Going to be Building a New Enclosure-- a Few Questions First

I was planning on making a 4x2x2 enclosure this summer for my bearded dragon, but this is my first time so I'm not completely sure how.

First, I wasn't sure what to make it out of. I see people are using melamine and plywood but I'm not a fan of either. I heard melamine doesn't stand up really well and raw plywood looks rather cheap and not presentable.

Also, what kinds of light fixtures should I use? And how would I mount them? Are there any good plans online? I saw the crossfire article, but I'm not 100% with all the parts and everything.

I'm not sure about the floor either. My original thought would be to mix in a lot of play sand with beige grout and coat the floor in that, so that it looks like sand but isn't a particle substrate while at the same time keeping the nails in check.

Lastly, I was considering a dig box on the cool end, but I don't know how well they work out, especially since I feed mine in the tank and that he'd probably just track sand or millet seed all over the tank anyways.

Overall I want to go for an Australian outback theme, but I'll probably keep that subtle. Any hints, tips, and tricks are welcome as I'd like to hear from those who've made their own enclosures before and know what they're doing, especially since I really don't.

No sand of any kind. Tile or non adhesive shelf liner, which is easy to clean.

On Amazon there's a sand mat, different sizes.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FKAAUZ0/ref=asc_df_B00FKAAUZ05062004/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=394997&creativeASIN=B00FKAAUZ0&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198060275213&hvpos=1o5&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9374976852281439823&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007799&hvtargid=pla-318853965539

Terry is correct, no loose substrates at all, the are a breeding ground for bacteria and, fungus. Not to mention a BIG impaction risk!
Like he said rough textured floor tile, non adhesive shelf liner, paper towels or newsprint. These are all easily kept clean and, sanitary. Another advantage of the tile is, it keeps their nails trimmed nicely.
My viv has a hardwired hinged top with two ceramic light fixtures, one for the CHE and, one for the basking bulb(one at each end), one Reptisun 10.0 t5 HO 36" centered in the viv and one 12"led strip light in the back corner opposite the basking fixture for bright light over the entire viv. All lights are on a timer and the CHE is on a dimmer.

The actual viv dementions are 26T x 24W x 48L the upper 8" are the top lighting section mounted to the top of the viv. The front opens down hinged at the bottom full 48". Here is Peaches' kingdom!

Terry15":7np9fo81 said:

On Amazon there's a sand mat, different sizes.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FKAAUZ0/ref=asc_df_B00FKAAUZ05062004/?tag=hyprod-20&creative=394997&creativeASIN=B00FKAAUZ0&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198060275213&hvpos=1o5&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9374976852281439823&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007799&hvtargid=pla-318853965539

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I have looked at these several times but, they have a lot of loose beads that come off (shook the package), and, they would be extremely hard to keep clean without destroying it over time. Believe me I thought about it but, weighed the pros and, coins and, stuck with tile.

Thanks for the information! Gormagon, what material is your tank made of?

My point with the grout floor is that it'll create a rough surface and yet not be able to come loose. Most tile I've seen doesn't have much of a texture to it, except for slate, and I'd like to have the bottom be one solid surface for easy cleanup instead of having gaps between the tiles. I'm still looking at doing a hard substrate (tile, etc). My tiles are currently grouted in but I was wondering if just rough grout and no tiles would be fine.

I'm still trying to get the basic idea for the enclosure itself. Is it like making a simple box but with a door and light/vent holes?

Grout will absorb and hold moisture, raising the humidity and make it hard to control. Also creating a prime place for bacteria and fungus.
The tiles can be removed and cleaned individually
I cut mine to fit the Vic, looks like stone!
Mine is melamine and painted, the background is held in with quartered grapevine in the corners and the tiles hold it tight to the wall at the bottom.
The top with light is constructed of pine a redwood, just what I had in the shop at the time.

Gormagon":t5x4onkz said:

Grout will absorb and hold moisture, raising the humidity and make it hard to control. Also creating a prime place for bacteria and fungus.
The tiles can be removed and cleaned individually
I cut mine to fit the Vic, looks like stone!
Mine is melamine and painted, the background is held in with quartered grapevine in the corners and the tiles hold it tight to the wall at the bottom.
The top with light is constructed of pine a redwood, just what I had in the shop at the time.

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Makes sense; I have to clean the grout more than the tiles in my current setup. How is the melamine holding up? I heard that it comes apart more easily than wood. Do the screws/nails stay in well? On wood, should I worry about the type? I know some kinds of wood can be toxic to reptiles.

Also interesting to hear you painted it. If I go this route is there a particular kind of paint I should use so that it's safe?

Water based paint is all I would recommend it has very low toxicity and hardly any fumes. Be sure to let it air out for at least a week before outing your dragon in it.

I like plywood. IMO it looks nice if you stain it well (on the outside I'm assuming). I'm going to be finishing up my build soon and will post pics, it' mostly plywood (with some oak as well).

I used cork flooring, but that was a bit expensive and I'm not sure'd I'd recommend it, but I think it's going to workout very well.

Honestly I don't see why you can't just use a stained and sealed plywood floor, maybe polyurethane with a little sand mixed in.

The cork really looks nice (I tried it for a while), problem was when she pooped on it, I couldn't get it all cleaned the way I wanted it "spotless". That's when I switched to tile and, never looked back! I put it in her feeding tank so she can chase bugs without slipping.

Polyurethane has to cure and, air out for more than a month after application because of the fumes.

charmander16":3d6fk4lq said:

I like plywood. IMO it looks nice if you stain it well (on the outside I'm assuming). I'm going to be finishing up my build soon and will post pics, it' mostly plywood (with some oak as well).

I used cork flooring, but that was a bit expensive and I'm not sure'd I'd recommend it, but I think it's going to workout very well.

Honestly I don't see why you can't just use a stained and sealed plywood floor, maybe polyurethane with a little sand mixed in.

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I'm considering using plyboard. Is it fine to use any plywood (like pine) or must I find a different wood? I heard some wood is bad for reptiles when used as substrate so I'm not sure if that extends to the enclosure or not. I'll probably end up painting it a medium brown to blend in with the room.

When I get back from vacation I'll draw up a plan and see what you guys think.

The best plywood to use is pre-sanded birch. It looks much better, is easier to paint, and you don't have to worry about reaction issues.

I just finished mine today. I used oak plywood and I put tile to the walls and floor. The plywood is stained and coated with 4 coats of polycrylic. I did grout it but I sealed the grout with epoxy resin I got from a local place in Orlando.

I went with epoxy resin because of the fake rock. It's coated with a coat of non sanded grout then 3 coats of sanded/non sanded mix. The grout was then coated with 2 thick coats of epoxy, 1 with just the epoxy, the 2nd coat was epoxy with calcium sand from the pet store dropped in it. When it dried it has the texture of a roofing shingle.

Also I went with a front door hinged at the bottom with 2 latches on the sides to make cleaning easier. The door is 4' wide by 2' tall. The top 1' of the Viv (its 4' x 2' x 3') is to hide the lighting.