does anyone know where to find sheets of melamine plastic to build cages and racks

does anyone know where to find the sheets of plastic used to make most of the cages on the market? ive done some research and havent been successful. thanks greg
greg von bruchhaeuser

I would think that Lowe's and Home Depot both carry it.

thats what i thought as well, they dont have anything on their websites though. best to just talk to them directly i suppose. thanks
greg von bruchhaeuser

I was in both yesterday and they both had it. If you have a Menards near you, they carry it too.

Home depot and Lowes both carry melamine. Look in shelving or lumber. Melamine is not a sheet of plastic BTW. It is a coated particle board. The coating is a plastic type coating (along with some other stuff). It is heavy, so be sure to get the lumber cart!

In addition to the HIC's mentioned, you can also find melamine coated particle board at cabinet specialty stores and some dedicated lumber yards.

The advantage of cabinet shops is that the product they carry has a much more durable surface than HIC stores. This is reflected in the price but is well worth it for cages that will have moderate direct moisture contact. It is not as big of a deal with racks. It still use cheap HIC melamine for racks.

Another nice thing about cabinet shops is that if you need it cut they will do a very good job for you. Much better than what Home Depot or other HIC's can do on their panels saws. Nothing against, Home Depot, but cabinet shops have nicer saws and more experienced staff. My luck with getting sheet goods cut at Home Depot has been hit and miss.