freezer (coke fridge) doors are also useful!


----------



## Skeptic (May 19, 2013)

Snakes will just push their way through perspex sliding doors, unless you use really thick stuff and then it's really expensive.


----------



## Rogue5861 (May 19, 2013)

Glass track isnt made for glass higher then 760mm, either add a brace along the front or use perspex (yes it will flex).


Rick


----------



## Craigo (May 19, 2013)

I have already built enclosure, obviously not thinking about how or what on the front.


----------



## thomasssss (May 19, 2013)

wokka said:


> If you go a bit bigger , say 2100 high x 1800 then secondhand sliding doors are dime a dozen and they are laminated. Like misnomer said - find the doors then biuld the enclosure. Double glazed freezer (coke fridge) doors are also useful!


this isnt all that bad of an idea , ive used an old house window in one of my enclosures , works a charm 

and yes as skeptic pointed out , perspex isnt all that good in sliding tracks ( probably should of noted that myself ) i would only really use perspex in a swinging door set up where you have a wooden frame screwed to the edges , this is what i use it for  if your set on using a sliding track you really have to stick with glass but as said tay away from float , the few trophy cabinets i did (when i worked in the industry) only ever used toughened from memory


----------



## dangles (May 19, 2013)

I use laminate and was only approx $10 diff for just over 1.5m2 went this route due to young kids


----------



## ronhalling (May 19, 2013)

Unless you can source the ball bearing roller track for you enclosure it is going to be very hard to use 1800x640mm x2 glass sliders as they will be too heavy for the plastic or aluminium slider tracks, unless you are going to use a solid panel of glass at the bottom of the enclosure and then have 2 1200x640mm sliders on top, you will still need 8mm laminate but it will be cheaper, you can then use 5mm float glass in the bottom or 5mm perspex  ...................................Ron


----------



## Snowman (May 19, 2013)

Always glass. Perspex is the worst product ever. Wipe it with anything and it scratches. I used to use apt of food grade Perspex at a pharmaceutical lab where I did my apprenticeship. Great for enclosing control gear. Crap for viewing animals long term.


----------



## R.a.n.g.a (May 19, 2013)

Question : does it have to be a sliding glass/Perspex , at that height and width , wouldn't a framed door be easier .
perspex isn't that bad over time , you just need to take note when cleaning it .


----------



## Craigo (May 19, 2013)

I'm thinking I might make some sort of double swing door or atleast close the front in a bit more.


----------



## andynic07 (May 19, 2013)

I think a glass door like a stein enclosure would be nice ir a framed door like others have mentioned.


----------



## lizardwhisperer (May 19, 2013)

Liitle kids in the house , no brainer , go with 6mm perspex .

Glass and kids don't mix - DANGEROUS.


----------



## justin91 (May 19, 2013)

Skeptic said:


> Snakes will just push their way through perspex sliding doors, unless you use really thick stuff and then it's really expensive.





Snowman said:


> Always glass. Perspex is the worst product ever. Wipe it with anything and it scratches. I used to use apt of food grade Perspex at a pharmaceutical lab where I did my apprenticeship. Great for enclosing control gear. Crap for viewing animals long term.



I've had persex on my bearded dragon and snake enclosure for the past few months and they both look brand new..... Best idea I ever had was going perspex over glass... 


Glass is expensive.. But it isn't flimsy and doesn't scratch as easy. Is more expensive as well.

Perspex is cheap, flex's a bit (my spotted python escaped 3 times lol.. Easy fix when I realised it was the perspex, just got some rubber door seals and put it from top to bottom of the perspex and he hasn't escaped since). It's also at least half the price as glass. Slides ok.. Depending on size of course.

I went perspex because it was cheaper and I'm very happy with my decision. I most likely won't be going glass again/ever.


----------



## andynic07 (May 19, 2013)

justin91 said:


> I've had persex on my bearded dragon and snake enclosure for the past few months and they both look brand new..... Best idea I ever had was going perspex over glass...
> 
> 
> Glass is expensive.. But it isn't flimsy and doesn't scratch as easy. Is more expensive as well.
> ...


It will be interesting to see if it stands the test of time as glass will last the life of a snake without a problem as long as it isn't smashed. I think some perspex may go cloudy (opaque) over time as well, this may be only with UV exposure though.


----------



## Skeptic (May 19, 2013)

justin91 said:


> I've had persex on my bearded dragon and snake enclosure for the past few months and they both look brand new..... Best idea I ever had was going perspex over glass...
> 
> 
> Glass is expensive.. But it isn't flimsy and doesn't scratch as easy. Is more expensive as well.
> ...



In my experience glass is cheaper than perspex. You've just gotta find the right glazier


----------



## Rogue5861 (May 19, 2013)

andynic07 said:


> It will be interesting to see if it stands the test of time as glass will last the life of a snake without a problem as long as it isn't smashed. I think some perspex may go cloudy (opaque) over time as well, this may be only with UV exposure though.



