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OKAY I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT MY CAGE IM BUILDING, FIRST OF ALL I WAS WONDERING ABOUT THE KIND OF WOOD I SHOULD USE. THE CAGE IS GOING TO BE ABOUT 5 FEET LONG, 2 FEET HIGH AND 1 FOOT 10 INCHES WIDE. NEXT I WAS THINKING ABOUT SEALING THE CAGE WITH FIBERGLASS RESIN OR JUST USING PVC SHEETS AND SEALING ALL THE SIDES (CRACKS) WITH RESIN FOR AN WATERTIGHT ENCLOSER. WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK? THE NEXT THING WAS THE HEAT SOURCE, I WAS GOING TO DO HEAT TAPE OR HEAT FOIL BUT EVERY OTHER POST ON HERE IS ABOUT DANGER OF ALL THAT MESS. SO IM THINKING IM GOING TO USE 2 OF THE SIMPLE REPTILE HEAT PADS THAT ARE LIKE 8"X18" AND JUST PUTTING THEM SIDE BY SIDE. THATS WHEN I THINK ABOUT SEALING IT AGAIN. WHERE DO I STICK THE HEAD PADS TO? I GUESS IT KIND OF ELIMINATES PAINTING ON FIBERGLASS RESIN ON THE WHOLE INSIDE BECAUSE THEN THERE WOULD BE NO WHERE TO TO STICK THE HEAT PAD TO. THATS WHY IM THINKING PVC SHEETS WOULD BE BEST SO I COULD PUT THEM UNDER THE SHEETS AND JUST DRILL SOME HOLES AND RUN THEM OUT OF THE SIDE RIGHT? DO THEY GET REALLY DIRTY EVER? AND DO I STILL HAVE TO SEAL THE OUTSIDE OF THE BOX IF IT IS GOING TO BE OUTSIDE SOMETIMES (GARAGE)? PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO WORK BEST FOR ME!!! THANKS

Hi,

If you could turn off the caps lock key on your keyboard and use some paragraph spacing it would make reading your questions a lot easier. No big deal, just a FYI.

>>OKAY I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT MY CAGE IM BUILDING, FIRST OF ALL I WAS WONDERING ABOUT THE KIND OF WOOD I SHOULD USE.

Melamine or plywood is fine. Melamine is cheaper and provided a finished look to the cage exterior. But I would still recommend sealing it.

Plywood is a lighter and offers you a wide range of finishing options. It's really up to you.

>>THE CAGE IS GOING TO BE ABOUT 5 FEET LONG, 2 FEET HIGH AND 1 FOOT 10 INCHES WIDE.

Why those dimensions? Typically it's easier to build cages in a multiple of four feet which is an even increment of readily available plywood and melamine.

I would recommend a footprint of 4'x2' or go all the way to 6'x2' which would probably use the same amount of wood as your 5'x1'10" size.

>>NEXT I WAS THINKING ABOUT SEALING THE CAGE WITH FIBERGLASS RESIN...

That's a lot of work and overkill for a burmese. I like expanded PVC to line the cage with.

>> ...OR JUST USING PVC SHEETS AND SEALING ALL THE SIDES (CRACKS) WITH RESIN FOR AN WATERTIGHT ENCLOSER.

Use silicone rather than resin for the gaps.

>>WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK? THE NEXT THING WAS THE HEAT SOURCE...

That really depends on your room. If it's cold under tank heaters may not work very well.
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Current snakes:

1.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.4 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

okay you answered mostly everything, i think im going to go with the 6x2 cage.

any suggestions for the height for saving wood?

also was wondering about the pvc sheets, do they stay pretty clean and easy to clean up?

and can i make the cracks water tight incase the snake spills the water, i dont want it all over the floor if it seeps threw the wood (if it gets past the pvc sheets).

and i am also wondering still about the heat source still... if i use a heat pad it will do okay but how do i do it? i have wood all stuck together lined with pvc, how do you suggest getting the heat pad in? just put it between the pvc and the wood?

also was wondering what everyone suggests for locking the cage, just standard door hinges and little deadbolt things?

and the last questions is, how should i hold the wood all together? just nails or screws? any glue? and how do i stick the pvc sheets to the wood to line the inside of the cage? just spread like gorilla glue of silicone?

sorry for all the questions!!! i just dont want to drop any amount of money and not have it turn out right. thanks for everyone who responds!!!

>>any suggestions for the height for saving wood?

I'd have to go over the numbers a bit more, but the easy answer is 2' or less to save on wood.

For a 6' cage I'd encourage you to use 3/4" thick material and not have a solid floor. Instead I'd staple a 1/4" piece of expanded PVC directly to the outer rim of the cage. That way you could set the cage directly on an Under Tank Heater (if a UTH will be enough for your cage). This makes for a lighter cage and also allows you to easily replace the floor is it's ruined.

I believe it would allow you to build a 6'x2'x2' cage with a single sheet of material. You'd have to buy a small amount of extra wood for the face frame, but this would give it a more professional look anyways. Money well spent, IMO.

But with a floorless cage you have to consider where the cage will rest or if you want casters.

>>also was wondering about the pvc sheets, do they stay pretty clean and easy to clean up?

