Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Which is more cost effective for the front of a snake enclosure? I can' get plexi at lowes or menards. Where would I get glass? What thickness should I use? How much should I expect to pay? The enclosure has an opening about 3.5 x 3.5 feet, I plan on either two sliding doors, or two doors that hinge outward.

I highly doubt that Lowes or Menards carries Plexiglass. They probably carry a much lower quality acrylic that they sell to people asking for plexiglass. That's all people have heard of not realizing that plexiglass is a specific brand name.

All the acrylic I've seen from home improvement stores has been very low quality and I would not use it for any herp application. It warps and yellows very easily.

I get real Plexi or other higher quality acrylics from glass shops. No surprise, that's also where I get glass. Look in your yellow pages and call glass shops that don't limit themselves to automobile applications.

Even with glass shops you need to clarify what you're getting when you buy "plexiglass". They're also very used to selling acrlyic as "plexiglass" even when they carry something else. However, I've never ended up with low quality acrylic from a glass shop.

Regular glass is almost always more cost effective than decent quality acrylics.

If you want sliding doors, I'm not sure that acrylic will work in the size you'll require. It may be too flexible.
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Which is more cost effective for the front of a snake enclosure? I can' get plexi at lowes or menards. Where would I get glass? What thickness should I use? How much should I expect to pay? The enclosure has an opening about 3.5 x 3.5 feet, I plan on either two sliding doors, or two doors that hinge outward.

For sliding doors for that opening Glass would definitely be the best solution in my mind. The reason is even if you have high quality Plexiglas, it still bends a little. The real glass won't so that there would be no chance of scratching the finish or yellowing.
I just went to a glass shop not long ago and got 2 pieces of glass 36"x25" and it ran about $40 each piece. The low quality acrylic at Lowes, Home depot, etc... was about $27 a sheet of 36"x30". I'm not saying i got the best deal on glass but hey its just nicer. And I’m talking about 1/4 inch thick glass and acrylic. If you’re housing a strong snake or something you may need to consider tempering the glass as well. That will drive the price up some more BUT you could pretty much hit the glass with a hammer and it wouldn't break.... (But don’t' actually try it!)
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Later,
WhisQuila