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.

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

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...

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Yes I did lol! Im an idiot and was gunna add that to my post but forgot to!

I got a used 10 tub AP rack for $250 (from someone local so i didnt have to pay shipping). If i bought it new from AP it would have cost me $520 shipped.
I would just keep your eyes out for a deal like this. Its not black like i would prefer, but my snakes like white too lol.

I would reccommend going to your local expo and seeing who there sells PVC racks. For example i pre-ordered my PVC rack from Reptile Basics and was able to pick it up at the show and get a $30 discount bc Rich didnt have to ship it. :gj:

I found a potential supplier (of PVC) about 5 min away from my house currently. It's called Grainger. (Link) Not sure if it's reliable, but, I'll have to stop by in the future and see. Has anyone ever heard of the store?

I've used them in the past, though I was buying Aluminum not PVC

I didn't have any issues with them

Sorry for bringing this thread back up, but, would you consider that DIY rack (Click Here) to be/look pretty reliable? For those who built one similar, how do you like it?

Also, I forgot to ask this before but, for the Fail Safe Stat, is that a good one to use along with a different Thermostat, or do you just use the Fail Safe?

a rack like that will work fine, but offers very little thermal insulation.

When using a failsafe thermostat you use 2 separate thermostats. basically you have your main thermostat that is set to the desired temperature, and a failsafe thermostat set higher than your main thermostat. The failsafe thermostat is set at the highest temperature you ever want the UTH to get. in the event that your main thermostat fails the failsafe thermostat kicks in and keeps your temps at a safe level until you can fix/replace the main thermostat.

like this:

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...t/1715fc9c.jpg

Ohh, okay thanks!

How would I go about trying to 'keep in' the thermal insulation? Add more boarding to the bottom and top?

Basically you would have to line the walls/top/bottom with some type of insulation.

or make sure that the room is warm enough

Would it be fine if the temp was around 75?

Also, what kind of insulation would you recommend?

Sorry for asking question after question ><

75 would be the minimum, but yes.

The 2 main types I would look into are :

Foam board insulation

like this:http://www.amazon.com/Expanded-Polys...8858832&sr=8-6

Reflective foil insulation

Like this: http://www.insulationstop.com/tempsh...ge-48x100.html

Both examples are just that, not the exact product I would recommend, but show you the basic form.

Oh, okay thanks! I think I got the idea now haha.

Those would be slightly better, but are super heavy

Hey, as long as it get's the job done, I'm 100% fine! Haha. Anyone have any more easy suggestions for 41 qt. racks?

I would do it with XPVC, but, I don't know if I should use the same measurements the person in the video used, just substituted with XPVC. Think it would work?

that should work

that expandable spray foam insullation stuff is pretty sweet. I dont think that would really work for you, but i thought it definetly deserved a shoutout here for its awe factor.:)