Polycarbonite will yellow with uv exposure but acrylic wont, polycarbonite is a stronger material an less likely to chip (more likely to scratch). Acrylic can be polished so will return clarity back to how it was (92% light transmission).

Glass really is the best for clarity. Acrylic is safer when children are involved.


Rick


----------



## andynic07 (May 19, 2013)

Rogue5861 said:


> Polycarbonite will yellow with uv exposure but acrylic wont, polycarbonite is a stronger material an less likely to chip (more likely to scratch). Acrylic can be polished so will return clarity back to how it was (92% light transmission).
> 
> Glass really is the best for clarity. Acrylic is safer when children are involved.
> 
> ...


Cheers , very comprehensive. What is perspex made from, I am assuming it is a brand name?


----------



## Rogue5861 (May 20, 2013)

andynic07 said:


> Cheers , very comprehensive. What is perspex made from, I am assuming it is a brand name?



I believe perspex is just a brand of acrylic sheet.


Rick


----------



## justin91 (May 24, 2013)

andynic07 said:


> It will be interesting to see if it stands the test of time as glass will last the life of a snake without a problem as long as it isn't smashed. I think some perspex may go cloudy (opaque) over time as well, this may be only with UV exposure though.



Oh ok, didn't know that. Thats ok though, as long as I get a few years out of it. It was mainly one of those weeks where I just wanted to finish building my enclosure but I didn't quiet have enough for glass (stupid rego).



Skeptic said:


> In my experience glass is cheaper than perspex. You've just gotta find the right glazier



I wish I knew the same glazier you did lol. The perspex cost me $70 whereas glass was going to cost well over a hundred.


----------



## Pythoninfinite (May 24, 2013)

Gee, I've rarely read so much misguided advice from people who have very little idea of what they're talking about. 

1. Clarity - acrylic sheet (Perspex etc...) is many times clearer than glass, by a factor of ten to hundreds or more - it is used to pipe light hundreds of kilometres in fibreoptics etc.
2. Acrylic sheet scratches easily, the first time you wipe it over, you begin the process of degradation
3. Acrylic sheet is highly electrostatic - clean and polish it in a dry atmosphere and it will attract more dust IMMEDIATELY, and this is very hard to remove because the more you wipe it the worse it gets
3. Acrylic sheet absorbs water and expands on the side where the greatest humidity is, so it bows according to ambient conditions
4. Acrylic sheet is highly flexible, and as others have said, animals will escape if they put a bit of pressure on the overlap (one respondent had an animal escape THREE times???)
5. If you read the OPs first post, you'll see that the size of the sheets required is very large, the flex factor will be very great, making acrylic totally unsuitable, unless each sheet is fully framed
6. The only appropriate material for unframed doors here would be either laminated glass (preferred) or toughened glass (will have to be processed specially for this size), but you would need ball-bearing runners to support the weight.

Overall, as Snowman said, acrylic is a crap material for animal enclosures - I spent years with the stuff as showcase material, working in museums. Compared to glass it makes for a massive amount of extra work, is unstable for the reasons I've outlined, and generally has a relatively short service life. I wouldn't touch the stuff for this application.

I don't know where the comment about it being cheaper than glass comes from - the respondent obviously hasn't shopped around for glass...

Jamie


----------



## justin91 (May 24, 2013)

Pythoninfinite said:


> I don't know where the comment about it being cheaper than glass comes from - the respondent obviously hasn't shopped around for glass...
> 
> Jamie



If your referring to me, then yes. It was cheaper to use perspex then glass. Quoted from two different businesses. One quoted $200 (Don't know if he was trying to rip me off big time or not...) the other was $130. 4.5mm acrylic - $70. Therefore it was a better option for me to go perspex. Might not be for others, but in my case it was.


----------



## Craigo (May 24, 2013)

I would prefer a sliding front but I am also now considering a swinging door.


----------



## Pythoninfinite (May 24, 2013)

justin91 said:


> If your referring to me, then yes. It was cheaper to use perspex then glass. Quoted from two different businesses. One quoted $200 (Don't know if he was trying to rip me off big time or not...) the other was $130. 4.5mm acrylic - $70. Therefore it was a better option for me to go perspex. Might not be for others, but in my case it was.



Well, I wonder what size/s you were looking for, and what sort of glass and thickness you were quoted for? The fact that one quoted $200 and another $130 should indicate that there is a fair amount of profiteering going on. I've found that there is often a variation by a factor of x3 in the price of glass. Most reasonable glass suppliers (usually smaller businesses) will cut what we want from offcuts that they're glad to get rid of. The bigger suppliers have a fixed price per sq metre and so charge heaps more even though they too cut from waste.

In my experience acrylic is never the best option if functionality is to be considered.

And to the OP, sliding panels which are three times taller than they are wide, especially if they are heavy, as these will be, are potentially quite dangerous, and unless you use quality ball-bearing track, you'll have all sorts of sticking problems.

Jamie


----------

