thanx, from meagan and petrie

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Posted by meagan on February 25, 1999 at 03:05:08:

In Reply to: Re: this is for julie regarding her cage posted by Julie on February 23, 1999 at 11:52:10:

thanx so much for getting back to me. you have helped so much!
meagan

: Hi Meagan,

: I believe our total cost was a few hundred dollars.
: The sheets of plexiglass (2 - 4x8s) were the biggest
: expense at about $65 each. The wood was around
: $70 total.

: We gutted out the closet, and took up the carpet.
: I laid vinyl over the wood flooring and sealed the
: edges with caulk to protect the subflooring from
: moisture. At Eagle Hardware they have a type of
: indoor outdoor carpet that is more like a very thick
: felt, not that plastic grass type. I cut a square of
: that to fit over the vinyl, but did not secure it,
: so I can just lift it out for easy cleaning. Igs
: can get their claws caught on carpet fibers, so I
: wanted something in there that was easy to clean
: and harmless for ig.

: I went with plexiglass instead of glass for a couple
: of reasons. The first was that I have no way of
: cutting glass. Plexiglass can be cut with the same
: saw as the wood. Plexiglass is lighter than glass so
: it's easier to handle during building. I had also
: heard that glass can hold in too much heat, especially
: if sunlight, like from the windows, hits it. There
: seemed to be no reasons NOT to use plexiglass, so
: I used it.

: The wood we used was Honduran Mahogany. I had first
: planned on just using pine 2x4s to frame it up, but
: when we went to buy the wood we were talking to the
: guy at the hardware store and telling him what we
: were doing... he said he had some Honduran mahogany
: that he would sell us for the same price as the pine
: and that it would look a lot nicer... and boy was he
: right!! So, we just lucked out on the wood part.

: The lights are on the inside part of the cage, the
: part that was originally the inside of the closet,
: attached to the ceiling. There is a secured, but
: removable, screen (wood- framed) under the lights
: so ig can't get at them. His basking branches are
: 10-12 inches under the screen. On the part of the
: cage that is the addition (sticks out from the
: closet part) there is another screen covering the
: top of it, so there is good ventilation.

: If you can picture this, or if you can tell from the
: photo, you know how on a closet the doors don't go all
: the way to the ceiling... if you take off the doors
: there is still that piece of wall above the space
: where the doors were. That is what I used to attach
: the screens. There are two screens, the one on the
: inside of the closet is hinged, so I can get to the
: lights when they need to be replaced. The one that
: covers the addition part of the cage is the ventilation
: screen and it is permanently attached to the top.

: All the cords for the lights and the waterfall are
: run through a cardboard carpet roll that I got for
: free at Eagle. I covered the carpet roll in the same
: carpet I used for the floor, the green felt type stuff.
: So there are no open cords running around his cage
: for him to chomp on! We got all the big basking
: branches from the beach (we live near the coast).
: We washed and scrubbed them a couple times with
: bleach water and let them air out really well before
: putting them in the cage.

: Hope that helps, good luck!

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: thanx so much for getting back to me. you have helped so much! : meagan : : Hi Meagan, : : I believe our total cost was a few hundred dollars. : : The sheets of plexiglass (2 - 4x8s) were the biggest : : expense at about $65 each. The wood was around : : $70 total. : : We gutted out the closet, and took up the carpet. : : I laid vinyl over the wood flooring and sealed the : : edges with caulk to protect the subflooring from : : moisture. At Eagle Hardware they have a type of : : indoor outdoor carpet that is more like a very thick : : felt, not that plastic grass type. I cut a square of : : that to fit over the vinyl, but did not secure it, : : so I can just lift it out for easy cleaning. Igs : : can get their claws caught on carpet fibers, so I : : wanted something in there that was easy to clean : : and harmless for ig. : : I went with plexiglass instead of glass for a couple : : of reasons. The first was that I have no way of : : cutting glass. Plexiglass can be cut with the same : : saw as the wood. Plexiglass is lighter than glass so : : it's easier to handle during building. I had also : : heard that glass can hold in too much heat, especially : : if sunlight, like from the windows, hits it. There : : seemed to be no reasons NOT to use plexiglass, so : : I used it. : : The wood we used was Honduran Mahogany. I had first : : planned on just using pine 2x4s to frame it up, but : : when we went to buy the wood we were talking to the : : guy at the hardware store and telling him what we : : were doing... he said he had some Honduran mahogany : : that he would sell us for the same price as the pine : : and that it would look a lot nicer... and boy was he : : right!! So, we just lucked out on the wood part. : : The lights are on the inside part of the cage, the : : part that was originally the inside of the closet, : : attached to the ceiling. There is a secured, but : : removable, screen (wood- framed) under the lights : : so ig can't get at them. His basking branches are : : 10-12 inches under the screen. On the part of the : : cage that is the addition (sticks out from the : : closet part) there is another screen covering the : : top of it, so there is good ventilation. : : If you can picture this, or if you can tell from the : : photo, you know how on a closet the doors don't go all : : the way to the ceiling... if you take off the doors : : there is still that piece of wall above the space : : where the doors were. That is what I used to attach : : the screens. There are two screens, the one on the : : inside of the closet is hinged, so I can get to the : : lights when they need to be replaced. The one that : : covers the addition part of the cage is the ventilation : : screen and it is permanently attached to the top. : : All the cords for the lights and the waterfall are : : run through a cardboard carpet roll that I got for : : free at Eagle. I covered the carpet roll in the same : : carpet I used for the floor, the green felt type stuff. : : So there are no open cords running around his cage : : for him to chomp on! We got all the big basking : : branches from the beach (we live near the coast). : : We washed and scrubbed them a couple times with : : bleach water and let them air out really well before : : putting them in the cage. : : Hope that helps, good luck!

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