The Framers Forum

I normally use glass, not much acrylic at all, and I usually tape up a "sandwich" of glass/mount/art/undermount. If I do use acrylic, should I not tape up a sandwich, in case the tape stops the acrylic expanding if it wants to?

With glass, all the rest of the sandwich could expand while the glass stays still, so maybe the acrylic would move at the same rate as all the rest. Maybe also use a plastic tape or just leave some slack in whatever you already use.

It's not something I've experienced, I suppose the conditions that would cause enough expansion to be a problem would be causing bigger ones elsewhere in the home!

I replaced the bottom glass panel of an outhouse door with perspex recently - screwed about every 3" and glued to seal. It looked a bit pants so I painted it black, which was silly as it faced South and absorbed the heat, even in Winter you could hardly touch it at times.. It didn't crack or noticeably bow.

I don't think that tape would prevent the acrylic expanding but an insufficient gap between the acrylic and moulding would.

Thanks both for that reassurance.