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

scott_vt · Oct 28, 2011

jcaron2 said:
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!

Good Morning jcaron2,
I used Lexan for years working as a modelmaker, its great stuff. You can easily mill it and also it glues easily using liquid Mod Bond...

The 3/16" should be fine, the only drawback is that it scratches easily, but in your application it should be no problem. I just thought I would mention the gluing easily to another piece of Lexan... Good Luck with your project !

BeezFun · Oct 28, 2011

We have a small window of lexan, one of the horses stands outside half the day and stares at his reflection in the window. I think he'd rather look at himself than eat.

Chilly807 · Oct 30, 2011

We put our windows in this morning, woke up to a couple inches of snow and a cold north east wind.

I used cedar 5/4 x 4 decking, ripped down the middle for the outer frame, and cedar 5/8 fence boards for the interior frame. The Lexan is 3/16, sandwiched between the two frames. The casing was wet from snow and rain before we put the Lexan in, normally they leak very little if at all.

I tried something new this year. I cut transverse grooves in the bottom of the lower outer frames so water running down the windows would have somewhere to drain away. The frames are simply nailed into the casing faces.

Sean

BeezFun · Oct 31, 2011

Can I come live in your barn?

jcaron2 · Oct 31, 2011

BeezFun said:
Can I come live in your barn?

I agree! Beautiful barn and gorgeous view out the windows, Sean. I used to live up at your latitude, and I have to say I certainly don't miss that weather!

I've only had time to get started on one window so far. Everything's cut, but the frame and jamb pieces still need paint on the outside and polyurethane on the inside. Then everything needs to be fastened together, the frame needs to be mounted in the jamb with hinges, and the whole kit and kaboodle needs to be installed over the window opening on the outside of the barn.

I'll try to post a couple pictures when I finish, plus I'll probably show more detail in my barn-building thread.

Thanks for all the advice so far, everyone!

Chilly807 · Oct 31, 2011

I appreciate the barn compliments, guys. We put a lot of time and effort into it this summer, and we're pretty happy with the results.

It's been a life-long dream of my wife's to have her own place to keep the horses, boarding them out is not only expensive but inconvenient at times.

Sean

tallyho8 · Oct 31, 2011

About 1993 I bought a lot of used pieces of 1/4" lexan cheap when the New Orleans Brass hockey team moved to a new arena. The lexan is tough enough to stop the hockey pucks from hitting the spectators and if there is a hockey arena near you, you might be able to get some large used pieces cheap when they replace them due to scratches, fogging etc.

I have used these panels many different ways and have cut them, screwed through them, nailed them and glued them and they have never cracked or broken. They do scratch and after many years in the sun some are opaque but they let the sunlight through just fine when used as windows or skylights in a barn.

I sandblasted one so that it would let light through and you couldn't see through it to use on a port-a-john.