I'm looking for contact paper...

Hi, I'm looking for contact paper to line the inside of my water dragon's cage.

It's made of plywood and not very attractive looking. I've painted the outside black already which has made it more attractive, but I have big plans for the interior.

But before I can build a waterfall or ledges, I want to cover up the wood with some light blue or cloud contact paper. The problem is I haven't been able to find any, not online or in stores. I thought contact paper would be good because it would be easier to scrub and clean.

If I can't find this I will probably just go with the backgrounds pet stores provide, but I'd prefer the light blue I have in mind.

Well, that's a lot of rambling. All I reallly wanted to ask was, does anyone know where I can find any? A website that provides good contact paper for terrariums?

I'm very surprised you can't find this. Contact Paper is just one brand of self-adhesive shelf liner, of which there are several. Just type "contact paper" into google (with the quotes) and you should find several online resources, or even stores you might have locally that tend to carry it.

My only word of warning is that for whatever reason various shelf liners have become thinner and have a much weaker adhesive than in years past. I now hesitate to recommend it as a water proof barrier in reptile cages, although I have not tried it for a few years. I know one reptile keeper contacted a regional sales rep for the Contract brand and he/she confirmed they were now making the products thinner and with a weaker adhesive. The older products were thicker than they needed to be and stuck to shelves and drawers too well.

However, I have also heard that the old stuff is still sold as heavy duty contact paper. I have not see this myself.

Ok. I've already done exstensive google searches. I can find lots of contact paper, but nothing that is light blue or cloud patterened.

Originally Posted by Jazeira

Ok. I've already done exstensive google searches. I can find lots of contact paper, but nothing that is light blue or cloud patterened.

Sorry, I thought you meant you could not find CP in general vs. in the exact colors you wanted. My misunderstanding.

I have used clear CP, so if you can find the exact color paint you want and just cover it with clear you will more or less get the same effect.

If you want a glossier look, there is also vinyl film like that used in the graphics industry. It is much more durable than even the old CP and actually cheaper when bought in bulk. And if you're really willing to search you can find it in just about any color, but it will be glossy. I bought a roll of a the cheapest calendered vinyl film I could find and paid about 26 cents per square foot. But I ordered enough to get free shipping.

I did extensive research on the stuff and even found a graphics company out on the east cost that had been hired to apply it to the inside of animal exhibits at a zoo. Basically what they told me was that for this type of application there is no benefit to going with a more expensive vinyl film or one with a greater "year rating". Inside a reptile cage they will all hold up the same, even when exposed to artificial UV light. The only reason to spend more money is to get the color you want.

I'm sure I ordered mine from Beacongrahics.com.

Now that I think about it, I have seen clear vinyl films as well, although I'm not sure if it was at Beacon.

Ordering the stuff in small quantity may get expensive, I'm not sure. But I guess Contact Paper is pretty expensive.

Oh yeah, one other advantage to vinyl film is that it comes in a lot of different widths, which can save money. I planned to 30" deep cages and racks so I ordered a 30" wide roll. That way I don't need to double it up with an overlap.

Thanks! I've never heard of vinyl film before. Maybe I'll find some in the right color.

I had Contac paper in one of my vivs, and it sucked for that purpose. Didn't adhere very well. I took it off and just left the bare wood. I would definately go with vinyl.