Pegboard enclosures...

[ChamOh]

I'm thinking about building a cage and using pegboard in place of screen for three out of the four side walls. I'm thinking about screening the front wall and door area for better viewing.

If anyone has a pegboard cage, I would love to see what others have done if you'd be willing to post a few pics.

Pegboard seems to solve a few problems we cham keepers have: it will help keep humidity in the cage, give the cham lots of privacy, prevent cham from hurting toes when climbing on tiny screen..etc..

To those that have done this, did you use water sealer on the pegboard? How does it hold up to the moisture?

Many thanks.

 

[Dupontman2]

I havent tried pegboard, but I bet a few good coats of sanding sealer or a polyurethane would probably work. Try coating a piece and spray it with some water and see how it does. If it works I believe it would work well for humidity plus the use of side by side cages where they wouldnt be able to see each other, that is if you have more than one cham. In my opinion a great idea!

 

[ChamOh]

thanks for the input dupont. I can't take the credit for the idea, because I got it from a forum member on here. I know some people have been using pegboard with a lot of success.

 

[Dupontman2]

Well I think I will try it. I'll pick up some pegboard and seal it with some sanding sealer and see how it does. It beats having to put something between my cages. Why didnt I think of this before???

 

[ChamOh]

^^ sweet! I think it will work well for a barrier. Post your results in this thread if you get a chance. I'd definitely be interested to hear how it went. A 4ft x 2ft piece is less than 5 dollars at my HomeDepot.

 

[Dupontman2]

I'll let you know tomorrow. Sanding sealer dries in minutes.

 

[ChamOh]

I'll let you know tomorrow. Sanding sealer dries in minutes.

honestly, I'm not familiar with sanding sealer. is it oil based?

 

[Dupontman2]

Its more like a lacquer or a urethane. It dries quick like lacquer. We use it over stain so you can sand it lightly before you put polyurethane on. Keeps the grain from rising.

 

[albert the veiled]

I would NOT trust using any kind of man-made compressed board,chipboard,OSB,particalboard,masonite or pegboard. the chemicals that are used in processing could be harmful to you're cham. when making an enclosure the fumes can intensify. I would not use any kind of lacquer or urethane on an enclosure, It could also be harmful to a cham. There are natural products that can be used and be safer.

 

[Dupontman2]

Not to argue, but I have used urethane coated wood in all my cages for years. When they dry, there are no fumes.

 

[sandrachameleon]

I have used (zero VOC painted) peg-board cages for years. The oldest cage I built more than ten years ago (and its still in great condition and being used). Peg-board sides and back on a wood frame is an EXCELLENT choice. It retains heat and humidity far better than a screen cage, whilst allowing plenty of opportunity for air movement. The sturdiness allows for bowls, plants, branches etc to be afixed easily. Toenails will never be ripped out by climbing (which can happen with mesh/screen). Easy to clean. If you caulk all seams and paint, the peg-board and paint hold up very well to water. I've had an inch of water sitting on the bottom for hours, without penetration.

I use a wide spaced wire top, so that the drippers and lights sit outside the cage. The dripper hoses can be easily put in and moved. The UVB easily pentrates (unlike with screen, which blocks a good portion of the UVB). I used acrylic or plexiglass for the doors, for uninhibited viewing of my animals (and NO they do not paw at the "glass" - they totally understand it is there).

The only drawbacks are: 1 - small bugs could escape through the holes and potentially at the doors if your construction isnt perfect (like mine isnt). Through the top too, if you use a wide mesh like I have. 2 - you have to put some thought into drainage. For me, its easy again as I primarily water with drippers, and collect the unused water in a bowl which I remove and dump. I wipe up spills and excess with a towel, which I then hang dry in the same room (adding humidity to the room) and launder weekly. Easier still would be using a shower pan or tiles and drain hole, as in a bathroom shower, with a bucket under (or a fancier drain pipe connected to the house system). 3 - if you scrub hard, over time (years) the paint can wear, but this just makes for a good reason to change the colour when you repaint.


You can see pictures of my cages here:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/members/sandrachameleon-albums-cage.html
(note - pictures taken shortly after re-doing the cages after a house more, so the plants hadnt grown up like they are now)

Plenty of other people have independantly come up with this same idea. For example:
http://www.chameleonnews.com/02JulCaettaKruger.html

 

[rcutchens]

OK - now I'm freaking out. Are screens bad for chameleons then???

 

[carol5208]

Screens are fine! Don't freak!!!

 

[sandrachameleon]

OK - now I'm freaking out. Are screens bad for chameleons then???

No, in many situations screen is fine.
However, in many other situations, screen is not the best choice.

A lot depends on your local environment (do you live somewhere dry or humid, warm or cold, etc).
Where I live, all screen is not the best choice. But in the southern warm humid states, screen can be the perfect choice.

What matters is ensuring the correct environment INSIDE the enclosure, more than the actual construction of the enclosure.