Perspecs or glass?

[Gizmo101]

So I am currently looking into converting an old school wooed bookcase into a multi level/cage enclosure. But I'm stuck on whether to use perspecs or glass for the front.
what works better, is easier to put in etc?And comparisons between the two, other then the obvious price difference.
Thanks

 

[AllThingsReptile]

Perspex is $40-$50 a sheet from bunnings, i find it easier to work with as you can cut it with anything without it shattering

 

[andynic07]

[h=1]Glass v's Perspex,,,,sliding v's swinging.[/h]

 

[andynic07]

Perspex is $40-$50 a sheet from bunnings, i find it easier to work with as you can cut it with anything without it shattering

I usually don't work with glass, I just get the glass place to cut it to size and either polish the edges for sliders or just cut for rebated fixed glass. No hassle or working with it at all.

 

[AllThingsReptile]

I usually don't work with glass, I just get the glass place to cut it to size and either policy the edges for sliders or just cut for rebated fixed glass. No hassle or working with it at all.

haha well yeh getting it professionally done is much easier

 

[spud_meister]

How will you have the doors? If you're swinging, I'd go for acrylic to save on weight and for ease of installation. If you're sliding, glass won't flex in the middle, and doesn't have near as much friction on the edges.

 

[whiteshadow]

What will ur enclosure hold?
Snakes perspex will be fine. Lizards go glass.
Lizard nails will scratch the perspex ;-)

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Tapatalk

 

[Lawra]

I've heard from southern folks that perspex helps hold a better thermal gradient than glass.

I'm up north and use perspex because I can buy whole sheets of it wholesale and cut it myself = much cheaper

 

[andynic07]

I've heard from southern folks that perspex helps hold a better thermal gradient than glass.

I'm up north and use perspex because I can buy whole sheets of it wholesale and cut it myself = much cheaper

How much is a sheet of perspex and what dimensions is it. I figure it would be fairly cheap but glass for one enclosure cut and polished edges would but about $50 i think. I recently built two enclosures with fixed glass as you know and the glass for that without polished edges was under $30 so in the big scheme of things not expensive although may be more expensive than perspex.

 

[Lawra]

[MENTION=34534]andynic07[/MENTION] from memory it was about $150 for a 4.5mm 2400x1200 sheet. I liked the versatility of it and with me being such a clumsy miss I tend to stay away from glass as much as possible

 

[andynic07]

That is quite a bit cheaper then. It saves waiting for glass to be cut as well and you can make them whenever you like without the constraints of the shops being open.

 

[pinefamily]

Perspex is generally more expensive than glass, unless you can get trade prices. For the average home DIYer Perspex would be easier to work with, but as Andy has said it's not that expensive to get glass professionally finished to specifications.
Perspex does hold heat better, as Lawra has said, and, as Whiteshadow pointed out, glass is the preferred option with lizards with claws ( especially dragons).

 

[Stevo2]

I'm the opposite to ^
I have found perspex cut to size works out cheaper than the equivalent glass by a larger factor *shrugs* Not from Bunnings though, they're expensive!

I also think that perspex has a better CRI than glass.

 

[Gizmo101]

Thanks everyone for the help
ill be only keeping snakes in there and I want the doors to slide.
I am lucky enough to be able to get materials at trade prices.

 

[Jacknife]

Glass.

When perspex is exposed to UV light it clouds up.
It may be cheaper and easier to work with but in 2 years with a UV/heat light, you wont be able to see you animal.
5mm glass will do just about any job, just shop around your local glaziers for the best price.

 

[butters]

Glass definitely wears better than Perspex. I have experience with both and would pick glass as an option every time if I wanted it to last.

 

[Snowman]

Glass definitely wears better than Perspex. I have experience with both and would pick glass as an option every time if I wanted it to last.

Yap I agree. I used to work at a pharmaceutical lab, all the electrical equipment went into food grade perspex housing. I've built a tone of things with the rotten stuff. It's easy to work with, but it's useless long term like a reptile display. Just wiping it with a cloth scratches it. Glass if far better for cleaning and more resilient. Perspex is prone to a lot of static too.... Fine for a PLC cover, crap for reptiles.

 

[Fil_14]

I work full time on a laser machine, and I don't have to pay for my acrylic.
I still choose to pay for glass. It'll never bend or warp and will always stay clear.


Fil...

 

[Rogue5861]

Acrylic is rubbish. If you dont want to use glads use polycarbonate sheet, its heaps stronger then acylic or glass and doesnt absorb moisture like acylic or bow or warp.


Rick

 

[pinefamily]

How does polycarb handle claws? I know from experience perspex doesn't go so well with beardies.