Burmese pythons have some pretty nasty urates that seem to soak through anything. But I do know people keep Burmese pythons in cages made from expanded PVC without any trouble.

>>and can i make the cracks water tight incase the snake spills the water, i dont want it all over the floor if it seeps threw the wood (if it gets past the pvc sheets).

If you use silicone you'll certainly have to replace it now and then. Just as you do with a shower or sink. If a small amount of water gets through to the wood it won't destroy the cage.

>>and i am also wondering still about the heat source still... if i use a heat pad it will do okay but how do i do it? i have wood all stuck together lined with pvc, how do you suggest getting the heat pad in? just put it between the pvc and the wood?

Considering an entire year, what is the coldest temperature of the room where the cage will be? That can make a huge difference. Large cages are hard to heat with heat pads, especially in a cool room. They are fine for small amounts of supplemental heat.

If you can afford it your easiest and safest choice is to use a radiant heat panel. I also believe it's the best choice for a Burmese python. Since you're saving money by building, splurge for a RHP. I may have some other money saving suggestions depending on what material you want to use and if the floorless design will work for you.

>>also was wondering what everyone suggests for locking the cage, just standard door hinges and little deadbolt things?

I like double sliding doors, aka bypass doors. In that case there are cabinet locks or you can simply put wooden dowels into the track.

>>and the last questions is, how should i hold the wood all together? just nails or screws?

I like counter-sunk screws (with glue), but nails and glue are plenty strong.

>>any glue?

I'm assuming you won't be using any dado or rabbet joints so glue is recommended. I have built large cages with basic edge joints and screws only (no glue) but I don't think it's a very good idea.

>>and how do i stick the pvc sheets to the wood to line the inside of the cage? just spread like gorilla glue of silicone?

A spray on adhesive will work fine. If you go with the floor-less cage I'd use silicone and a staple gun to attach the PVCX floor to the cage.
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Current snakes:

1.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.4 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

okay thanks for everything, for the most part i got an idea of what im going to be doing.

only think im still wondering is how do i staple the pvc sheet to the wood? would i have to get like inch staples and go threw the wood into the pvc sheet? and the pvc sheet isnt really big enough to have anything go threw it.

could i just put some nails below it and just have them there for the pvc sheet to rest on and glue the cracks? and if i glue it with silicone, will that be easy to take off later on when i want to replace it?

>>okay thanks for everything, for the most part i got an idea of what im going to be doing.

You're welcome. Let me know if you need anymore help with a cut list, etc.

>>only think im still wondering is how do i staple the pvc sheet to the wood?

No, sorry I did not explain that better. You'll be building the cage carcass from 3/4" material. Without a wooden floor you'll have a 3/4" rim all around the bottom of the cage.

You'll be stapeling through the PVC and into the sides, back, and face frame of the cage.

If you're not comfortable with this design there's no problem with using a solid floor. It will likely require you to buy another full sheet of material, though, and the cage will be heavier.

If I were building a single 6' cage for a burmese I'd go with the floor less design. But that does not mean it's the best way.

Also, the floor is the area needing the best protection. PVC for the walls, etc. is not absolutely necessary. I'd probably just use rubberized contact paper for that.

I suggest you go to Finegtps.com and look at the cage building pages. I'm basically recommending a larger version of this cage but without a wooden floor.
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Current snakes:

1.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Silver/Yellow)

3.4 Gonyosoma oxycephala - (Green)

2.1 Gonyosoma janseni - (Black)

First off...to MarkG...I heat my burms with heating pads (uth)
and they work just fine. No dead snakes yet after a number of years. As a matter of fact, I heat all my snake enclosures.
The bean farm sells one 48" x11"...More than sufficient.
And with my herp room running between 70-77 degrees, I have to use thermostats to keep my cages from overheating.
In fairness, my room is warm, and I do supplement with low wattage lamps. My warm sides are around 92 with this setup, and 82 on the cool side. I am however beginning to switch over to the ProProducts RHPs. Ive read too many good things to pass them up.
I do agree that a 5 ft, even a 6 ft cage is too small for a burm. Go the full 8 ft.
8' x 3' x 18" is a nice size.For that you'd need tow 4'8 sheets of wood.
You may as well get over trying to scrimp on cage building if you won a burm. These are not cheap critters to maintain.
15ft of snake just does'nt fit in a 5 or even 6ft enclosure all that well.
Go big, you wont regret it.

Heating a Burmese python, what will eventually become a very large animal, with heat pads is a waste of your time and money and a waste of the snake's time and health. The answer to heating a large snake is to use radiant heat from overhead. All heat pads do is give you "hot floor cold air" syndrome (unless your room is heated too). While this might be OK for a mountain kingsnake, it is hardly OK for a big, tropical snake.

Look at www.beanfarm.com for radiant heat panels,

or www.pro-products.com (I think that is correct) for them as well.

Heat pads for a burm... ha ha ha ho ho he he

BTW, have you seen adult Burmese? A 5ft cage is a hidebox for one. Better to have at least 12 sq feet of floorspace.. at least. Maybe the Burmese Forum can shed light on optimum cage sizes.
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Mark G
Collection:
Beautiful San Felipe rosies
Some CA rosies
Some Ariz mtn kings
No more triangulum or getula.