Heat tape/rack questions

I'm probably not going to be getting more ball pythons for a while, but I feel like being educated for the future right now, so if anyone can answer these questions for me that'd be great! :D
So heat tape, I have no clue how it works. How do you use it? Do you plug it into the wall & thermostat like a UTH? I've heard people talking about wiring it, what does that mean?
And racks. Would a small rack be very hard to make, like do they need to be made out of a certain material or does it not matter so much? I feel like racks are really expensive to buy, is that just because of the craftsmanship or are they something the average person can't easily make?
Sorry for all the questions! Just tryna figure out my future bp plans ;)

Heattape is a really basic form of heating. Its pretty much just the heat of electricity running through the conductive materials of the tape itself- so it MUST be regulated. It will overheat in mere minutes without a thermostat. Its probably the cheapest heating uption, but paired with a good thermostat, its one of my favorites.

As for "wiring" it, normall it just comes as a roll of the base tape, no wires attached, so often times the wires need to be saudered on or connected with basic wiring hardware. It can be good if you like DIY, but if youre lazy like me, places like reptile basics always offer a service to have them do it for less than a dollar more. Worth every penny.

As for a rack, it can be whatever you want it to be, if youre creative. Companies like c-serpants make some really pretty, well made racks, but a "rack" can be something as simple as a wire shelf with a few tubs and a UTH under each. It really depends what youre up for! Personally I bought mine from CSerpants, but making one can be quite easy from what ive heard, with the proper tools of course. Look around a but, im sure you can find plenty of examples here alone!

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