questions on building a viv

In the next couple weeks Hiei is getting his new, bigger enclosure. I'm pretty sure it's going to be made out of oak plywood and stained. For the substrate, I'm most likely going with a piece of linoleum or grouted tile. I have a few questions, though.

First, I wanted to seal the inside roof and walls to protect them and make them more durable. Is there any particular type of sealant that should be avoided on the inside of the enclosure?

Also, the floor is most likely going to be linoleum. Has anyone used linoleum for flooring before? I've never installed it anywhere before so I'm wondering if there's a specific type of adhesive I need to use to hold up against the heat from the lights and such?

Now, the last thing is a bit trickier. I'd like to use a sliding door like I see on the crossfire cages. My issue: I have a dog that is too smart for his own good. He knows how to open doors, pet gates, cabinets, basically if there's somewhere we don't want him to get into, he will figure out how to get into it. So I'm worried he'll figure out how to get into the enclosure. I've looked at various childproof locks but I can't seem to find any that look like they would work. Does anyone have any suggestions to keep a too smart dog from opening the doors?

I've never even attempted to build a cage, so I won't be able to comment on much. But about the glass thing, you could use the showcase locks like this: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Prime-Line-Chrome-Showcase-Sliding-Panel-Keyed-Lock-U-9949/100197661. It might be a bit of an eyesore, but it will keep your dog out.

I have used polyurethane and polycrylic. Polyurethane is better but takes weeks to cure. Polycrylic is quick but not nearly as good a seal. Some builds use pond sealer, epoxy resin and yacht varnish.

Lino is too slippery. Tile would be fine, but I wouldnt grout it. The 4x2x2 I have is very heavy on its own, without tiles and grout. Plus I like to change things up now and then.

That lock is exactly what you want. I have the same one for my snake enclosure and it works very well. If you want it super snug to the glass you may need to use some epoxy putty, the screw leaves mine a bit wobbly.

Taterbug":14mdazld said:

I have used polyurethane and polycrylic. Polyurethane is better but takes weeks to cure. Polycrylic is quick but not nearly as good a seal. Some builds use pond sealer, epoxy resin and yacht varnish.

Lino is too slippery. Tile would be fine, but I wouldnt grout it. The 4x2x2 I have is very heavy on its own, without tiles and grout. Plus I like to change things up now and then.

That lock is exactly what you want. I have the same one for my snake enclosure and it works very well. If you want it super snug to the glass you may need to use some epoxy putty, the screw leaves mine a bit wobbly.

Click to expand...

The only problem with not grouting the tile is that when he gets hornworms and watermelon, two of his favorite treats, he winds up pooping out water with his poo. My mom is worried that this will cause the wood to smell. He's very good at pooping while we're at work so it may sit on the wood for a few hours until I can clean it up.

I stopped using tile in large part for that reason. I used shelf liner for substrate before I switched to bioactive.

However. A well sealed floor will clean up, you'll just need to take up the offending tiles and wash them and under them. I want to say I have 4-6 coats of polyurethane on the cage, never a poop stain I couldn't wash off.

I would actually worry more about the porous grout holding onto things and getting gross more.

Taterbug":3g175jta said:

I stopped using tile in large part for that reason. I used shelf liner for substrate before I switched to bioactive.

However. A well sealed floor will clean up, you'll just need to take up the offending tiles and wash them and under them. I want to say I have 4-6 coats of polyurethane on the cage, never a poop stain I couldn't wash off.

I would actually worry more about the porous grout holding onto things and getting gross more.

Click to expand...

What is bioactive? I've never heard of it before.