Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just bought a wood cage with opening glass fronts for my adult Green Tree Python. I am in the process of sealing the wood. For the bottom, I'm debating what to use for flooring - plexiglass or vinyl tiles. I use coconut husk substrate, which is damp all the time from the mister, in my current wood cage. However, the vinyl tiles formed air bubbles underneath over time. Should I use plexiglass? Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks..

I don't particuarly like either option. The vinyl tiles for the reason you already mentioned, although a single piece of vinyl flooring is less likely to have the same problem.

Plexiglass just seems unecessary unless you have some left over.

I would use a thin piece of Sintra which you can pick up at almost any sign shop. They almost always have scrap or can at least sell you a small piece.

What are you using to seal the wooden sides? The first inch or so above the flooring (or however deep you substrate is) also takes a lot of abuse.

Thanks for your response. In the old cage I covered the first inch of the walls w/ vinyl also, everything sealed with silicone.

So far for the new cage I've used 3 coats of polyurethane applied w/ a brush. Here's a couple pics of the cage I took tonight. I believe the bottom is melamine? Let me know what you think.

Was the cage already sealed before you applied the polyurethane? What exact polyurethane did you use?

You may have two problems. First, some polys do not apply well over certain previous coats. Second, from the pictures it appears you used a waterborne poly which probably won't be durable enough for the conditions present in a Chondro cage.

However, waterborne poly is generally safe enough and dries so quickly it will be easy to recoat every year or so.

I like the idea of covering the first couple of inches on the sides. One thing that works pretty well is clear packing tape although it can be very difficult to apply onto an already built cage.

Another choice for the floor is some of the self-adhesive vinyl film used in the sign industry. This will stick very well to the melamine floor and provide excellent protection. You can also spray the melamine floor with a bit of water so you can reposition the film until you get it perfect.

You have lots of options.

oh, I forgot to mention - the dimensions are 48x24x20.

You could use some thing I've try with very goog results, it is called GLAZE COAT, and it is a two bottle mix that you could get at your Home Depot.
Ones it's dry it becomes almost like glass. I usually put it on the floor and about 6" high on the side walls of the cage.It works really well. You must let it dry all the way. About 2 days.(Deps. on humidity)
Hope this helps you,
Joel P.

Joel,

Glaze Coat and its numerous analogs are a good choice, albeit expensive. And they do stick to melamine.

What cages/species have you used this product in and how long has it held up?

I use a product called Envirotex Lite but may order Kleer Koat in bulk. I have not checked actual shipping costs but it will likely still be cheaper overall.

To the original poster:

For a 48" x 24" x 20" you could easily go through $30 worth of this epoxy. But it is extremely durable and should last a lifetime. If you're interested I can give you some tips on how to use less and save money.

Here is a picture of a large cage I built and sealed with Envirotex Lite (again, identical to the Glaze Coat or Kleer Koat also mentioned in this post).

This first picture shows the high gloss finish.

This second picture shows the high humidity environemt used for the Uroplatus geckos it houses. My friend who now has this cage says that when you move the moss aside on the bottom the epoxy is still perfect. It has held this moss for like three years, I believe.

Thanks. Cost isn't an issue for me. The inside of the cage was not sealed when I bought it. It's an oil-based poly I believe.

I also coated the melamine floor bottom w/ it. Will this matter when I apply the glase coat, epoxy, etc?

That's a nice set-up you have. I might go back to a naturalistic environment, however I'm weary of my GTP getting mites. I don't have time for much maintenance. When I get from work tonight, I'll post a pic of my current setup.

If cost is not an issue then these epoxies are an excellent choice. Do the floor first so you can get used to the quirks of working with these products. You pour it on rather than paint it on so you'll have to do a single cage wall, floor, or side at a time. You mix up enough to pour the floor and do that. The next day you could turn the cage on its back and pour that. Make sure the cage is plum and level for each step.

The fact that you have three coats of poly on the cage will mean you won't have to use quite as much epoxy. Many of these products recommend a flood coat, but you can achieve the same thing with poly.

