Over the years I have used many different materials in cage building for my chams. The floor has always been difficult to clean and I was looking for a solution when my LLL screen cage bottoms began to stain. The bottoms to the screen cages stain from Cham droppings, and I really don't like the look of those stains; it is like I didn't really clean it. The problem with the LLL board on the bottom is that it is permeable, so after the droppings hit it, the the stain sets, and the bottom looks like crap (or really is stained by crap)! I was wiping my surface 4 to 5 times with the bottoms that come with the LLL screen cages.
I purchased a Fiberglass hard board that on the finished side is shiney and slightly bumpy, hard as cement, and it cleans with one to two wipes, and will not stain. I replaced all my LLL cage floors with the Fiberglass board, and it really improved the look of the floor. I do not have plants on my floor, but if you do, you might want to lay the Fiberglass board on top of your existing floor, as it is about 1/8 inch thick, and "gives" a bit more than the LLL bottoms. I don't put plants on my floors (for easy cleaning),so I just replaced my floors.
I also found that with a misting system and a dripping system, splatters were bouncing off the floor and hitting the lower screen area, and were misting through the screen, and my wife was not happy with the water on the (new) carpet. So I cut some strips 9 inches high of the Fiberglass board, screwed them into the outside of the screen frame and put them on the back and sides to stop the splatters....marriage is a beautiful thing. I found I didn't need them on the front, there wasn't any splatters misting through the front side, and I wanted full view through the front anyway.
Next I needed a visual barrier between the cages, and in the past had used cloth, shower curtains, painters cloth drop cloths. and wood, all them looking pretty tacky. I used the Fiberglass hard board as the barrier, and found that the board is so shiney that it actually magnifies the light in the cage.
The Fiberglass hard board is bright white and gives a real finished look to the cages, and is a great contrast to the dark frames. When screwing it to the frames you need a drill to get the screw started through the fiberglass board, it is hard material, and use stainless steel screws about 1/4 inch long.
The board is available @ hardware stores, and i found Home Depot and Lowes will not cut the 4 by 8 foot sheets. A panel saw is best for accuracy, but 2 people who are experienced on working as a team cutting 4 by 8 foot plywood sheets using a table saw can cut the 4 by 8 foot sheet into smaller pieces. The board is about $35.00 per sheet, and you can get 8 bottoms out of one sheet.
This is the picture of the new Fiberglass board floor on one of my 24 by 24 inch cages. The center drain hole is 4 inches in diameter, and has a plastic grid siliconed underneath to keep the feeders in, and let the water out.
This is a picture of the splash guards that have stopped the splatters (wet wood is from before installing Fiberglass board) from bouncing through the screen onto my tables and new carpet.
This is the Fiberglass board used as the visual barrier between 2 cages.
I have almost 2 full sheets left, if you would like me to cut you some bottoms, splash sides or visual barriers, I have the panel saw, and can cut to your measurements. Pm me if interested.
NIck Barta
I purchased a Fiberglass hard board that on the finished side is shiney and slightly bumpy, hard as cement, and it cleans with one to two wipes, and will not stain. I replaced all my LLL cage floors with the Fiberglass board, and it really improved the look of the floor. I do not have plants on my floor, but if you do, you might want to lay the Fiberglass board on top of your existing floor, as it is about 1/8 inch thick, and "gives" a bit more than the LLL bottoms. I don't put plants on my floors (for easy cleaning),so I just replaced my floors.
I also found that with a misting system and a dripping system, splatters were bouncing off the floor and hitting the lower screen area, and were misting through the screen, and my wife was not happy with the water on the (new) carpet. So I cut some strips 9 inches high of the Fiberglass board, screwed them into the outside of the screen frame and put them on the back and sides to stop the splatters....marriage is a beautiful thing. I found I didn't need them on the front, there wasn't any splatters misting through the front side, and I wanted full view through the front anyway.
Next I needed a visual barrier between the cages, and in the past had used cloth, shower curtains, painters cloth drop cloths. and wood, all them looking pretty tacky. I used the Fiberglass hard board as the barrier, and found that the board is so shiney that it actually magnifies the light in the cage.
The Fiberglass hard board is bright white and gives a real finished look to the cages, and is a great contrast to the dark frames. When screwing it to the frames you need a drill to get the screw started through the fiberglass board, it is hard material, and use stainless steel screws about 1/4 inch long.
The board is available @ hardware stores, and i found Home Depot and Lowes will not cut the 4 by 8 foot sheets. A panel saw is best for accuracy, but 2 people who are experienced on working as a team cutting 4 by 8 foot plywood sheets using a table saw can cut the 4 by 8 foot sheet into smaller pieces. The board is about $35.00 per sheet, and you can get 8 bottoms out of one sheet.
This is the picture of the new Fiberglass board floor on one of my 24 by 24 inch cages. The center drain hole is 4 inches in diameter, and has a plastic grid siliconed underneath to keep the feeders in, and let the water out.
This is a picture of the splash guards that have stopped the splatters (wet wood is from before installing Fiberglass board) from bouncing through the screen onto my tables and new carpet.
This is the Fiberglass board used as the visual barrier between 2 cages.
I have almost 2 full sheets left, if you would like me to cut you some bottoms, splash sides or visual barriers, I have the panel saw, and can cut to your measurements. Pm me if interested.
NIck Barta
Last edited:
