# Glass or Plexi-glass/ Acrylic



## haydn (Jan 14, 2018)

whats better between the 2 or 3 materials for display windows or used to make sliding doors for lizard and snake enclosures?

Cheers Haydn


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## Imported_tuatara (Jan 14, 2018)

acrlyic


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## Scutellatus (Jan 14, 2018)

Glass hands down.
It looks better and lasts longer. Acylic will discolour over time and is also susceptible to scratches etc when cleaning.


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## haydn (Jan 14, 2018)

whats the benfits of the 2?


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## Bl69aze (Jan 14, 2018)

Depends how fancy you want it to be, glass will look way better, but cost more.

Fibreglass *i mean PERSPEX* is cheap and looks ok untill u scratch it, it’s flexible to an extent so no worry about breaking it  I use fibreglass just coz I had a bunch laying around. No discolouration after 3years


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## Imported_tuatara (Jan 14, 2018)

forgot about fibreglass


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## haydn (Jan 14, 2018)

is fiberlass bad?


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## Scutellatus (Jan 14, 2018)

Bl69aze said:


> Depends how fancy you want it to be, glass will look way better, but cost more.
> 
> Fibreglass is cheap and looks ok untill u scratch it, it’s flexible to an extent so no worry about breaking it  I use fibreglass just coz I had a bunch laying around. No discolouration after 3years


Fibreglass for enclosure doors and display windows?
How do you see through it?


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## Pauls_Pythons (Jan 14, 2018)

I prefer glass but thats just my opinion.
I guess it depends on the enclosure build as much as anything. I have melamine enclosures. If I was building a full enclosure of glass it wouldn't work so well from a heat retention perspective. So in that case I might look at perspex. 
I know some people use perspex for the doors but it never seems clear enough to me and gets scratched easily which will impact visibility in the long term.
I think glass would be the cheaper option too.


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## Wally (Jan 14, 2018)

Scutellatus said:


> Fibreglass for enclosure doors and display windows?
> How do you see through it?



Don"t apply the resin. It's more like a curtain.


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## Scutellatus (Jan 14, 2018)

Wally said:


> Don"t apply the resin. It's more like a curtain.


More like a privacy screen you think Wally?


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## haydn (Jan 14, 2018)

would ackies or simlier size lizards scratch the hell out of acrylic?


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## Scutellatus (Jan 14, 2018)

haydn said:


> would ackies or simlier size lizards scratch the hell out of acrylic?


It is definitely possible. Even if dust on acrylic isn't cleaned corretly it will scratch.


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## Bl69aze (Jan 14, 2018)

Scutellatus said:


> Fibreglass for enclosure doors and display windows?
> How do you see through it?


I think I got confused and meant perspex not fibreglass
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Pauls_Pythons said:


> I prefer glass but thats just my opinion.
> I guess it depends on the enclosure build as much as anything. I have melamine enclosures. If I was building a full enclosure of glass it wouldn't work so well from a heat retention perspective. So in that case I might look at perspex.
> I know some people use perspex for the doors but it never seems clear enough to me and gets scratched easily which will impact visibility in the long term.
> I think glass would be the cheaper option too.


Glass is definitely more expensive


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## haydn (Jan 14, 2018)

does acrylic hold in the heat better etc?


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## Pauls_Pythons (Jan 14, 2018)

Bl69aze said:


> Glass is definitely more expensive



Not in my experience.
Buying 5mm plate cut to size would be half the price of buying a sheet of perspex which also gives you heaps of waste.


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## haydn (Jan 14, 2018)

is acrylic not worth using if used to house ackies or of similer size
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Pauls_Pythons said:


> I prefer glass but thats just my opinion.
> I guess it depends on the enclosure build as much as anything. I have melamine enclosures. If I was building a full enclosure of glass it wouldn't work so well from a heat retention perspective. So in that case I might look at perspex.
> I know some people use perspex for the doors but it never seems clear enough to me and gets scratched easily which will impact visibility in the long term.
> I think glass would be the cheaper option too.



What do u mean by heat retention perspective? you have all melamine enclosures?


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## Pauls_Pythons (Jan 14, 2018)

haydn said:


> What do u mean by heat retention perspective? you have all melamine enclosures?



I mean that if I was in some way keen to build a full glass enclosure that perspex would be a better option in such a situation as it would hold more heat in than glass would.

As I have melamine I use glass. Don't need to worry so much about heat retention.


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## haydn (Jan 14, 2018)

i am planning my first reptile enclosure, toss up over ply or melamine and trying to figure out the best front to put on, plexiglass or glass but read the plexi can absorb chemicals etc and scratchs an warps or fades with the uv and heat


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## dragonlover1 (Jan 14, 2018)

the enclosures I build my self are made of pine,if I have to buy ready made they are usually melamine but I do have some made of glass,so I have some idea of each.Forget plastic or plexiglass as they scratch easily and discolour quickly.You MUST use glass doors for any long term enjoyment.


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