I am a bit concerned with the poly being painted onto the melamine. Poly will not likely stick to melamine and I'm worried some of it will pull up when the epoxy is poured over the top. Again, no big deal since it's the floor which will be covered with substrate.

To be on the safe side, calculate to pour a full 1/8" thick layer of epoxy for the floor.

You likely can get away with thinner coats for the walls and behind the front litter dam, if there is one (hard to tell from the picture).

To achieve a thinner coat means getting the epoxy warm and keeping warm while you work with it. Many people just set the jars in hot water (not boiling) for a while before mixing and then apply it in a warm room. This reduces working time so you'll want to be comfortable with its use. If you're at all concerned just use more of it and don't warm it up.

Sealing the back of the door frames might be kind of difficult.

Also, you only need this for the cage interior, IMO.

Lastly, I believe my friend mists this cage by hand. But I'll ask him.

I guess I won't need the silicone sealant then. I've already coated the door interiors with poly, but I'm going to seal the space between where the window inserts into the wood, since the water drains there, depending on the angle of the mister.

No, you really don't need silicone sealent for the interior edges.

If you can, just keep moisture off the back of the door frames and don't do anything else to them.

If it does turn out to be water-based poly then just keep and eye on them and recoat as needed.

Did you use a minwax poly? If so you should go to the website and see if you recognize the can. I can give advice accordingly.

hello chris thanks for letting me know where to get the tracking for glass doors. just picked it up today. my question is what would you recommend putting on the inside of a burmese cage made with 3/4" birch plywood? And also the floor?

Do you want a clear coat to show off the birch?

Do you mind spending a bit of money or are you trying to keep this under control price-wise?

Also, do you mind re-finishing every couple of years or do you want to deal with this once and forget about it?

Let me know the answers to the above and I'll try to answer.

I want to do it once and forget about it. Does birch look good with a clear coat? if yes then yes i do want clear coat.

I think birch looks great with a clear coat. Many birch cabinets and floors are only finished with a clear coat. No stain or dyes. Some clear coats give a yellow look that does not look good on the pale birch so avoid oil-based polyurethane. In fact you'll want to avoid that anyways if you want to do this once and forget it.

A good solution to this is Envirotex Epoxy and all of its "clones". These are mentioned in other posts in this thread.

yep, I used Minwax poly... "clear satin"

Here's a pic of my current cage w/ my little girl roaming. Pretty simple. I had cut up some of the vinyl on the floor because of the air pockets, not knowing what it was at the time. I thought it was water pockets. Notice the white silicone -- the sides don't have any air pockets.

I'm not totally opposed to the vinyl tiles, but I'm just ready to get this new setup over with.

yep, I used Minwax poly... "clear satin"

Right, but which Minwax poly? They make several. Did it look like one of these?

If not, show me which product it was from Minwax

my bad.. it's the first pic you posted - Polyurethane - Superior Durability

That's a nice product and it offers good protection for the cost. It is oil-based. The only issue I have with that product is that they have had to reduce the solvent percentage in order to comply with VOC restrictions. This often means that the coats don't flow out properly which can lead to a finish that never fully cures. Not good for a GTP. So by decreasing the solvent percentage, the product can actually become less safe, ironically.

Assuming that part is okay, I would still prefer a bit more protection for the floor and the first few inches of the sides.

Unless you don't mind refinishing parts of the cage every year or so?

Is the poly still producing an odor?

Yeah there's still an odor. The three coats were applied w/ a brush over the course of Sunday and Monday. After that I closed the cage doors and let the heat emitter cook it each night, and then let it air out... still smells though.

Just wait until the odor goes away. That can take a very long time, unfortunately.

Then you can think about putting some of the epoxy on the floor and first few inches of the walls.

I think you misunderstood me I was just refering to use the Glaze product on the floor of the cage because once is dry you do not need anything else. No sealer, on the corner and edges.

also, do you have a mister inside gecko setup? or do you mist manually?

I have been collecting for about 13 years, and I have a cage I made about 9 years ago that is in great condition considering the use. I think is a great product for cages and you should considerate. It seals all the corners and it could be use with newspaper of aspen.
(I almost forgat s4 boas)
THNX,
Joel P.