Enclosure Bottom Thickness?

[rmzsuzuki89]

What thickness wood do you usually use for the floor of your enclosures? I've never really worked with plywood, only mdf. I know for my sub-stage enclosures for my car I usually double or triple layer 3/4" mdf, but I don't think I need that for my tegu's enclosure. I was thinking 1/2" all the way around, and 3/4" for the bottom, does this sound right; thicker, thinner?.....If I set the bottom directly on the floor, I guess it wont matter much, but I was thinking about raising it up a few inches. I'm not too sure why, just what I was thinking lol.

It will be 30'-36'^2 (I'll have a more solid idea/design in the near future) and there will be 12"-15" of substrate, along with a water "pond" that will have a couple gallons in it, and other various hides and decorations.

 

[TanMan57]

Just all depends. How mant supports will you have on the under it? Also when I had my plywood cage I used four 2x4's under the plywood of and 8ft cage and the plywood held alot of weight probably about 500 pounds all around (the weight of all the people building it.

 

[rrcoolj]

Yeah it depends on support. If you have a lot of support you can use thinner wood but if you have very little support you will need thicker wood. Lol it seems alot of us are planning enclosures. Im currently planning an 8x4 for my tegu.

 

[rmzsuzuki89]

I was planning on using criss-crossing 2x4's on the bottom, about every 2' on the bottom. I wasn't planning on any bracing on the sides, since they won't be seeing much of any load.

I will be putting a 4'x4' bearded dragon enclosure on top of the tegu enclosure as well, so I'll probably do the top like the bottom.

 

[thestem07]

I am going to re-iterate what what said above and say it depends on the support. I would also suggest that if you are going to raise it off the ground a few inches, just put it on caster wheels. This will make it very easy to move around (if you ever do move it)

 

[rmzsuzuki89]

I probably will never move it. It would only be raised 3" because it would just be on the 2x4 bracing. That's kinda what I meant by raised. So either plywood right on the ground, or braced by 2x4's running the length and width every 1.5'-2'.

 

[Toby_H]

I am planning my current build the samw way I built my smaller grow out. A lumber frame with a plywood shell outside of that. This way the ply sits flat on the floor so it doesn't really matter how thick it is...

Why do you want to raise it off the ground? Unless you plan to insulate the space beneath the ply I don't see much reason to do so...

If you do choose to raise it up do you want the 2x4s standing on end, giving yourself a 3.5" space between ply & the floor... or sitting flat giving yourself a 1.5" gap...

But back to ply thickness... using 2' on center as you suggest, 1/2" will be fine for the loads of a Tegu cage.

 

[rmzsuzuki89]

I am planning my current build the samw way I built my smaller grow out. A lumber frame with a plywood shell outside of that. This way the ply sits flat on the floor so it doesn't really matter how thick it is...

Why do you want to raise it off the ground? Unless you plan to insulate the space beneath the ply I don't see much reason to do so...

If you do choose to raise it up do you want the 2x4s standing on end, giving yourself a 3.5" space between ply & the floor... or sitting flat giving yourself a 1.5" gap...

But back to ply thickness... using 2' on center as you suggest, 1/2" will be fine for the loads of a Tegu cage.

I think I'll just go with the 2x4 frame and the plywood on the floor. The only reason I was seeing it raised was because of the idea of external bracing. The 2x4's would have been on end, with 2x4's all the way around, so all of the bracing would be hidden. It would look like it was just sitting on the floor.

 

[Toby_H]

This was my line of thinking considering the same debate...

The frame has to be seen from the inside... or the outside... unless I use a double wall (ply on both sides of frame)...

It was more important to me to give the tank a nice clean look from the outside view, than from the inside view. Thant and I'm way to cheap to use the double walled approach

 

[rmzsuzuki89]

This was my line of thinking considering the same debate...

The frame has to be seen from the inside... or the outside... unless I use a double wall (ply on both sides of frame)...

It was more important to me to give the tank a nice clean look from the outside view, than from the inside view. Thant and I'm way to cheap to use the double walled approach

Lol, and I'm sure the tegu's don't mind, it gives them that lil bit more room.

What wood do you use, and how much is it? I know mdf is $25 give or take, and Baltic birch is like $40 here.

 

[Toby_H]

I used simple pine... nothing fancy...

I painted the inside of my 4x2x2 with Drylock (w/2 oz black tint)...

After almost two years of use and being moved 15~20 times it still holds water up to the door...

I've also used Drylock cover backgrounds and artificial caves in Aquariums/Terariums... Drylock is some good stuff...

 

[rmzsuzuki89]

I used simple pine... nothing fancy...

I painted the inside of my 4x2x2 with Drylock (w/2 oz black tint)...

After almost two years of use and being moved 15~20 times it still holds water up to the door...

I've also used Drylock cover backgrounds and artificial caves in Aquariums/Terariums... Drylock is some good stuff...

Alright thanks, I'll probably go grab that this week. I'm building a new enclosure for my beardies. Once I'm done with that, I'll get me a tegu and give it the old enclosure while I build a good sized one for him to have when it's no longer a hatching/baby.