Wood questions?????

[Reef]

so i am going to build a new cage really soon and i need to know the best kind of wood and where to get it please help

 

[SandyBear]

I used Birch plywood on my enclosure, and it turned out amazing.
You can also use Oak and Maple plywood.
They carry all 3 of these at Home Depot. Most hardware stores should have them, if not, then they should be able to order it in for you.

 

[whispersinmyhead]

I used oak ply and I am very happy with the results. I was going to go Birch but they had no stock for the iron on vaneer edging and pigs (to cover up a screw holes). Oak only cost me $10 more per sheet.

You need to avoide pine and cedar. They have oils in them that can cause respetory problems. I think if you use pine and seal it really well with a water based sealant, you would be ok.

 

[FoothillBeardie]

I vote again for melamine. Cant beat the durability. Little harder to work with but much nicer in my opinion.

 

[Karnes]

well if money isnt too tight i would suggest a high grade plywood, and alder mix.

 

[whispersinmyhead]

Are lights inside the cage ok for a snake? I haven't had one before and I wouldn't want it to reach up and burn itself. The wire is all the same as you would find in the walls of you house as are the mounted fixtures. I already built it for my beardie but looking into the possibility of switching the enclosure over to a cage for a ball python. The Tiles are textured but not rough and they are grouted in and the grout is sealed. THe interior walls are all sealed with water-based polyurethane (4 coats).

Thanks I just can't have two large cages in the home with the room we have and now that my daughter is bigger it is possible to get a snake. I am not sure about the lighting and heating in a cage that isn't glass. This one wouldn't allow for UTH. Is a heat light ok?

ANy input and even links to good care sheets is helpful thanks.

 

[vagrant]

Depends on the snake you're getting, but I'd say no. Anything like a boa or ball python would definitely be able to get to it, and you'd most likely end up with some burnt snakes. I don't see a sand boa or hognose (burrowing species) getting into it, but it's still a hazard. UTHs are the way to go generally, or radiant heat panels. I currently use heat pads on dimmers for my snakes, though I'm planning on getting a reptile basics rack because I like the look of them, and I've heard good things. The thing about pre-made racks (or anything that uses heat tape) is that you need to use a thermostat to keep uncontrolled power from overheating your herps

Edit: Somehow missed you specifically said ball python when I first read that, there's a good caresheet here you could look at

 

[AtlasStrike]

You definitely need to have the lights caged or screened off for a BP. If you can prevent burns, you them have to worry about humidity and temps as well as security issues as BPs often go off their feed in large cages. UTHs are the way to go for snakes, however some snake species are better suited to larger enclosures and have less strict husbandry requirements. A corn snake for example would likely thrive in a larger enclosure.

 

[MNbeardie]

I like Birch or Poplar if you're going to stain. Maple if you're just going to seal. All 3 have a similar grain pattern and the first two are a bit cheaper than Maple. Also, I've found that Maple doesn't take stain quite as smoothly as Birch and Poplar. The reason I say Maple if you're going to clear seal is because Birch especially can have a green hue to it at times which you won't see if you stain that.

 

[Wembly]

How does Oak take to sealing? I thought untreated pine was ok? It's been awhile since I researched this so I need to brush up on things before I go rushing out and buying my wood for the viv I wanna build myself.

 

[whispersinmyhead]

Oak ply stained and sealed well. I just used and minwax oil based stain and then sealed with Minwax Water based oil modified polyurethane. It is non toxic once cured I let it cure for over a week just to be safe. I also siliconed the seams on the inside to keep any water accidents away from the wood.

 

[Wembly]

I would have to agree on Melamine if you are on a tighter budget. However if your not on that budget like what I'm going to do is use solid oak and do alot of custom work to it. I used Melamine in the past but you cant do dove tail cuts which is what I'm going for this time. Just priced out oak at 4.35 a board foot which isnt too bad, I thought it would be more actually.

I do have a seperate question, can you stain the inside of a cage and let it cure and be fine for the beardie later? I'm looking at letting it cure for about 4weeks if not longer since I'm taking my time.

 

[whispersinmyhead]

I stained the inside of the cage and just did 4 good coats of sealer (Water based). If you are sealing it, there won't be an issue. No fumes at all in mine but I let the stain cure a week or so and then the sealer about the same if I remember correctly. If it is wood you need to at least seal it or it will harbor bacteria. I grouted in my tiles and sealed the grout with water based sealant and it is holding up very well. Also easy cleanup. No more removing tiles and cleaning underneath.

 

[Wembly]

I stained the inside of the cage and just did 4 good coats of sealer (Water based). If you are sealing it, there won't be an issue. No fumes at all in mine but I let the stain cure a week or so and then the sealer about the same if I remember correctly. If it is wood you need to at least seal it or it will harbor bacteria. I grouted in my tiles and sealed the grout with water based sealant and it is holding up very well. Also easy cleanup. No more removing tiles and cleaning underneath.

Ok I will make sure to seal it good. I was also thinking of putting tile in again this time to make it look clean and make clean up easy as well. Do you have pics of your viv by chance.

 

[whispersinmyhead]

I will be posting a little build log very soon and will post a link in this thread.