Anyone here used Lexan for "horse-proof" windows?

[jcaron2]

Our horse stalls have windows for the horses to stick their heads out, but we usually keep the ones on the north side of the barn shuttered during the winter. I'm looking to replace the plywood-and-crossbuck shutters with a piece of plexiglass (in a 2x6 frame) to let more light into the barn. I'm assuming Lexan is the way to go, since it's virtually shatterproof.

I'm just curious if anyone here has done this before. I'm not sure what thickness is necessary. I have a storm door with Lexan that seems pretty thin, and it's supposed to be able to withstand a sledgehammer (not that I've ever tested that claim ). The stall window openings are about 34" square, so with a 2x6 frame around the perimeter, the Lexan portion should be around 23" square. I'm pretty certain 1/4" thick is plenty, but I could save quite a bit of money by going with 3/16". Any opinions?

Thanks.

 

[whistlepig]

I don't have any experience with the Lexan windows but I wonder if the horses would "bite" the Lexan and scratch it up.

 

[Ken]

I have never used Lexan for horses but in a dairy barn it is used all the time for lighting the area. And some of these cows will try to go through a knot hole.
Check around for less expensive material but plastic from hard ware store will crack quickly.
Lexan will continue to stay in place.
ken

 

[Marveltone]

1/4" Lexan is used for motorcycle windshields and is incredibly strong, even without a frame. It's sufficient enough to repel most airborne road hazards at highway speeds, including rocks and small birds. 3/16" in a frame will still take an incredible amount of abuse without breaking and save you money in the process, although it will scratch easily. If you just want to get sunlight through the windows, the scratches shouldn't be a problem.

FWIW, you can bend Lexan in a sheet metal break to form 90 degree angles without heating it! Is that tough enough?

Joe

 

[jcaron2]

1/4" Lexan is used for motorcycle windshields and is incredibly strong, even without a frame. It's sufficient enough to repel most airborne road hazards at highway speeds, including rocks and small birds. 3/16" in a frame will still take an incredible amount of abuse without breaking and save you money in the process, although it will scratch easily. If you just want to get sunlight through the windows, the scratches shouldn't be a problem.

FWIW, you can bend Lexan in a sheet metal break to form 90 degree angles without heating it! Is that tough enough?

Joe

Wow. Good to know!

Thanks for the info. Sounds like I should be able to get away with 3/16" for my application.

 

[crazyal]

You could use 1/8". If one of the horses decided to push it too hard it would just pop out of the frame and you would just have to put it back in. We use to put it into schools near playgrounds with rocks. I can't count the number of times we put the same piece of Lexan back into the opening.

It's not cheap stuff and if you get the mar resistant version it's even more money. But if all you are looking for is to let some light in then some scuffs will not matter much.

 

[ustmd]

We have the same issue as you. Two stalls are on the north side fo the barn.

For the last 8 years, we have used lexan covers on the windows instead of shutters. They work great.

We have a metal building for a barn. I installed some J channel on the lexan and "hook it" on the J channel around the window. Along with a couple of spring clamps along the sides, we have never had a problem with the horses or the weather.

Good luck.

 

[jcaron2]

We have the same issue as you. Two stalls are on the north side fo the barn.

For the last 8 years, we have used lexan covers on the windows instead of shutters. They work great.

We have a metal building for a barn. I installed some J channel on the lexan and "hook it" on the J channel around the window. Along with a couple of spring clamps along the sides, we have never had a problem with the horses or the weather.

Good luck.

Excellent!

You've just given me another idea that might save me a lot of money as well. Since the opening inside the frame is roughly 23" square, I've been assuming that I needed to use a piece of Lexan at least an inch larger than that all the way around (meaning a minimum of 25" square) to provide enough margin to screw into. That rules out a 24" square piece, and the next nominal size up is 36" x 36". That extra inch is really expensive! A ~9% increase in area means I have to buy 125% more material.

Based on what you said about using J-channel, it occurs to me that I can just assemble the frame and panel the same way I'd do a raised-panel cabinet door. Cut a 1/2" deep dado in the rails and stiles the same width as the Lexan, assemble three sides of the frame, slide the lexan panel into the groove, then screw on the fourth side. In that case ~1/2" of margin should be plenty, and I can use the much cheaper 24" square panels.

By the way, the second part of my plan is build "inserts" to go over the Lexan during the other three seasons of the year. In that case the shutters will be open and people outside the barn will be seeing the "inside" of the shutter (the same view the horse gets during the winter). A traditional barn shutter in this configuration would be solid with crossbucks and would be painted to match the barn's exterior. I plan to make 23" square panel inserts from 1/4" plywood and 1-by crossbucks. I'll paint them to match the barn and just hold them in place with tabs or screws. Once in place, it will appear to be a solid shutter to the outside world, and nobody will realize that there's lexan behind there.

Thanks for the idea!

 

[Chilly807]

We've used it for years with zero problems, 3/16 is the right size for our use, although we do have one that's 1/8, and is a bit whippy for my likings.

I make a simple 2x2 frame nailed inside the window opening, sit the lexan window against it, then nail another 2x2 frame on the inside, but leave the nail heads slightly proud so you can easily pull them in spring and take the windows out for summer.

I'll add some pics when we put ours in. Should be shortly, we had snow last night!

Sean

 

[jcaron2]

We've used it for years with zero problems, 3/16 is the right size for our use

Glad to hear it. After remeasuring my windows, I realized that 24" square isn't quite big enough, so I had to break down and order 36" square pieces. Since the price is significantly higher for 225% as much surface area, I opted for the 3/16" thickness, rather than 1/4". Should arrive today, so we can both post pictures in the next few days.

Thanks!