…… Replacing glass with Lexan

[kyrsyan]

In the interesting twists and turns of our life, the inside glass of our half-lite front door got broken. This is one of the doors that has a blind in between the two panes. That may be the only thing that saved the other pane. It didn't hurt the person who broke it because I have privacy film on it and the privacy film caught and held most of the glass. (Oh, and the blind is fine. It was up when this occurred.) And, of course, I'm the one with a bloody glass splinter in my foot. In a spot I can't reach.

I am interested in replacing it with Lexan. Primarily to prevent a repeat of the breaking. But there is a nice side bonus of how much it would aggravate someone trying to break in by breaking the front door glass. Dad is worried that the Lexan will flex too much and would possible pop out of place with future abuse (pretty much a guaranteed occurrence) or that it would flex enough to allow the 2nd pane to be broken (1" air gap between panes).

To fit, I can only use 1/8" Lexan. The window glass was only 1/8" thick. And my skills only extend to replacement, not adding grooves/whatever to a steel door. The entire piece will by ~20.5" x 36". The measurements are approximate because I have not taken everything apart yet to get exact measurement. I will do that when I am sure because right now that film coated shattered glass is preventing the other pane from being broken. From what I can see, the glass is recessed 1/4 to 1/2 inch under the framing. (And yes, it is actually protecting the other pane and may actually be retraining the behavior that caused the problem in the first place.)

Anyone have any experience with swapping out like this? I'm not talking regular cheap poly carb but actual Lexan. (And don't the guys at the hardware store just love me when they have to cut it to size! Even with their machine it's a pita.)

 

[Kathy in FL]

We occasionally use lexan in windows that get broken at our rentals. Lexan is not glass. You are NOT going to get the same view through it. And not all "lexan" is made the same. Some is extremely high quality and some is basically just cheap plastic.

Another warning for Lexan ... we had lexan security panels over our dormer windows at our bol. The visibility deteriorated over the years. It was barely noticeable at first but by year 7-ish it let light in but your ability to see out was compromised. By year 10-ish it was compromised significantly. By year 15 we had removed them.

Also, while they can keep people from breaking in they will prevent you from breaking out if you need to for some reason. For instance if there is a fire and you need out and that is your only exit, or the only entrance for rescuers.

Just like glass you are going to need to secure the lexan in place so it doesn't move around. How was the glass secured? Was there a track with a frame over it? See if you can use the same method. An inch is plenty of room between for the "gap" but there was also probably some type of gas between the panes to prevent fogging and mildew.

I'm not on site but those are the few concerns that I would have. A window repairman might not be willing to fix them. I know that some no longer work on double paned windows for the above mentioned reasons (gas, fogging, etc.).

 

[hiwall]

Lexan also scratches. In a window it might be fine but in a door that get used it will soon show scratches.

 

[kyrsyan]

First, it will be Lexan with UV protectant designed for outdoor use. I had to use the same, in smaller size to replace a bathroom window on both sides. (And isn't that version bloody expensive.)
It is secured by a track underneath the framing around it. No gas was in it. I've actually done glass swapouts before in other locations. The biggest problem is making sure there is no moisture when you reseal it.
The Lexan will get the same film that the glass had. That should handle most of the scratch issue. Window film is plentiful in this house. I'm honestly debating doing it on the inside of the second pane as well. That would pretty much blackout that window from the outside. (I have a thing about being able to see put while others cannot see in. And am thoroughly aware of the problems of peep holes.)
That door is not our escape path for any emergencies. And if I need to break glass to exit, there are much better options. But not having to worry about people being able to break the glass and grab keys mean I can go back to having a spare close to the door in case of emergencies. There are also better options for first responders if needed.
Kathy, how big are the windows you've used it in? 10 to 15 years to swap out, if needed, is doable. By then there will be spare glass or Lexan stashed for it.

 

[Duffield]

I used to work in a door co. the ones with internal blinds that we had were sealed units that had 2 pieces of 1/8 inch tempered glass held together with a very gummy black sealant/aluminum about a inch wide. If yours has this black rubber sealant it will be difficult to remove the broken glass sticking in it. At work if one side was broken we threw them out. The broken piece could be replaced with acrylic or lexan but you may have to put some kind of trim pieces on the inside to hold it in. Acylic is tough but will break lexan is very tough.

