There are a lot of options for just about every question you asked. Different strokes for different folks.
Here's what I'd do if I were you:
"I've been looking at IR bulbs, ceramic heaters and the such. The warm side is gonna have 2 8.5" heat lamps, middle will be a 20" hood with a fluorescent bulb and a night bulb. Should I use ceramic heaters for the lamps, if so, what wattage. There will be about a 10" space between substrate and inside -top of cage."
If the room has sufficient lighting or natural light, I would use a ceramic heat emitter. One 60-watt would probably do the job but I'd play it safe and get one 100-watt. (A 100-watt costs about the same, maybe $5 more, than a 60-watt.) Put a dimmer on the cord so you can reduce the heat output. The dome MUST have a ceramic base (where the bulb screws into it).
As for it being safe for the outer ring of the dome to rest on the wood, I'll stop just short of saying that it would be safe. I have a 100-watt, running at full power, in an 8.5" dome and part of the dome touches a wooden housing that I made for a 4ft shop light. I can touch the outer rim of my dome with the heater on and it's hot but doesn't burn me. Granted, I don't/can't touch it for very long at a time, though.
One thing that would work, for sure, is to make a ring out of a piece of thin metal that the dome can rest on and large enough to allow it to cool before it makes contact with the wood. (I can try to explain this further if needed.)
By putting a few vent holes on the hot end of the cage and putting a few more on the cooler end than you have on the hot end, it should give you good ventilation and thermal gradient. I like my vents to be on the sides (width end) of the cage, near the top.
You can still use the flourescent for visual.
If you were to go with lights instead of ceramic, I think one 60-watt spot bulb should work fine for a basking spot and hot end heat. There again, though, using a dimmer, you can get a higher wattage and lower its output to be on the safe side. By using a spot & night light on timers, you probably won't need the flourescent.
Light bulbs are easier to blow than CHEs (ceramic heat emitters). CHEs normally last several years. Mine is just over 2yrs. old & still going strong. I've heard someone say they had one that was 20 yrs. old & still working.
"As far as the front door is concerned, would it be better for it to be a screen door or a solid, clear door? Door could be sized at 20" x 10" that swings down."
Glass, lexan, acrylic, etc..., not screen. Keep in mind that lexan, acrylic, scratches fairly easy so you'd want to keep the bottom of the front panel a fe inches higher than the substrate to avoid it getting defecated on and having to scrub it clean.
You'd lose too much heat & humidity with screen.
"AS far as the inside is concerned. Paint or use some sort of covering like panels?"
You could make it simple by painting it but you may have to repaint it every year or so.
You could get fancy and cover it with formica, costly, but very durable and pretty. Actually for a cage that size it shouldn't cost you a whole lot. I think somewhere around $2-plus per sq. ft.
You could use shower panels or FRP (fiber reinforced panels), too.
Another option is to use vinyl floring to line the whole inside. They've got some decent looking rock patterns out these days.
Personally, I'd check with a local cabinet shop & see if I could get scrap pieces of formica big enough to do it or go with vinyl flooring.
Seal all corners with silicone, no matter what you use.
Hope this helps somewhat. If you want to get some good advice/recommendations on this, post this question in the Cage & Habitat Design forum. Here's the link: Cage & Habitat Design
Have a good one!
Mike
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It is said that 1 out of every 4 people are mentally unbalanced. Think of your 3 closest friends, if they're normal, then it's you.
