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What should I use?

fiery_redhead17

fiery_redhead17

Kiwi Chick
Hey there everyone. I was going to buy an aqurium but after looking at material costs I can have my hubby build me a bigger one for about the same price. My question is what sort of paint should I paint it with. I want to paint the outside black and the two wooden side walls a brown, terracotta or green colour (havent decided which yet). The front and back are to be plexiglass and the top screen. Also I plan on putting down smooth tiles for the flooring. My sis-in-law has done this with her beardy and if works great. Plus how does attaching an UTH to a wooden bottom work? Ill have 1/2 ply for the floor with tiles on top. Please be careful with the paint advice. i dont wanna poison my wee baby.

Thanks
 
Heat and water resistant paint would be sensible... And there shouldn't be a problem if its given sufficient time to dry and air out before you put the snake in the tank.

As for a UTH it obviously has to go inside the tank, so I would considering buying a sheet of glass to put over it as you don't want it to come into contact with the snake or with any feces or moisture.
 
Contact paper is a good alternative to painting. Painting would make me nervous too. You can buy the contact paper in tons of different colors and it is easily available at Lowe's or Home Depot, etc. The adhesives in plywood have been said to poison reptiles over time also... the contact paper creates a seal from those adhesive vapors also! Melamine can commonly be found in sizes as large as 15" wide, it is slightly heavier than most plywoods but it would cut down on the adhesive vapors. Of course you could then put the contact paper on the melamine. LOL
 
fiery_redhead17 said:
Plus how does attaching an UTH to a wooden bottom work? Ill have 1/2 ply for the floor with tiles on top.
Click to expand...

I came across the same problem with my "almost done" wooden enclosure. This question makes me wish I had taken pictures. I'll try to explain it the best that I can. I used 1/2" board too, fwiw. My Grandpa owns every piece of wood-working equipment under the sun, though...so I might have access to tools that you don't. Here's what I did, though...

Step 1 - I used a jigsaw to cut completely through the 1/2" bottom board -- I cut the hole in a size that was bigger than my UTH, but easier to work with (12"x12"). You'll see why in just a sec...

Step 2 - Went to Lowe's and bought a 12x12 sheet of glass and a 12x12 piece of tile.

Step 3 - I measured the height of the tile, and the height of the glass. I then determined the amount of height I had left over and proceeded from there.

Step 4 - Using a tablesaw, I ripped a 2"x4" into small slats. 6 slats per hole. In order to make the bottom flush, I had to use a router on the bottom side of the bottom board. I then mounted three slats into the recessed portion of the board that I just routered. The other three slats I put across the existing three slats to create a "Lattice" or "web" effect for extra strength.

Step 5 - In order to isolate those wooden slats from the UTH (in case of failure/fire) I put the Tile directly on top of the slats. I then fastened the UTH to the middle of the tile with Aluminum tape, making sure that the UTH didn't touch any wood. Then, I put the glass on top of the UTH, completing the process.

With the proper measurement, your slats + tile + UTH + Glass should equal 1/2", making the whole ensemble equal to the height of your bottom board, so it sits flush with the floor. Make sure to seal the cracks around the glass with a piece of tape, so that the glass doesn't shift upon moving and so that your snake can't wiggle his way under the actual glass.

Again, I'm sorry I didn't take pictures. I know my instructions are probably a bit hard to understand but I hope I helped a little.

-Matt
 
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