Need help and Advice! New enclosure!

[Daniel Quezada]

Hello everyone, I just recently came across a great bargain. A 16½ × 33 × 16½ (H × W × D) Melamine enclosure for $20 at a swap meet! HOWEVER, there is a catch. It is a little beat up. I'll list what the issues are and my solutions I have thought of, for issues I don't have answers to or am having trouble with I will specify.

Issues
Red = Help/Advice
Green = Unsure
Blue = I got it

• It's dirty... - Obviously I need to clean it and disinfect it but I have no idea what chemicals to use.
• The sliding glass planes are... Questionable.. - I don't have experience with these glass panes, they seem to be too short for the railing and rock back and forward on the rail. I need to know how to size that and fit it properly
• The silicone is worn and a dark brown color. - I'm guessing I'd have to re-do the silicone but I'm unsure whether I need to remove the silicone or just caulk over it.
• Melamine edging tape, now this genius wasn't aware that all you have to do is iron the stuff on... So he stapled it on... - I'm going to pick up some new Edging tape at home depot and iron it on myself. This one is black.
• The light fixtures, they work perfectly fine. However I'm unsure if I should get new ones just to be safe. - Heat fixture is ceramic/porcelain and the UVB fixture is some sort of questionable plastic. Furthermore, I may also swap the wiring to one with a switch in order to switch it on and off at will instead of having to mess with the timer
• Vents = Fine - May switch them out just for decontamination purposes

I would appreciate any help/advice and just some tips and pointers on what you'd do yourself thank you for taking the time to read my post and mind my OCD stricture...

 

[Daniel Quezada]

FORGOT TO MENTION! I am aware that bulb is not appropriate for basking, just wanted to test the fixture.

 

[BeardedHippy]

Sounds like you have it pretty much in hand...
for the first one, cleaning, I would bleach it and then use a steam cleaner, its pretty grubby looking melamine but it should come up ok. If you dont have access to a steam cleaner, I would bleach it and paint it with an undercoat and a good non toxic paint, that would make it look new(the interior that is, just bleach the hell out of the outside).
Take off the old silicone as best you can and redo it (after painting of course if thats what you do)
Are you sure you want to lose the staples? they give it the Frankenstiens vivarium look lol , no they need to go.
The glass is the tricky bit. It obviously isnt so bad that the glass is falling out. Replacing the glass would mean your bargain would get costly. So, that leaves either buying a better fitting rail or making adjustments to what you have. lift a glass door up as high as it will go into the top runner, how much gap is between the bottom of the glass and the top of the bottom runner? it should be about 1mm, just enough to get the glass in/out. If the gap is larger you could raise the bottom runner up by putting a strip of veneer or similar under it.
If the glass door doesn't seem wide enough, put a piece of runner on either side for the glass to lock into. Runners/rails can be bought on ebay etc and are cheap.

Dunno if any of that helps

 

[Daniel Quezada]

Sounds like you have it pretty much in hand...
for the first one, cleaning, I would bleach it and then use a steam cleaner, its pretty grubby looking melamine but it should come up ok. If you dont have access to a steam cleaner, I would bleach it and paint it with an undercoat and a good non toxic paint, that would make it look new(the interior that is, just bleach the hell out of the outside).
Take off the old silicone as best you can and redo it (after painting of course if thats what you do)
Are you sure you want to lose the staples? they give it the Frankenstiens vivarium look lol , no they need to go.
The glass is the tricky bit. It obviously isnt so bad that the glass is falling out. Replacing the glass would mean your bargain would get costly. So, that leaves either buying a better fitting rail or making adjustments to what you have. lift a glass door up as high as it will go into the top runner, how much gap is between the bottom of the glass and the top of the bottom runner? it should be about 1mm, just enough to get the glass in/out. If the gap is larger you could raise the bottom runner up by putting a strip of veneer or similar under it.
If the glass door doesn't seem wide enough, put a piece of runner on either side for the glass to lock into. Runners/rails can be bought on ebay etc and are cheap.

Dunno if any of that helps

Thanks for the Advice I will look into the veneer!

 

[Daniel Quezada]

Sounds like you have it pretty much in hand...
for the first one, cleaning, I would bleach it and then use a steam cleaner, its pretty grubby looking melamine but it should come up ok. If you dont have access to a steam cleaner, I would bleach it and paint it with an undercoat and a good non toxic paint, that would make it look new(the interior that is, just bleach the hell out of the outside).
Take off the old silicone as best you can and redo it (after painting of course if thats what you do)
Are you sure you want to lose the staples? they give it the Frankenstiens vivarium look lol , no they need to go.
The glass is the tricky bit. It obviously isnt so bad that the glass is falling out. Replacing the glass would mean your bargain would get costly. So, that leaves either buying a better fitting rail or making adjustments to what you have. lift a glass door up as high as it will go into the top runner, how much gap is between the bottom of the glass and the top of the bottom runner? it should be about 1mm, just enough to get the glass in/out. If the gap is larger you could raise the bottom runner up by putting a strip of veneer or similar under it.
If the glass door doesn't seem wide enough, put a piece of runner on either side for the glass to lock into. Runners/rails can be bought on ebay etc and are cheap.

Dunno if any of that helps

As far as the bleaching goes, how would I do that? Would Clorox bleach wipes be fine or would I have to use some form of sponge and liquid bleach?

 

[BeardedHippy]

those wipes are a bit crap, it needs a good scrub all over to get rid of any germs present. I would use a bucket of hot water with liquid bleach (any kind really) added and scrub with a brush to get as much dirt off as you can. Then give a good wipe down with a cloth and clean water to get rid of any residue.
It doesnt have to be veneer, it depends how high it needs lifting. You could use that edging tape which you are going to buy anyway or the old stuff you are taking off. You might need more than one layer of it if the runner needs lifting higher than a mm or 2. Really though you could use anything as a spacer.

 

[Daniel Quezada]

those wipes are a bit crap, it needs a good scrub all over to get rid of any germs present. I would use a bucket of hot water with liquid bleach (any kind really) added and scrub with a brush to get as much dirt off as you can. Then give a good wipe down with a cloth and clean water to get rid of any residue.
It doesnt have to be veneer, it depends how high it needs lifting. You could use that edging tape which you are going to buy anyway or the old stuff you are taking off. You might need more than one layer of it if the runner needs lifting higher than a mm or 2. Really though you could use anything as a spacer.

I just figured out the glass has chips on them and they're not even the same material. One is some form of Plexi glass and the other is heavier glass. I think I'm going to get new glass. Thanks for the advice on the bleach!