Plastic rack vs wooden rack?

Hi, I've been watching some Youtube videos on how to DIY snake rack and I've seen one that I pretty like. Only problem is that it's plastic. (Click Here) I'm worried that the heat tape would be able to melt the plastic a bit and such. Would it, or am I just overreacting?

The heat tape, properly regulated, isn't really any hotter than your hand. It presents a slightly higher risk if your flexwatt or tstat fail. You could use a failsafe tstat to cover against failure. As for the flexwatt starting a fire with the plastic, it is possible but highly improbable given the way the stuff is made and insulated.

EDIT:
Watched that video... I don't think that slatted rack would hold humidity very well at all. Is this for Ball Pythons?

Thanks for the quick reply!

Oh okay, that's a relief. But, would you still recommend wood over plastic? I just want to know which one would be better overall so it could last longer haha.

Yup, it is supposed to be for them.

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Originally Posted by theReptileGuy

Hi, I've been watching some Youtube videos on how to DIY snake rack and I've seen one that I pretty like. Only problem is that it's plastic. (Click Here) I'm worried that the heat tape would be able to melt the plastic a bit and such. Would it, or am I just overreacting?

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You do realize that tubs whether in plastic or would rack are plastic as well ;)

The key is a reliable thermostat :gj:

I prefer PVC racks, over wood they are lighter yet sturdy.

The issue I have with wood is that it expand and contract all the time which may cause issue if you do not anticipate it when building your rack, sooner or later the wood may crack as well.

PVC racks are by far the best, they hold in heat and humidity better than wooden racks.

PVC racks are usually much lighter than their wooden racks

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Originally Posted by MrLang

EDIT:
Watched that video... I don't think that slatted rack would hold humidity very well at all. Is this for Ball Pythons?

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No its not slatted bc he puts the pieces of white board on the bottom of every shelf so that the the "roof" of every bps tub is the white board.

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Originally Posted by theReptileGuy

Thanks for the quick reply!

Oh okay, that's a relief. But, would you still recommend wood over plastic? I just want to know which one would be better overall so it could last longer haha.

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By wood im assuming you mean melamine? Ive used both. The melamine rack i built worked just fine. The only thing is melamine is heavy AF. So building a big rack out of it isnt the best idea bc you cant move it very easily. (i built a 7 tub 41qt melamine rack and me, my stepdad, and my brother could barely move it). I would really reccommend a profesionally built PVC rack or buy one used from somebody. Ive been more than satisfied with the RBI rack i got and will probably be happy with the used AP rack i bought just yesterday. Imo its definetly worth the money to just buy a pro built PVC rack.

EDIT: yup what deborah and aaron said^. I agree:gj:

@Deborah: *facepalm* Completely forgot about that haha. I'll search up some good DIY PVC racks!

@TSM: Thanks for the input!

Is PVS generally a lot more expensive than wood?

Edit: @Mike: I'm just trying to save some money, lol. I know the quality won't be as good probably, but, if it could last just as long and is cheaper I'm up for it haha.

Well Mike just got a heck of a deal on a used PVC rack, so if you keep an eye out you can find one too...

PVC itself isn't that much more expensive than wood... but it is harder to work with (wood doesn't melt if your cutting speed is too high or your feed rate isn't just right.

Finding a good source of PVC is the hardest part, I would see if you have any sign shops local to you as they usually have sheets of UV resistant PVC. (And they might have the necessary equipment to cut it lol)

I agree I'd build a proper rack and not a mcguyver rack. The total cost of animals, heating, tubs, and room heater t-stat for that is so much saving a 100-200 dollars hardly makes much sense to me. A fully enclosed PVCx or melamine rack might allow a slightly lower ambient temp and that may translate in to a few dollars a month and over 20 years that could be a lot more than you might think. I would second the fail safe, racks have so much chance of pulling loose a probe that it really is needed more than most systems.