melamine rack vs PVC

What would you choose and why

Im hearing melamine becomes poisonous as the humidity gets to it over time

Pvc is alot lighter and I beleive as long as the melamine is sealed properly it wont release anything harmful

PVC is lighter, completely moisture proof, and easy to clean. Melamine is heavy, only moisture proof on the surfaces, but is much easier to find for DIY'ers. It will swell if any moisture gets to the cut edges. Actually had one of my dogs pee on the bottom slot of one of my racks, which was empty, and the wood swelled so bad I couldn't get the tub back in. So, if i was buying new racks from someone else, I would get PVC over melamine any day. But I can't find a source for PVC, so I use melamine to build my own.

PVC :gj:, lighter, does not expand or contract, does not crack, last much longer.

PVC! All day long and twice on Sunday :partyon:

Hmm alright thanks everyone I was just curious as I need a larger rack to accommodate my 2 larger bps

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Originally Posted by Durhambreeder

Hmm alright thanks everyone I was just curious as I need a larger rack to accommodate my 2 larger bps

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I have both. The melamine is a lot heavier than the pvc when full. Something to consider in height is cleaning. My melamine is 12" tall and the PVC 18". When cleaning and locating snakes to handle or feed, the 18" definitely has proved itself better. The PVC holds moisture a lot better though the melamine is easier to keep ambient temperatures.

Melamine (like all particle board) off gasses formaldehyde (toxic, known carcinogen), whether wet or dry. PVC relases pthalates (some types cause breast cancer, all are endocrine disruptors) and Persistent Organic Pollutants. Basically both have very nasty chemicals in them that are known to be bad for people, and are probably bad for snakes too. But we also get continuously exposed to repetitive low doses of these chemicals everywhere we go, for example BPA is used to lubricate receipt paper, and manufacturers are legally required to put flame retardants in couches and matresses. Offgassing from a snake rack is a tiny drop in a very large, scary bucket, so get whichever one works best for you.

Personally, I love my PVC enclosure (Animal Plastic T12 to be exact) I like the fact that all the cutouts are already made for the heat tape and probes. I think it's would be about the same price (if not more) to build your own melamine enclosure and that would probably without the glass. Also, as many people pointed out, the PVC enclosures are A LOT lighter and in my opinion, easier to clean.

Good luck on the enclosure search!

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Originally Posted by Misha

Personally, I love my PVC enclosure (Animal Plastic T12 to be exact) I like the fact that all the cutouts are already made for the heat tape and probes. I think it's would be about the same price (if not more) to build your own melamine enclosure and that would probably without the glass. Also, as many people pointed out, the PVC enclosures are A LOT lighter and in my opinion, easier to clean.

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Racks and enclosures are a lot different...........................................


If money fell out of my butt and I had a supplier for XPVC here in SA at reasonable prices I would make my own super light weight racks.
None of that exists here so I build mine out of MDF (uncoated melamine) and have no problem with it other than the weight. I run lids on all my racks so there are no problems on my end. ;)

Either can be great so long as the rack was built well. I prefer pvc now due to weight and it not being susceptable to moisture getting into it, but I also have melamine racks that were built back somewhere around 1990 and are still good units. I recently built another 41qt rack out of melamine because I still had some sheets of it that I could build it out of (I probably bought those sheets in '94), but if I'm having to buy materials for another rack or cage, I'll be buying the pvc sheets.