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Posted by chris_harper2 on May 03, 2003 at 14:07:29:
In Reply to: Epoxy posted by Krystal19_85 on May 03, 2003 at 13:00:17:
I have not used the black product from Tapplastics.
I'm not a big fan of tile as every cage I've seen built out of it was hard to clean. Even if sealed, the grout always was slightly recessed from the tile and made for areas where substrate, defecate, and urates could build up.
I never saw grout that was sealed so well that it did not have a slight texture to it. No big deal for a shower wall or floor, but a totally different problem when bacteria harboring deficate can sit in there.
Tile has a natural camber to it anyways so there are always going to be low areas.
Also, cages flex slightly and the tile may develop micro-cracks in it and give areas for water to seep through slowly.
But I won't claim that they were done right.
Keep in mind these are ball pythons that don't need misting nor do they splash water around. As such, your worse case scenario is the floor will take abuse in case of small water spills.
If it were me and I were using laminated plywood for a BP cage, I'd stain the entire cage (inside and out). I hate to cover the wood grain.
For the floor I'd use fiberglass resin, vinyl flooring, formica, or something like that. I would not use tile.
The walls and ceiling could be coated with oil-based poly. The cage exterior could be coated with either water or oil-based poly.
If you don't mind color inside the cage, you could paint it with a high quality oil-based paint, a marine enamel, etc.
Heck, for a BP a 100% acrylic latex could be used and would make for quick touch ups.
I'm a bit confused as to what you want, but get the impression that your first choice is to keep the wood grain if possible and use a very durable clear coat.
Envirotex is the best of all options, but is probably overkill for a BP.
Oil based poly will work, and will last a lifetime on the cage walls. It will not last a lifetime on the cage floor.
I have another idea for the cage floor. You can buy the same material use by Boaphile plastics that holds up well to high humidity and place that over your cage floor you've stained and polyurethanes the entire cage interior - including the floor. Don't glue it the cage floor, just place it in and silicone the edges. This way you can replace it if it gets damaged.
It will flex slightly and have more give than tile.
You won't need the same thickness used by Boaphile. You could go as thin as 1 mm if you wanted.
The material is called expanded foam PVC and is available at plastic and sign shops.
White will be your cheapest color and the best for a cage floor as it will allow you to see dirty areas.
It is very easy to cut and work with. You can score it with a razor and yardstick and snap it.
I can get the white 3 mm for about $40 a sheet and that will cover 4 or 5 of your cages (I can't remember the floor area of your cages).
