"hardwood" floor for the chins

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laurc19

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After trying shavings and fleece liners (which are being chewed apart) to no avail, I have decided to try a "hardwood" floor in my chins cage. I got some advice from another CnH member who used plexiglass and vinyl stick-on floor tiles which is what I am thinking of doing.

This fellow member has advised me to make sure that there are no exposed edges for them to chew. Any advice on how to ensure a perfect fit for the pan of their cage? I am kind of challenged with DIY stuff so I need all the help I can get.

Also, anyone know where I can get some plexiglass? I checked Lowe's & Home Depot (online) and can't find anything. I've also checked Craigslist and FreeCycle.

Thanks in advance!
 
The most important thing to remember when trying to ensure a perfect match.... "Measure twice, cut once."

Do you have a spare pan you can take to home depot for them to see to make sure they cut it to fit? I'm sure they'll be happy to help.

As far as putting vinyl over the plexi, what does that accomplish? Pardon me if I'm a bit slow. :D To do that, I would cut an oversized piece, stick it on the plexi, flip it over, and run an xacto knife or other type of sharp razor along the edge to cut it. Sharper the knife, the less drag, the less drag, the less chance of little bits sticking up to be chewed. You could also possibly leave a bit of extra and fold it over the sides of the plexi?

Sorry if by chance I have no idea what I'm talking about. I'm not sure what your setup looks like, so if any of this is nonsensical, it's purely my fault. :)
 
Rather than using vinyl why not use real tile? Just get some 1/4 in plywood or somehthing like that since the chin can't reach it, get your tile, use construction glue to glue them rather than mastic, then grout. Cool, easy to clean and sanitary, no worry about them ever tearing them up. Pee would worry me with vinyl tile, I bet it would some how get under it and lift. Lowes and Depot both cut tile so give them the size you want.
 
Ticklechin, I didn't think of that! That's a great idea! My chins would have a nicer floor than mine :( lol

What if they started gnawing at the grout??? Wouldn't they be able to scrap some up with their teeth? I want to make sure everything is safe for them.
 
If you use something like marble tile you can get teeny tiny grout lines just bump the tile up to eachcother, just make sure when you are done grouting the grout is like a 1/16th of a inch below the tile line. I have tiled pine shelves and used grout and the chins cannot get to it. Also use the grout that is like cement for countertops, not the grout used in bathrooms.
 
The Home Depot near me doesnt cut tiles anymore - fyi - because they said too many people were wanting 'fancy' cuts (snip off corners to make octogons & stuff like that). All I wanted was a 12x12" slate tile cut in half, and they told me no, I'd have to buy or rent a tile cutter.
Otherwise tho - I absolutely LOVE that idea. If I only had a few chins, I'd prolly make them a tile floor.
~Barb~
 
Yeah maybe I will just make them a tile floor.

Again, I am DIY challeneged.... any suggestions on how to do it?
 
I prefer the real tile idea to the peal and stick. All linoleum and peal and stick tiles off gas a nasty plastic smell for a while. That's not something I'd like my chins inhaling.
 
my family owns a glass business and we carry plexiglass so if you go that route, check with your local glass company.
home depot & lowes dont cut tile anymore. i know this cause i got a 12 x 12 tile that i wanted to cut in half to use as a "chiller", so i have to see if one of the guys at work has one, cause i bought them anyway.
they did have lots of different types of sizes that cost more money, but maybe something would stand out for you.
 
In the cages I have with wire floors, I've built a pedestal - 1 x 10 the width of the cage. 1 x 6 4 inches shorter, installed verticle in the middle, both ways, with another 1 x 10 on top - kinda like a "T" with a floor! Seems they love it when playing, as thy can escape one another very easily - fun to watch!
Biggest problem is they've a lot of places to "get away" if they don't want to be caught!
 
What type of cage floor are you trying to cover? I am trying to understand if you are wanting to cover the bottom of a metal pan or actually making a floor for maybe a home made cage?
 
(Sorry it's been a loooooooooooooooong time)

I am not exactly sure how I can do it. It is not a homemade cage. I am looking to do it for the bottom of a ferret nation that I am planning on getting.
 
I'm wondering why cover it? What are you gaining? If it's a plastic pan, then the plastic will always be reachable, if it's metal then what is being gained? Are they potty trained? What will soak up the urine?
 
Yeah, I don't really get the covering a metal pan with tiles trend, why not just have the metal pan lol? I personally like to have some cushion :)).
 
I tried the tile and wood and all it created was a huge stink and I was out money I could have used elsewhere. The top was fine but the urine slowly seeps down the sides and gets into the wood underneath and when that happens there is nothing I could buy or find that would get the smell out of the wood. Do what you think is best this is just my experience with it and it stunk :)
 
I have a wire bottom cage and I used lucite to cover the bottom. It is actually in the department for the drop ceilings (at Menards, Lowes, Home Depot). It is the cover that you put over the lights. It is much more flexible than plexiglass and way cheaper. It does break easily, so you can just score and snap it to fit. (But be careful with the snapping.) I used it b/c I had to fit the entire piece through the door--the sides of my cage don't come off the bottom. It is easy to wipe clean and Idgie's feet won't fall through the wires. Not sure if that would meet your needs, though.

As for ceramic/porcelain/granite tile, it can be kind of heavy. I wouldn't grout it b/c a chin can easily chew the grout out. Wouldn't it be better to just leave a little space? I don't know. But I do remodeling and tiling for a living, so I am fortunate to have a tile saw that I could cut exact sizes and shapes. If you were closer, I'd cut them for you.

Good Luck.
 
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