Can I use vinyl self sticking tile over the floor?

[Smooth_Earth_Snake]

I’m building a wood & Acrylic Cage for my New Corn Snakes.
The Cage is 48”W X 18”H X 18”D with two 75 Watts Infrared Heat Lamps at each end. The front has two sliding Acrylic doors the side are also Acrylic. The rest is wood.

QUESTIONS: Can I use vinyl self sticking tile over the floor? :shrugs:

The tile add to the cage beauty it is easy to clean easy to apply ect., but is safe for retiles (Corn Snakes)?

 

[CaptBogart]

I've used that stuff for other projects, and it doesn't work well on wood. It didn't take long for it to start coming unstuck from the wood, but still sticky enough to attach itself to smaller things. Personally I wouldn't risk it coming up sooner due to the heat and humidity, and sticking to your snake... I think the safest thing is the stuff used to line shower walls. (I just woke up so the name eludes me, but do a search on wood vivs and you'll probably find it, or someone else might come along with it.)

 

[Joni Garcia]

I've never built a custom viv myself, because I use snake racks. However, I have seen them built using kitchen grade formica for the floor.

CaptBogart might be referring to fiberglass? :shrugs: Seems like that could also be a nice, easy to clean option.

 

[Smooth_Earth_Snake]

P.S.
This enclosure has an Acrylic divider in the middle making each Cage 24" X 18" X 18"

 

[Blue Apple Herps]

I would just cut a piece of non sticking vinly flooring to size and use that. You could use adhesive to secure it and then I would seal up the edges with caulk.

 

[Blue Apple Herps]

Also, I too built some custom wood vivs last summer and made one unit that had two 48x18x18 cages and the other unit had three 48x12x18 cages. If I had to do it over again I would have made two that had the 48x12x18. The extra 6 inches makes the cages look HUGE!! It looks too big IMHO for just one snake. My 4.5 ft pastel motley looks like a yearling in the big sized cage. The 12" ones however I think look more appropriate in size plus you can fit more in the same space which means more room for more snakes!!

Just thought I'd share my experience with you. Feel free to shoot a PM if you need help or have any more questions.

 

[Smooth_Earth_Snake]

Also, I too built some custom wood vivs last summer and made one unit that had two 48x18x18 cages and the other unit had three 48x12x18 cages. If I had to do it over again I would have made two that had the 48x12x18. The extra 6 inches makes the cages look HUGE!! It looks too big IMHO for just one snake. My 4.5 ft pastel motley looks like a yearling in the big sized cage. The 12" ones however I think look more appropriate in size plus you can fit more in the same space which means more room for more snakes!!

Just thought I'd share my experience with you. Feel free to shoot a PM if you need help or have any more questions.

Thanks for the though Matthew.
I had considered 12" Deep instead of the 18". I notice that in the commercial market most were just 12". At the time I started building the cage I was not certain as to what type of Snake I was going to get I was trying to keep an open mind and felt that too much is better than too little.

 

[Smooth_Earth_Snake]

Dear Matthew,

"I would seal up the edges with caulk."
What kind of Caulk would you recomend?
What would be a good safe caulking?

 

[Smooth_Earth_Snake]

Kitchen grade formica

Thanks,
I've worked with kitchen grade formica before, years ago. I no longer have access to the tools needed to workl with that material.

I've never built a custom viv myself, because I use snake racks. However, I have seen them built using kitchen grade formica for the floor.

CaptBogart might be referring to fiberglass? :shrugs: Seems like that could also be a nice, easy to clean option.

 

[Smooth_Earth_Snake]

Thanks for sharing your experience with me.

Thanks for sharing your experience with me.

I’ll be making a return trip to the store.
I was concern about the heat, humidity and the tile ability to stick over a period of time.

I've used that stuff for other projects, and it doesn't work well on wood. It didn't take long for it to start coming unstuck from the wood, but still sticky enough to attach itself to smaller things. Personally I wouldn't risk it coming up sooner due to the heat and humidity, and sticking to your snake... I think the safest thing is the stuff used to line shower walls. (I just woke up so the name eludes me, but do a search on wood vivs and you'll probably find it, or someone else might come along with it.)

 

[Smooth_Earth_Snake]

You could use adhesive to secure

Matthew,
What type of ("You could use adhesive to secure") adhesive would you recommend. What would be save for snakes and not be affected by the heat, humidity and the tile ability to stick over a period of time? :shrugs:

I would just cut a piece of non sticking vinly flooring to size and use that. You could use adhesive to secure it and then I would seal up the edges with caulk.

 

[SnakeAround]

P.S.
This enclosure has an Acrylic divider in the middle making each Cage 24" X 18" X 18"

So, every corn will have a 75 watt bulb in that size of cage? I think that will be way too hot. I use 15 Watt bulbs in vivs like that, standing in living room temps. Since mine are in a viv tower the cages might warm each other through the dividing layers also a bit, so maybe for a single viv with some other materials then wood too, 25 watt would be ok too....

 

[Blue Apple Herps]

For caulk I just used regular caulk from the hardwar store and let it dry out for 48 hours. As for adhesive; the temps shouldn't be more than 85ish, so I would imagine that any adhesive would be just fine. Again I would make sure and let it dry out completely and it should be harmless for the snake. If the bottom of the vinyl was porous enough I would just use elmers to secure it to the wood.

Thanks for the though Matthew.
I had considered 12" Deep instead of the 18". I notice that in the commercial market most were just 12". At the time I started building the cage I was not certain as to what type of Snake I was going to get I was trying to keep an open mind and felt that too much is better than too little.

Oops!! typo on my part. It should ahve been 48x18x12; they are 18" deep and 12" high. The deepness is good, the height seems like overkill; I think more floor space is better. Here are the two for comparison; the overall dimensions of the units are identical. (again the top one has three that are 48x18x12 and the bottom one has two that are 48x18x18)

 

[SnakeAround]

"(again the top one has three that are 48x18x12 and the bottom one has two that are 48x18x18)" I assume 48 is length, so how can dividing in 2 give enclosures with the same lenght as dividing in 3 if the total measures are the same?

 

[SnakeAround]

Darn, i just see the second pic..... was not aware of it, duh...

 

[Smooth_Earth_Snake]

Nice PIC Matthews

Nice PIC Matthews:
I have to get back to work I'll wright later.

For caulk I just used regular caulk from the hardwar store and let it dry out for 48 hours. As for adhesive; the temps shouldn't be more than 85ish, so I would imagine that any adhesive would be just fine. Again I would make sure and let it dry out completely and it should be harmless for the snake. If the bottom of the vinyl was porous enough I would just use elmers to secure it to the wood.



Oops!! typo on my part. It should ahve been 48x18x12; they are 18" deep and 12" high. The deepness is good, the height seems like overkill; I think more floor space is better. Here are the two for comparison; the overall dimensions of the units are identical. (again the top one has three that are 48x18x12 and the bottom one has two that are 48x18x18)

 

[Smooth_Earth_Snake]

18" High

Hello Matthew,

I've been working a lot of OT lately.

As for my two Corn Snakes, they both like to climb. They both are still in there temporary cages and they spend 95% or more of there time in the top to there cages.

I'm hoping to have them in there new cage before the week is out. There temporary cage is not 100% escape proof. Once the female got out and I found her in a draw that was about 2 1/2' off the floor. She will definitely have something to climb on in her new cage.

While viewing some Corn Snakes in Pet Shops I've notice some that climb while others seem more contempt to stay down below.

For caulk I just used regular caulk from the hardwar store and let it dry out for 48 hours. As for adhesive; the temps shouldn't be more than 85ish, so I would imagine that any adhesive would be just fine. Again I would make sure and let it dry out completely and it should be harmless for the snake. If the bottom of the vinyl was porous enough I would just use elmers to secure it to the wood.



Oops!! typo on my part. It should ahve been 48x18x12; they are 18" deep and 12" high. The deepness is good, the height seems like overkill; I think more floor space is better. Here are the two for comparison; the overall dimensions of the units are identical. (again the top one has three that are 48x18x12 and the bottom one has two that are 48x18x18)

 

[Smooth_Earth_Snake]

75 watt bulb in that size of cage?

Thanks for the Tip! I'll either lower my wattage or use a dimmer or both. either way I'll keep close watch on the cage temperature.

Thanks!

So, every corn will have a 75 watt bulb in that size of cage? I think that will be way too hot. I use 15 Watt bulbs in vivs like that, standing in living room temps. Since mine are in a viv tower the cages might warm each other through the dividing layers also a bit, so maybe for a single viv with some other materials then wood too, 25 watt would be ok too....

 

[Blue Apple Herps]

Hello Matthew,

I've been working a lot of OT lately.

As for my two Corn Snakes, they both like to climb. They both are still in there temporary cages and they spend 95% or more of there time in the top to there cages.

I'm hoping to have them in there new cage before the week is out. There temporary cage is not 100% escape proof. Once the female got out and I found her in a draw that was about 2 1/2' off the floor. She will definitely have something to climb on in her new cage.

While viewing some Corn Snakes in Pet Shops I've notice some that climb while others seem more contempt to stay down below.

If you know that your corns love to climb then perhaps the larger height would be better.

When I first started keeping corns way back when, I had a couple of 55 gallon tanks all set up with branches and climbing galore; but they all just stayed on the ground. I only made the larger ones as a comparison to see, if and when, I made more that I picked the sizes I liked better. So in my personal experience; the added height just is a waste of space; but you know your corns better than me! So do what's best for you.