Based on your descriptions and wants I did think a burm would be a better choice than retic.
I always imagined those spaces under stairs would make for such a cool large snake enclosure! For heating, you might need some bulbs or RHP from the ceiling and then you'd have to also do something like a pig blanket or all weather large heat pad on the floor as well.
Maybe you could build something that would look like a large tree trunk, you could leave a large hallow middle for a 'hide' and the top would be large, flat and elevated which could provide a ledge that would be able to handle the weight and give the snake something to climb up onto? Just an idea. Something that looks kind of like this:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K4o-5rvewK...01.painted.jpg
Once they get big, they tend to be happy just hanging on on the floor from what I've seen.
Here's a nice big burm I took a photo of from a reptile exhibit that took place at the CA Academy of Sciences, I'd estimate s/he was 18' or so.
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