How long to melamine racks last?

Hello, I'm new to the forum but not to reptiles. I am looking into make vs buy for a rack system. Obviously making one is usually a more cost efficient method however buying is easy! I am leaning towards buying so far only because they would last a really really long time. I've heard that melamine will warp and eventually the rack would have to be rebuilt or somehow repaired.

Does anyone with experience know how long melamine racks generally last before they need to be replaced?

It may be cost effective to build but in the long run I am curious if it is better to buy a rack made of pvc/plastic or metal.

Thanks in advance for your help and I'm excited to be a part of this great community. I hope I can add some value while I'm here!

Hey Biffard!

First, welcome to the site!

I do not have a melamine rack, but have used the product for many other applications over the years. Melamine can be very susceptible to moisture and depending on how it is cared for it can swell, warp and even mold. I opted for PVC enclosures and will have a rack on order soon.

I am sure someone with a Melamine setup will respond soon. Given proper contruction and care I am sure that you could get a nice long life out of one of these DIY rack systems.

Welcome to BP.net :colbert2:

Well seeing as cabinetry, shelves etc. are made from it, I'm sure with proper care, it will last a long time.

Thanks for the warm welcome!

I'm glad I found this forum because after doing some research and discovering that there is a Professional Plastics about 1 hour away from my home I have decided to scrap the melamine project and go with XPVC.

I will more that likely be following Simple Man's layout and plans. I think the longevity and light weight will suit my goals better as I get into breeding. Now I just need to get ordering as soon as I can to get the project underway.

Thanks again for the replies!

XPVC is the way to go, but make sure you get your cuts/drills done properly or that will be an expensive mistake.

My melamine racks still look brand new after nearly a year, BTW. Just don't plan on moving them much if you go that route.

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Originally Posted by spitzu

XPVC is the way to go, but make sure you get your cuts/drills done properly or that will be an expensive mistake.

My melamine racks still look brand new after nearly a year, BTW. Just don't plan on moving them much if you go that route.

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Good point. If professional plastics will cut when I order then that would be ideal. I do have all of the tools necessary, I just need to make sure not to screw up!

I still think melamine racks look awesome and are great for their purpose. But like you said, that weight issue is a pretty big con for me because I will need to move them around. Also, that's good to know that your rack is still as good as new! I would have guessed they would last several years without bowing too badly. I was just trying to determine the more economical method for building/buying racks. I seems to change depending on one's situation though.

I will say that melamine works great as a base on DIY racks. I have a metal wire rack that is fairly lightweight and I had melamine cut to fit each shelf. then I taped flexwatt to each piece, and it's been working fine so far.