 

[kyrsyan]

I used to work in a door co. the ones with internal blinds that we had were sealed units that had 2 pieces of 1/8 inch tempered glass held together with a very gummy black sealant/aluminum about a inch wide. If yours has this black rubber sealant it will be difficult to remove the broken glass sticking in it. At work if one side was broken we threw them out. The broken piece could be replaced with acrylic or lexan but you may have to put some kind of trim pieces on the inside to hold it in. Acylic is tough but will break lexan is very tough.

Thanks for the heads up.
Due to doing the bathroom window, I've met that lovely black goo. Yeah no fun but workable with a razor knife. In the end we completed reconstructed that pane of the window with frosting on both panes.
And I have adhesive tapes meant for for use with poly/lexan. Once with the goo was enough. I can order thicker tapes if needed. I will keep in mind a possible need for extra trim pieces.

 

[Duffield]

Thanks for the heads up.
Due to doing the bathroom window, I've met that lovely black goo. Yeah no fun but workable with a razor knife. In the end we completed reconstructed that pane of the window with frosting on both panes.
And I have adhesive tapes meant for for use with poly/lexan. Once with the goo was enough. I can order thicker tapes if needed. I will keep in mind a possible need for extra trim pieces.

If you worked with it before then you should not have any problem replacing it with lexan you also could maybe come up with some kind of what we called crash bars screwed to the door inside to prevent the lexan from being pushed on when going in and out the door.

 

[Kathy in FL]

The lexan in the rental unit windows is all different size. What we had at the BOL Fit in a track over the outside of the window so that it could be removed for cleaning, etc. It was a large piece that was difficult to handle by one person on a ladder. That said, it was a true marvel and could withstand 9mm bullets with the only result being a small discolored dimple. No, we didn’t have people shooting up the house but we didn’t want to come back and find that someone had done it while hunting or for mischief and run away. We are looking for a replacement security measure that isn’t a pain in the tush. It would be difficult to impossible to put the same kind of hurricane shutters we have on all of the other windows Including the other upstairs window. If I find an alternative besides bullet proof glass I’ll pass it along. LOL

 

[kyrsyan]

When we lived in FL, Dad had some type of roll down steel shutter for some of the windows that didn't work well with standard hurricane shutters. But that was a few decades ago. I remember they cost a pretty penny then.
I wasn't thinking of it for resisting bullets, but I'll take the bonus. I'll just have to remember not to shoot through it myself. My house is a very old build, and the nature of it means that it is more protective than most.

If you worked with it before then you should not have any problem replacing it with lexan you also could maybe come up with some kind of what we called crash bars screwed to the door inside to prevent the lexan from being pushed on when going in and out the door.

I've been trying to but unless I get narrow metal strips, there's no real room. And narrow metal strips won't really help.
Part of me is hoping that the current learning will help decrease the behavior. But Lexan also doesn't provide the same sensory feedback that glass does. All I can do is hope. At the least, Lexan won't shatter like glass. And since I'm the one who inevitably gets the splinters in my foot, in hard to reach spots, I'll be glad for that.

 

[kyrsyan]

Not as much of a pain in the butt as I expected. Turns out this window was triple pane. I put the film on the interior glass. I may have to pull it back off and pull the film if it overheats the space. We'll see. (The film tends to make the window/glass that it is on really hot!) Still hate black goo. Used the roll of window tape designed for use with polycarb and Lexan. That was soooo much easier than tube of goo!!!
Biggest pain? The person who was helping that wanted to use every shortcut in existence and was annoyed that I wouldn't use the shortcuts. The biggest amusement? Said person's surprise that I had enough energy to match him and deal with the "well then you do it" ultimatum. And I did it.

 

[patriotgal]

What window film do you use? Need to get some.

 

[kyrsyan]

What window film do you use? Need to get some.

Just a standard Gila 70% mirror film. I got lucky and found a whole bunch at a yard sale for $1/box. Many of the windows in my house have been filmed. The only ones that get hot are those in direct sunlight get super hot.

 

[WiWatcher]

Here is something interesting. Probably cost an arm, a leg and a pint of blood though. Transparent aluminum.

View: https://youtu.be/DduO1fNzV4w

 

[kyrsyan]

Here is something interesting. Probably cost an arm, a leg and a pint of blood though. Transparent aluminum.

View: https://youtu.be/DduO1fNzV4w

Does cost an arm and a leg. Or I probably would have tried it.