Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm building a double decker cage, one for my albino burm and the other level for my red tail. Both snakes are around 6' and I wanted to make the individual cage dimensions around 5'x3'x2' (LxWxH) The entire cabinet would be about 6' tall. And would have glass doors on the front, and wired for basking lamps, heat pads, and flouro.
Now for the questions. Is that big enough for them? I was thinking about making the background a "cave look" with expaded polyurethane foam and mortar to cover it. I worked with it before and find it incredibly easy to work with. Also the flooring would be tileboard for ease of cleaning. I'll post the design when I finish it, and if anyone likes it, they are welcome to use it.

Make sure the edges of the tileboard are sealed. Boas can pass alot of liquid which can easily get under the tileboard in a cage. I'm more inclined to think epoxy paint would be great on the cage floor and about 6 inches up each wall. Just something to look into or consider. I haven't done it myself, but I've seen a few cages with epoxy paint, and the seal was far and away better than polyurethane or anything else for that matter. Tileboard is great as long as alot of moisture doesn't get under it.

i was wondering what type of epoxy paint you were reffering too.
i would be interested in using epoxy paint. i have not found a company that carries it. can yu give me a link or source
thanks ric

Home Depot carries a one-part epoxy paint for garage floors. I have not tried it and do not know how it does on wood. The paint that I saw used was purchased from marine supply store to be used for boats. The stuff smells horrible, but then cures with no smell. The moisture resistance blows polyurethane away. Sorry I don't have a brand. Just contact paint stores or boating supply stores for 2-part epoxy paint. It is nasty to work with - the time you are able to work with it is very limited once mixed, and you will need a painter's mask at least or better yet a mask with filter.

ANother note - even water-based paint will give you a decent seal, especially if gloss is used. The nice thing about it is that you can touch it up as needed later on without much effort or dry time.

I used some oil-based enamel with better success. It has great moisture resistance. The dry and cure time was longer. The cage smelled inside for a good 3-4 weeks before I put an animal in there, but the results were very good as long as you're not heating from below.

I am biased against polyurethane. My own cages that had 3 coats did not hold up well on the floor and a few inches up each wall. My painted cages held up better, even the water-based painted ones. Poly is for dressers, not for surfaces that get wet routinely.
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Mark

n/p

I contacted Rustoleum about that two part epoxy paint for garage floors and they said it might not be the best thing for animals due to some residue left behind after curing. The Marine epoxy on the other hand is excellent because it wouldnt be allowed in open water if it had chemical residues....